34 BUEEAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bui^l. 42 



difficulties in the way, but they can be overcome. The problem pre- 

 sented demands careful study of the conditions on each reservation, 

 and thorough preliminary experiments, particularly in the matter 

 of housing the patients. This subject again will require a clear 

 understanding by the Indians concerned of what is being done and 

 the reasons therefor. 



Further in the line of prevention, it is urged that wherever possible 

 the earthen floors of the dwellings be replaced by those made of 

 boards, which can be better cleaned. The habit of passing the pipe 

 should be discouraged, as well as that of using and passing dishes 

 and spoons which have not been properly cleaned. The use by others 

 of clothing worn by consumptives, and of articles made or kept in their 

 houses, should be prohibited, until sucli objects shall have been 

 rendered aseptic. In this connection it is well to point out the 

 advisability of obliging dealers in Indian curios to disinfect all fabrics 

 and old articles coming from the reservations. Such articles often 

 lie on the floors of infected dwellings and not a few are made by con- 

 sumptives. The Navaho blankets are perhaps the freest from infec- 

 tion, the tribe being still about the healthiest of our Indians; never- 

 theless, the precaution should be carried out even with these. The 

 danger of handling articles coming from Indian homes, particularly 

 fabrics, before disinfection, needs to be well appreciated also in the 

 various museums. 



General cleanliness of houses and their contents, of clothing, and 

 of the person should be encouraged among the Indians in the most 

 thorough and systematic manner. In a few localities, visited during 

 the writer's former journeys, it was noticed that some of the field 

 matrons did very good work in this direction. It is thought that 

 excellent use could be made of the Indian police in this work, under 

 the instruction and supervision of the agency physician. These men, 

 who are generally willing and intelligent, could be trained not only to 

 spread among these people much useful information regarding tuber- 

 culosis and its prevention, but also to do regular duty as a sort of sani- 

 tary inspection corps; they could be actually constituted a corps of 

 sanitary officers, who should visit monthly each dwelling in the 

 territory assigned them, to report on its cleanliness. Such super- 

 vision would soon teach the people to keep their dwellings in a more 

 hygienic condition. The inveterately neglectful or filthy should be 

 punished as are drunkards or other transgressors. These measures 

 should be accompanied by judicious efforts to raise the Indian's 

 pride and ambition in the directions indicated. 



In addition to the above measures, an improvement is called for 

 in the nutrition of many of the Indians, particularly the aged. This 

 is a serious problem and needs careful consideration. The most 



