OCR Text |
Show COMbfISSIONEB OF INDIAN mFAUI8. 17 and placing under treatment of many of these older Indians. The returned students, who have experienced the beneficent results of trachoma treatment, have been a large factor in the dissemination of information wncerningl this disease among the old Indians. The pupils in the day schools and the boarding schools all receive oompulsory treatment for trachoma, and it is now a wmmon occur-rence to receive reports from the eye specialists that the disease in the schools they visit is under control. EPIDEMIOS.-There have been rather numerous epidemics during the last fiscal year of smallpox, diphtheria, rabies, measles, and whooping cough. The handling of these epidemics presents greater di5culties among the Indian population than occurs among white people, owing to the fact that many of the Indians do not under-stand the need for quarantine. Some of the diseases cause a much higher mortality among Indians than among white, more especially measles, in the epidemics of which there has followed a high per-centage of pneumonia. Smallpox early in the year broke out among the Navajos, of whom there are in the neighborhood of 25,000 in northern Arizona, and before the cases were disoovered $here had been a rather wide exposure. This was due to the unfortunate shortage of physicians, partly due to the demand of the War Depart-ment. However, a medical supervisor was immediately sent to take charge of the situation, and wholesale vaccination was started and detention camps established. Satisfactorg progrw has been made and it is believed the disease is under control. The Navajos have learned the value of vaccination, but like many white people they are likely to wait until danger is present before protecting them-selves. Sanitary preparedness is in order, and Indians are becoming more and more amenable in this respect. "SAVETE E ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ s . " - C o n tainndu veigdo rous effort has been the watchword in the campaign for better health conditions among chil-dren, especially the young infants, among whom the mortality has been so great. Reaulta in this direction have been surprisingly gratifying, and much has been accomplished. At the Indian faim last fall a "Baby contest" formed a prominent part in the program, md great interest was manifested by the Indian mothers. They were so succ898ful that it is planned to conduct them on even amore elaborate scale this year, and to this end standard score cards have been secured hpon which the children contesting will be registered. They will be carefully graded by the physicians, and the cards of the babies having the highest scores will be sent to Washington, where suitable certificates will be issued to the parents. One of the most important factors bearing on the health problem among the children is the education of the mother in the proper care 1840PlT-2 |