1953] RITZEXTHALER, CHIPPEWA HEALTH 221 



but the latter may be due to the fact that fewer reach the Lancer age as com- 

 pared to the white population. 



The most devastating disease of the Chippewa, as with all North 

 American Indians, is the "Indian-killer, " tuberculosis. There is some argu- 

 ment as to how large a part lack of immunity plays in this picture, but all 

 concede that the low economic level is an important factor. Dr. Adams of 

 the Hayward Indian Hospital believes the high rate among Indians is due 

 both to lack of immunity plus poor economic conditions. Townsend (p. 35), 

 however, states 'Tt is our belief that the Indians as a race are not especially 

 predisposed to tuberculosis, but that any group of the same economic level 

 would have an approximate endemic index." 



Dr. Adams estimated the present tubercular incidence to be 10 per cent. 

 This includes all active cases, whether hospitalized or not. A complete survey 

 has not been made, so it is impossible to compute the rate precisely. Hospital 

 records showed an average of seventy-one tuberculosis cases admitted each 

 year from 1933-1938, an incidence of 31/2 P^"^ '^^^^ P^^ Y^^^^ ^^^ whether 

 these were new or old cases was not indicated. That figure also does 

 not take into account the active cases not hospitalized or those cases hos- 

 pitalized at the Walker Sanitorium. The 10-per-cent estimate of Dr. Adams 

 seems to be about as close to the actual rate as one can get. 



The hospital records reveal that of the 233 deaths from 1931-1941, 41 

 were listed as caused by tuberculosis, or 17 per cent of the deaths were due 

 to this cause. It is significant to note that during that same period, the 

 T.B. mortality rate for all Wisconsin Indians was over eight times greater 

 than that of the general U.S. population (Appendix A). 



Another deadly disease among the Chippewa is pneumonia. Exposure 

 to the inclement winter climate under conditions of inadequate clothing and 

 housing, or a weakened physical condition is largely responsible for the 

 high rate. For the ten-year period (1931-1941), the hospital records list a 

 slightly higher percentage of deaths due to pneumonia than to tuberculosis. 

 There were 43 pneumonia deaths of a total of 232. or a percentage of 18 

 per cent of the deaths due to pneumonia. The high death rate in winter is 

 largely due to pneumonia. In the four months of December, January, Feb- 

 ruary, and March, 26 of the 43 deaths occurred from pneumonia. From the 

 available death records at the Agency Office for the years 1912-1921 and 

 1926-1939 nearly 50 per cent of the deaths were listed as caused by pneu- 

 monia and tuberculosis. 



