The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-20
INDIANS FALLING BEFORE DISEASE
At Present Rate There Won't Be ANY
Left In Alaska In Few Generations.

Left In Alaska In Few Generations.
No Indians in Alaska at all will be
left in two or three generations unless
the government at once takes vigorous
measures to check disease among them.
This is in substance the statement
made in a report by DR.. NJ. H. Foster,
passed assistant surgeon in the public
health and marine hospital SERVES, who
was sent on special detail to make
survey of the health conditions of south
ern Alaska. The survey was made for
the bureau of education, which has gen
eral supervision of Alaska natives, and
as result of il an estimate for an APP
preparation of $4,000 for additional
medical work among the natives is now
before congress.
DIR. Foster discusses the decrease in
the native population of Alaska as fol-
lows:
Owing to the usual lack of vital stat
isties in a 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
coniectures. At Sitka accurate records
have been kept by the churches, and they
show that for a period Of five years and
seven months the annual birth rate has
been 1928 per thousand and the annual
death rate S5.4 per thousand. During
this period, with an estimated popula-
ton Of 400, there were 20 more deaths
than births.
"rhe returns of the United States
census bureau show that the last 10
years there has been decrease in the
total Indian population approximately
equal TO IA per cent, or III per cent.
per year. This corresponds very closely
to the rates as figured at Sitka, and they
may be taken as indicating fairly cor
rcctly the rates for the whole country.
The death rate in the United States
varies from to s per thousand, depend
ing upon the locality. An average death
rate may be placed at % TO % per thou
sand.
"The very unusual mortality in Alaska
i. e., s5.4 per thousand, is to be attri-
buted largely to pulmonary tuber-
cii,osis, and unless 1t is checked in some
way it will result in the extinction of
the natives in 60 or 20 years. Fortunate.
ly, it is counteracted to certain ex-
tent by an unusually large birth rate,
but the birth rate will probably de-
CAthSt ds ttHt guys Oi
In accordance with these findings, DR.
Fosters recommendations include the es-
Establishment OF tuberculosis santa
rum, provision for which is made in
the appropriation bill which the bu
reau of education now has before Con-
gross. Conservative estimates put the
proportion of natives suffering from
some form of tubereular trouble at from |
thirty to fifty per cent This is in ad- |
dition to some ID per cent. who have |
diseases of the eye and an unusually |
large percentage of sufferers from speci- !
fic blood poisoning or allied diseases.
Without medical attention. natives min |
CLING with the whites furnish an ele-
ment of considerable danger to the en-
tire population of Alaska.
The need for a hospital is empha. /
sized by DIR. Foster. who reports:
"Under present conditions the Indian
car not be effectively treated in his |
own home except for few minor com
plants. Every physician of experience /
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 re-
suits follow, they take it a few times
and then stop.
81 know Of a case where a physi-
elan was called in to see native i'll
with pneumonia. He left some stryeh
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 better, gave the
entire supply at one time, and the man
died in few hours.
while it is not known that the
was the cause of his death,
it is very evident from such an occur
renee that they can not be trusted with
potent drugs. When native is really
III, he requires hospital care, and more
good can be accomplished by taking
three or four into hospital than by
to treat a large number in
their villages"
In additiou-to a sanitarium for con-