ORUISE OF STEAMER CORWIX IX THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 17 



Auotber observer, Assistant Surj;'eoii -loliii Brooke, U. S. A., ia a report to the \Var Ottiee, 1S70- 74, 

 speaking of the execrable (.limate of a part of Alaska in the same latitude, as Koiliak. remarks: 



It might naturally be siipjjosed that, in such a climate, acute rheumatism and acute pulmonary inllamuiations would 

 be very coramon ; but such is not theciise. During a tour of nearly firtecn months I have seen but one caseol' typiciil acute 

 rheumatism, and not a single uuse of uncomplicated pneumonia or jjleuritis. Cases of sub-acute rheumatism, however, 

 and pains and aches of a few days' duration, are very freiiuent. Pulmonary phthisis is not uncommon, arul forms a large 

 percentage of the cases of disease even among the native Indians. 



C;ises of sickness not inl'rcnucutly occur in which Uu'r<; is a gcucnil ailyniiiuii: coiidilion of the system, without delinable 

 disease, a condition which is doubtless due to the dejircssing influences of almost continuous wet, and coot, and cloudy 

 weather; a monotonous diet, in which fresh fruits and vegetables play an insignificant part: the almost entire absence of 

 out-door amusements, .and the want of opportunities for sutl]<ient exercise in the open air. 



The subject cannot be dismissed without some farther historical mention, for which, by the way, 

 I am largely indebted to Mr. Petroff, who has obtained his information from original Russian sources 

 not generally accessible to the ordinary reader. From 1800 to 1820 no special diseases existed in 

 the Russian colonies exclusive of scurvy and syphilis. At the end of 1819 a fever accompanied 

 by a reddish eruption broke out, from which forty-two deaths occurred at Kodiak and twenty-tive 

 at Sitka. Xo physicians were in the colonies at that time, except those accompanying the ships of 

 the company frotn St. Petersburg. It seems that subsequcutly two hospitals were established iu 

 1844, one at Sitka of forty beds, and t^ne ;it Kodiak of ten beds; and in 1802 the company had in 

 its service three physicians, eleven stewards, five surgeons and apothecaries' as.sistants, two mid- 

 wives and two assistants. From 1840 to 1800 a most fatal epidemic in the form of an exaiithcmatous 

 fever i)revailed at Ouiialaska. The same disease in 1848 prevailed at Uniga, Sitka, ami the Alaska 

 Peninsula, three hundred natives having died therefrom. The reporter further says that the great 

 mortality was owing to loss of courage and refusal to take medicine. Tikhmeiiief, in his historical 

 reAiew of the Russian colonies, says that the prevailing diseases among the native i)opulation 

 of Alaska are cousum])tioii, ulcers, scurvy, and syphilis, they being indebted to the Russians for 

 the importation of the latter. He also mentions the occurrence of epidemic pneumonia in 1852 

 at Sitka, Kodiak, and the missionary establishment at Bristol Bay. At the first-mentioned place 

 the disease occurred principally among children. Iu 1853 there were sixty-four cases of scurvy at 

 Sitka, of which nine died ; and iu 1855 an epidemic typhoid fester like yellow fever occurred. It 

 was believed to have been imported by a ship which had come around the globe from Russia. The 

 mortality, however, does not appear to have been excessive, for out of three hundred and forty-one 

 cases there were but thirteen deaths. The .same year there was also an epidemic of pneumonia, three 

 hundred and ninety -eight cases having occurred at Sitka and Kodiak with sixty deaths. In 1860 

 epidemic measles attacked both adults and children, causing eighty-one deaths in the whole colonies. 



From a report of the Russian American Company on the sanitary condition of Xew Arch- 

 angel and other posts from May 1, 1801, to May 1, 1862, it is learned that for 1801 and the fli-st 

 third of 1862 and those of previous years there existed both in the number and character of the 

 cases a marked difference that was very gratifving. The nu'an daily mimber of patients in the Xew 

 Archangel Hospital was ten persons, besides the fact is worthy of attention that scorbutic and 

 syphilitic diseases had almost entirely disappeared. In April, 1862, there was not a single case of 

 the latter disease. Dr. Markoflski ascribes this circumstance to many Judicious measures taken for 

 the extirpation of these diseases by the chief director of the colony, as well as to the greatly 

 improved treatment of such patients. The number of i>atients admitted to the New Archangel 

 Hospital was 663, of whom 626 recovered and 8 died. In the Kodiak Ilositital there were .'JliO admis- 

 .sions, with 330 recoveries and 7 deaths. At Afognak typhus fever ai)i)eared but was promptly 

 suppressed. Inoculation (?) is reported to have been carried out generally and successfully in the 

 colonies. A medical and sanitary inspection of the northern districts in 1861 .showed the accom- 

 modations of the unmarried workmen of the coal exi)edition to be in excellent condition ; the hearty 

 and healthy appearance of the men showing that they had been well cared for, notwithstaiuling 

 the difQcult uuder-ground character of their work ; and the surgery is reported to have been in good 

 condition. Dr. ISIarkoffski also makes a favorable report for Michalow.ski (Saint Michael's) and 

 speaks of the new Kasharn as light, spacious, an<l very comfortable; and of the lazarettc and 

 surgery as well provided and in good order. 

 H. Ex. 105 3 



