Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-14
CONSUMPTION AMONG INDIANS
RAVAGES THREATEN EXITING
TON OF RED MEN.

Peculiarly Susceptible to Disease.
Debility, Dissipation and In
dolence Responsible.
Great activity during recent years in the
study Of preventive diseases. and es-
pecially Of tuberculosis, has been wide
| spread.
The increased prevalence Of the white
plague has been found to extend far be-
yond the confines Of city life. Investiga-
ton has shown increase to a marked de-
gree in various forms among the Indians
in the United States.
This il naturally Of great Importance
and calls for vigorous attempts to limit
the spread of the infection. Otherwise the
red man will follow the bison and other
aboriginal forms to determination.
| DR.. Ales Hrdlicka Of the scientific staff
| OF the United States national Museum
| undertook during the summer of 1908. un-
| der the joint auspices Of the Office of In
dian affairs and the Smithsonian Institu-
| ton. study Of conditions with regard to
| tuberculosis among five selected tribes of
! Indians In the United States He made
an exhibit and presented a preliminary
account Of his studies before the sixth
| international tuberculosis congress, held
| in Washington during September and Oc-
| tober 1908
This preliminary paper, extended by the
insertion Of his complete report. and with
| numerous illustrations. has just been
published. with the title of Tuberculosis
Among Certain Indian Tribes Of the
| United States" as bulletin AZ Of the bu-
| reau Of American ethnology OF the Smith
| sOnian Institution.
Conditions Found by Hrdlicka.
A brief summary of the bulletin cannot
but be Of interest to the general public as
| well as to the specialist.
| In his Introduction Dr. Hrdlicka dis
cusses the history Of the development Of
the disease among the Indians. He finds.
while there is no reference made to 1t by
| writer's who reported on the period of the
/ earliest contact of the whites with the
various tribes. still at the present time
tho Indians show greater susceptibility
| to the disease than the white man, thus
| clearly indicating lesser immunization
Of his system. which implies the more re-
| cent introduction Of the infection into his
| race.
DR.. Hrdlicka correctly assumes that
| the disease must have been much less
| frequent among the Indians in former
| times when they lived a more natural and
| active life. were better Injured to hard
ships, and. with the exception of particu-
4
provided with suitable food"
Tables on the morbidity and mortality
OF tuberculosis among the Indians are
presented by DR.. Hrdlicka. compiled from
the census reports, from statistics COL
lected by physicians in the Indian service
| in 1904. and from statistics on mortality
gathered by the Indian Office during 1905
In a general way this data may be sum-
| married. as showing that among 1000 In
| dams there are 81 per cent cases of pull
| monary tuberculosis, 1.95 per cent of
tuberculosis Of bones and joints and Is
per cent of cases Of glandular tubercu-
losis.
Five Tribes Visited.
He discusses his own results regard
| ing the actual state Of the different
tribes. and statistical data based on the
examinations made from actual visits
to the tribes themselves. He first Wis
TIED the Menominees. a tribe consisting
| of 7S4 men and $50 women: then the
Ogalalla Sioux. where the population is
1868 persons. and next the Quinaielts,
| small tribe Of only 141 individuals:
| next the Hupas. 426 in number. and last
ly the Mohaves. who live in Arizona and
river Mohave. who live in Arizona and
consist OF 465 persons.
The details Of the life among these
various tribes Of Indians are contrast
ed. and the influence of civilization
upon them for better or for worse"
clearly shown.
AS to the etiology OF tuberculosis among
the Indians. he finds that the most
potent Of all factors is the facility Of
infection, particularly during the cold
| or rainy season. Almost as serious is
the frequent hereditary faint among the
I'm a tribe such as the Sioux It would
be difncult. II not impossible. to find a
| family in which there have not been
tuberculosis individuals. some of whose
progeny are congenitally predisposed to
| the disease"
Among other causes cited are the
greater racial susceptibility" ''the pres
| ence of tuberculosis glands or other tu-
berculosis processes in individuals" and
''the influence of diseases other than
those OF the respiratory tract" He calls
attention to the fact that dissipation.
Incidence and all other weakening con-
ditions contribute doubtless as much
to the susceptibility Of the Indian to tu-
berculosis infection as they do among
the whites"
| want and consequent debilitation'
are cited as responsible for fair pro-
portion Of the cases Of pulmonary tu-
berculosis among the Indians.
Treatment Is Suggested.
Under the heading Therapeutics"
Dr. Hrdlicka discusses treatment. This
includes naturally combating the igno-
rance that prevails among the Indians
and the introduction Of sanitary meas
ures. such as isolation of cases, with
care by nurses and physicians.
Cleanliness and proper nutrition. es-
pecially among the aged. are mentioned
as desirable factors to be considered.
| The author wisely urges that ''all alco-
holism should be repressed."
/ DR.. Hrdlicka says:
| Whatever Is done for the Indian in
preventing and curing tuberculosis will
be Of potential civilizing influence for
| the race and Will mean also an advance
| In the campaign against the other path
| ological conditions to which he Is sub
ject."
Miss Nellie Gertrude Grimes. daughter
| of Mrs. Gertrude Grimes Of Thurmont,