The Daily Alaska empire., 1939-02-23
FIGHTING T.B. IN ALASKA

Hope that tuberculosis among natives of South east Alaska can be abolished is expressed by group of experts in the disease who have just completed here a study lasting through the winter.
 There is no reason why tuberculosis cannot be wiped out in at least some of the villages concludes Dr. Joseph D. Aronson, special expert in brief and informal report made before he and three assistants sailed for the States this week
 Metlakatla provides example of what can be done There where better housing conditions prevail Dr. Aronson found no new cases of tuberculosis this year.
 The results of this years study indicate definitely that the home is the main source of infection rather than the school since 75 percent of the children who became tubercun positive during the past year were of preschoo age. In nearly every instance where tuberculosis found with the x-ray the children were too young to be in school Improvement in home conditions and isolation of the open case is essential in order to rapidly lower the rate from tuberculosis
 The Alaskan Indians as far as can be ascertained were free tuberculosis until the first navigators and explorers carried it along with other diseases to the newly discovered people From that time on began the widespread uberculzaton the Alaskan Indians With modern of transportation scarcely village remotely situated in Alaska has escaped tuberculous disease.
 Tuberculosis is undoubtedly the chief oi death among the Indians For instance in 1886 there were reported 697 deaths (from all causes) among the Indians giving general death rate of 23 and of the 697 deaths 238 were reported due to all forms o1 tuberculosis
 In tuberculin surveys in Alaska unsuspected dis seminators of disease are being discovered. From the public health point of and for the welfare o the Territory it imperative that such "open cases of tuberculosis segregated It is impossible for the Office of Indian Affairs to provide hospital care fol all such cases Isolation in the home is not satsfac- tory because of the very limited facilities and ever increasing menace to the young children. It is in- evitable then that the incidence of tuberculous n- lection should be high and continuous not just casual
 Tuberculosis is a serious handicap in the economic life of the Indian the highest mortality being in th' most productive age groups. The loss of the bread winner from tuberculosis invariably leaves the family dependent on Federal relief
 There has been gratifying decline in tuberculosis mortality among the Negroes and it has been saic that there appears to be no why they shoult not attain as good rates as white people of smila social strata It cannot be said that there is any de cline in the tuberculosis mortality rate Alaskan Indians whose tuberculosis problem is somewhat com parable to that of the Negro.
 It is the opinion of many that campaign fo adequate improved housing, sanitation and persona hygiene should be initiated among the Indians. Thi in turn presents the question of cost of materials fo construction of better homes plumbing and heatln and an initiative on the part of the Indians to desr such improvements without waiting for the project to be developed entirely with Federal aid
 In the few villages where attempts have beei made by the inhabitants to improve their living con ditions there have been reduced incidence and fewe deaths from tuberculosis.
 The Natives of Southeast Alaska are fully aliv