6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 56 



in preserving health, as illustrated by the following incident. A 

 few years ago some government packers were traveling from Fort 

 Egbert to Tanana Crossing, and on their way they passed a camp 

 which the Indians had just deserted, leaving behind a sick old 

 woman and a crying baby, but no attention was paid to them, as it 

 was supposed the Indians would return to get the woman and child. 

 The packers on their return trip a few weeks later found the old 

 woman and child dead, evidently left by the Indians to starve. 



Present Habits. — A great change has taken place and conditions 

 could scarcely be worse than they are now. They never wash more 

 than their face and hands, and are consequently exceedingly filthy. 

 Pediculosis and tuberculosis are ever-present indications of their 

 unclean habits. Their cabins are as offensive as their persons. 

 They have no methods of sanitation. 



Tuberculosis far outweighs all other ailments. On entering the 

 village one notices everywhere evidence of tuberculosis in the forms 

 of humpbacks, hip disease, scrofula, and consumptive cough. Very 

 few natives can be given a complete physical examination without 

 disclosing some evidence of tuberculosis. Tonsillitis, respiratory 

 disease, digestive troubles, and myalgia are ever present. Diph- 

 theria, according to hearsay, kills off many in occasional epidemics, 

 but there have been no epidemics this year. Heretofore the natives 

 have been in the habit of obtaining medicine free at the hospital, 

 but it has been found expedient to charge a small fee for prescrip- 

 tions. 



These natives are very undesirable patients ; they all like to take 

 medicine, but object to physical examinations. They strongly ob- 

 ject to surgery and will permit it only under the most urgent cir- 

 cumstances. The relatives of a boy with hip disease were advised 

 to submit him for operation, but to this their only response was, 

 "No cut; make well quick." They will quite readily accept any 

 magic methods, but modern surgery does not appeal to them. 



FOOD 



The native diet consists chiefly of fish, game, and berries. During 

 July they catch king salmon, which they dry and keep for winter. 

 At all seasons they hunt caribou, moose, bear, and mountain sheep. 

 During the fall, when the caribou run in herds, the natives cache 

 the meat for the cold weather. The other animals are scarcer, and 

 when one is brought in it makes a treat for the village. It is cus- 

 tomary, when one native is surfeited with meat, to give what is left 



