NOTE—A very interesting book, “Life Among the Pai-utes,” was written by Sarah Winnemucca in the early ’80’s. This presents an account of the Nez Perce, Bannock and other wars from the Indian point of view.
CHAPTER XXVI. HEALTH OF THE INDIANS 1880 TO 1912
That the Indians of the present time are in a deplorable condition as to health, no person familiar with Indian affairs will deny. It is incomprehensible to me that the appropriations for combatting disease are so meagre, and the appropriations for allotting and education so lavish. As a western friend of mine, who had observed Indians for more than thirty years says, “Of what use is education to an Indian with consumption? An Indian child learns to read and write, contracts trachoma, is sent home and goes blind. How does education benefit the blind Indian?”
Doctor Ales Hrdlicka of the Smithsonian Institution recently made an investigation of health conditions among the Indians. His report is statistical in character, and will be found in Bulletin 42, Smithsonian Institution, 1909.
Following this, the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service made a thorough investigation in 1912–13 of health conditions among the Indians and published another statistical report, “Contagious and Infectious Diseases Among the Indians”, Document No. 1038, 62nd Congress, 3d Session. Investigations were conducted in twenty-five states by competent corps of medical observers. No trachoma was found in Florida. Among the New York Indians there was but .2 of one per cent; Wisconsin 6.86 per cent. In the other states the percentages rise rapidly, reaching 15.5 per cent in Minnesota; 22.38 per cent in New Mexico; 24.9 per cent in Arizona; 68.72 per cent in Oklahoma.
As to tuberculosis, but 1.27 per cent was observed among the New York Indians. But the investigation set forth in the Public Health report related mainly to trachoma and there were limitations placed on tuberculosis research.
No. 1. Superintendent’s house, employees, mess, and official guest room. No. 2. Commissary. No. 3. Laundry and Carpenter shop. No. 4. Employees’ dormitory (not completed when picture was taken). No. 5. Residence of physician, Nez Perce Agency. No. 6. Engineer’s residence. No. 7. Nez Perce Agency. No. 8. School building and chapel. No. 9. Girls’ building and dining-room. No. 10. Boys’ building. No. 11 and 12. Buildings belonging to school district No. 57. Nez Perce County. No. 13. Top of chimney, barely seen, office of the Sanatorium. No. 14 Employees’ quarters, Nez Perce Agency. ]