OCR Text |
Show l 8 00HllbI8SIONER OF INDIAN AFFBIR6. happy, brighteyed chidren with a fair start in 11% and our schools befdme impregnable defenses against every enemy to healthy and high-minded boys and girls. The campaign thus started has developed widespread interest in this .work, and almost unbelievable results have been secured. Wom- . ~ en's meetings are held frequently, with lectures on various child; , welfare topics by the physicians, field matrons, and others. Little- , mothers' leagues have been formed among the. schoolgirls,' and nu-merous other activities for the purpose of promoting the welfare of the Indian baby have been organized on the reservations. At non-reservation boarding schools special emphasis has been given the instruction of the older girls in nursing, hygiene, sanitation, and the care of children, it having been demonstrated that this teaching is often reflected in the Indian homes through the returned girl students, while the children, who soon become the wive$ and mothers , of the race, promptly and greatly profit thereby. At all Indian Service hospitals every effort is made to provide for the Indian mother during childbirth and to bring to the hcis-pitals every such case as may not have proper home surroundings. To the greatest extent possible those mothers who are not cared for in hospitals are assisted by the physicians or field matrons, and, as . . far as facilities will permit, a systematic'follow-up system is main-tained for the benefit of all newborn infants. At many of the Indian fairs last fall a baby show formed a prominent feature of, the exhibit, and it is planned to have a baby show at every Indian fair to be held this year. These contests have created much interest among the Indians, and in a number of in-stances at fairs where white and Indian babies competed Indian babies won the first award. On'the Blackfeet Reservation a most aggressive effort has been made to improve in~anitaryI ndian homes. A special-physicia~an d a woman supervisor spent several months there in a house-to-house canvass, and with the aid of the field matron and assistants have "cleaned up" the Heart Butte district. The Indian homes there have been cleaned, whitewashed, and repaired, and all cases needing medical attention have' been placed .under treatment. The Indians have shown interest in this work, and it is believed that a permanent i . . improvement has been made. Homes of tubercular Indians'are placarded, and cases which can 'reasonably be expected to benefit from sanitarium treatment are sent to the several sanitoria. Reports from these sanitoriaare very encouraging and show that among Indians, when placed in & proper environment, the disease, in a reasonable number of cases not incomparable to similar conditions among whites, .can be arrested. |