Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-03-06
indians of Alaska are Rapidly
Decreasing In Numbers.
AID OF CONGRESS IS ASKED
Or. Fosters Report Shows That Dis
ease, Especially tuberculosis, Is
Making Great lnroads Among
the Natives Of the North
western Territory.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


an appropriation Of $4,000 for addi-
tional medical work among the natives
OF Alaska. Ever since the Indians Of
the western plains stopped going on
the war path philanthropists have
been at work among them seeking to
decrease the death rate and to make
the one time warriors and their
squaws and papooses observe the
white mans safeguard against dis
ease. The result has been that the
Indians within the United States prop
er are increasing in numbers.
The Alaska Indians, however, are in
pitiful condition notwithstanding the
efforts of the bureau Of education
which has charge of the work there,
to aid them in every way. Alaska is
a long way off and the condition Of
the tribes there does not appeal to the
residents Of the United States so
strongly as does that of the Indians
who are at the doorstep. 1t is said,
however, that congress is likely to be-
come alive to its responsibilities and
that the condition of the Alaska tribes
will be materially bettered.
DR.. M. H. Foster, past assistant sur
geon in the public health and marine
hospital service, has recently return
ed from Alaska, where he was sent to
make a survey of the health condi-
lions Of the country. His report has
a good deal in it to make Americans;
and members Of congress especially,
think on the duty of this country to
It's northwestern wards, many of whom
are suffering physical disabilities be-
cause of the encroachment on their
country of the white master"
Population Rapidly DwindIine.
In the report of the bureau of edu-
cation it is said that no Indians at all
will be left in Alaska in sixty or seven
ty years unless the government at
once takes vigorous measures to check
disease among them. DR.. Foster in
discussing the decrease in the native
population says:
Owing to the usual lack of vital sta
tistics in pioneer country such as
this, the exact facts on which to base
an opinion have never been available
and most of the statements have been
mere conjectures. At Sitka accurate
records have been kept by the
churches, and they show that for a pc
Rod of Ave years and seven months
the annual birth rate has been 1913
per thousand and. the annual death
rate 85.4 per thousand. During this
period, with an estimated population
of 400, there were 20 more deaths than
births
1.-THE returns of the United States
census bureau show that in the last 10
years there has been decrease in
the total Indian population approx
mately equal to IA per cent, or "
per cent. per year. This corresponds
very closely to the rates as figured
at itka and they may be taken as in
dicating fairly correctly the rates for
the whole country. The death rate in
the United States varies from Z or s
per thousand to IS per thousand, de-
pending upon the locality. An aver
nge death rate may be placed at % to
90 per thousand.
1.-The very unusual mortality in Alas
ka, 85.4 per thousand, is to be attrib-
uted largely to pulmonary tubercu-
losis, and unless it is checked in some
way it will result in the extinction Of
the natives in 60 or 70 years. For
tunately, it is counteracted to a GER
tain extent by an unusually large
birth rate, but the birth rate will
probably decrease as time goes on"
Not Easy to Treat.
Congress has been asked to estab-
lish a tuberculosis sanitarium in Alas
ka, a provision having been made for
1t in an appropriation bill which is
uow before the law makers. There is
a touch Of humor, although it is a
kind of grim humor, in what DR.. Eos
ter has to say about the trouble of
rendering medical assistance to In
dams in their own homes. His words
are intended to show the necessity for
congressional action on behalf of a
hospital to which natives who are
seriously i'll can be transferred for
treatment In his report Dr. Foster
says:
under present conditions the Indians
cannot be effectively treated in their
own homes except for a few minor
complaints. Every physician of ex-
perience in Alaska states that they
will not carry out instructions or take
medicine as directed. If the drug is
palatable or they can feel its effects,
they are very likely to take it all at
one dose. If it is distasteful or if no
immediate results follow, they take it
a few times and then stop.
81 know g case where a physi-
clan was called in to see a native i'll
of pneumonia. He left some strych-
nine tablets with explicit directions
that one was to be taken every two
hours The brother of the sick man,
despite these directions, reasoning
that If one was good. more were bet
ter, gave the entire supply at one time
and the man died In a few hours"
1t is hoped that before long an ad-
sitional corps Of doctors and nnrsas