﻿FUR-SEAL 
  SERVICE. 
  149 
  

  

  quite 
  defijiilely 
  fixed; 
  there 
  is 
  practically 
  no 
  immigration, 
  no 
  emigration, 
  and 
  little 
  

   visiting 
  with 
  other 
  communities. 
  The 
  islands 
  constitute 
  a 
  compact 
  physical 
  and 
  

   biological 
  unit, 
  a 
  compact 
  health 
  or 
  sanitary 
  unit. 
  The 
  conditions 
  are 
  so 
  isolated 
  and 
  

   so 
  bunched 
  as 
  to 
  render 
  their 
  control 
  and 
  study 
  comparatively 
  easy. 
  This 
  is 
  true 
  not 
  

   only 
  as 
  regards 
  the 
  native 
  animals 
  and 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  islands, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  true 
  also 
  of 
  the 
  

   people 
  who 
  have 
  long 
  been 
  resident 
  on 
  the 
  islands. 
  The 
  conditions 
  for 
  scientific 
  study 
  

   of 
  many 
  problems 
  relating 
  to 
  the 
  health 
  and 
  well-being 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  species 
  of 
  plants 
  

   and 
  animals 
  (including 
  man) 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  islands 
  are 
  therefore 
  peculiarly 
  favorable. 
  

  

  As 
  Mr. 
  Chichester 
  has 
  been 
  studying 
  medicine 
  for 
  several 
  years, 
  many 
  of 
  these 
  

   problems 
  will 
  doubtless 
  appeal 
  to 
  him 
  as 
  questions 
  in 
  which 
  he 
  would 
  be 
  especially 
  

   interested 
  and 
  which 
  would 
  afford 
  him 
  a 
  fine 
  opportunity 
  for 
  doing 
  some 
  excellent 
  

   and 
  valuable 
  original 
  work. 
  His 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  natiu"e 
  of 
  disease, 
  of 
  bacteriology, 
  

   hygiene, 
  and 
  sanitation 
  will 
  enable 
  him 
  readily 
  to 
  appreciate 
  the 
  exceptional 
  oppor- 
  

   tunity 
  and 
  to 
  formulate 
  the 
  details 
  of 
  the 
  methods 
  to 
  be 
  employed. 
  

  

  The 
  Bureau 
  therefore 
  desii-es 
  Mr. 
  Chichester 
  to 
  take 
  up 
  the 
  whole 
  question 
  of 
  health 
  

   on 
  the 
  seal 
  islands 
  and 
  submits 
  the 
  following 
  suggestions 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  scope 
  and 
  nature 
  

   of 
  the 
  investigations 
  which 
  it 
  wishes 
  to 
  have 
  made: 
  

  

  HEALTH 
  CONDITIONS 
  ON 
  THE 
  SEAL 
  ISLANDS. 
  

  

  Natives. 
  — 
  It 
  is 
  desired 
  that 
  a 
  careful 
  study 
  be 
  made 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  important 
  conditions 
  

   or 
  factors 
  bearing 
  on 
  the 
  health 
  of 
  the 
  natives. 
  Many 
  of 
  the 
  questions 
  should 
  be 
  

   considered 
  historically. 
  

  

  1. 
  Housing: 
  Character 
  of 
  houses 
  as 
  related 
  to 
  health; 
  changes 
  since 
  first 
  occupation, 
  

   whether 
  for 
  the 
  better 
  or 
  not; 
  if 
  present 
  conditions 
  are 
  not 
  what 
  they 
  should 
  be, 
  

   suggest 
  improvements. 
  Every 
  house 
  should 
  be 
  inspected 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  sani- 
  

   tary 
  conditions, 
  including 
  ventilation, 
  light, 
  heating, 
  cleanliness, 
  drainage, 
  and 
  

   general 
  adaptability. 
  

  

  2. 
  Clothing: 
  In 
  the 
  past 
  and 
  now; 
  whether 
  suited 
  to 
  the 
  climate, 
  healthful, 
  sani- 
  

   tary, 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  vocations 
  of 
  the 
  people, 
  etc. 
  

  

  3. 
  Food: 
  In 
  the 
  past 
  and 
  now; 
  whether 
  properly 
  or 
  adequately 
  nutritious, 
  and 
  

   healthful; 
  proper 
  proportions 
  of 
  different 
  kinds; 
  properly 
  prepared, 
  etc. 
  

  

  4. 
  Diseases: 
  (a) 
  Those 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  islands 
  by 
  first 
  colonists; 
  which 
  of 
  these 
  

   have 
  disappeared 
  and 
  which 
  have 
  persisted; 
  work 
  out 
  as 
  fully 
  as 
  possible 
  the 
  history 
  

   of 
  each, 
  (b) 
  Diseases 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  islands 
  since 
  the 
  first 
  colonization; 
  when, 
  

   whence, 
  and 
  by 
  whom 
  brought, 
  and 
  history 
  of 
  each 
  since 
  introduction, 
  (c) 
  Diseases 
  

   induced 
  by 
  local 
  conditions 
  — 
  i. 
  e., 
  originating 
  on 
  the 
  islands 
  or 
  whose 
  history 
  can 
  

   not 
  be 
  traced, 
  if 
  there 
  be 
  any 
  such, 
  (d) 
  Diseases 
  to 
  which 
  natives 
  are 
  peculiarly 
  

   subject; 
  the 
  relative 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  diseases 
  as 
  shown 
  by 
  number 
  of 
  deaths 
  

   from 
  each 
  and 
  by 
  frequency 
  and 
  duration, 
  (e) 
  History 
  of 
  therapeutics 
  or 
  methods 
  

   of 
  treatment 
  of 
  each 
  disease 
  by 
  the 
  resident 
  physicians, 
  together 
  with 
  consideration 
  

   of 
  results. 
  If 
  possible, 
  compile 
  mortality 
  tables 
  for 
  all 
  who 
  have 
  died 
  on 
  the 
  islands 
  

   since 
  first 
  occupation, 
  giving 
  name, 
  sex, 
  age, 
  date 
  of 
  death, 
  and 
  cause. 
  This 
  bears 
  

   upon 
  (d). 
  (/) 
  Relation 
  of 
  climate 
  and 
  of 
  habits 
  and 
  occupations 
  of 
  natives 
  to 
  disease. 
  

   This 
  should 
  be 
  carefully 
  investigated, 
  (g) 
  A 
  health 
  card 
  should 
  be 
  prepared 
  for 
  

   each 
  person 
  on 
  the 
  islands. 
  This 
  will 
  supply 
  the 
  basis 
  for 
  thorough 
  and 
  continuous 
  

   study 
  of 
  these 
  questions. 
  

  

  5. 
  Parasites: 
  A 
  special 
  study 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  intestinal 
  and 
  other 
  parasites 
  

   affecting 
  the 
  natives, 
  and 
  ample 
  study 
  material 
  should 
  be 
  preserved. 
  

  

  6. 
  Use 
  of 
  intoxicants: 
  The 
  strong 
  desire 
  for 
  intoxicants 
  possessed 
  by 
  the 
  natives 
  is 
  

   well 
  known, 
  and 
  the 
  necessity 
  for 
  protecting 
  them 
  against 
  this 
  desire 
  is 
  recognized. 
  

  

  The 
  whole 
  question 
  should 
  receive 
  most 
  thorough 
  study 
  and 
  thoughtful 
  considera- 
  

   tion 
  — 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  taste 
  for 
  intoxicants; 
  whether 
  this 
  taste 
  is 
  growing 
  stronger; 
  

   whether 
  the 
  regulations 
  now 
  in 
  force 
  conduce 
  to 
  temperance 
  among 
  the 
  natives 
  and, 
  

   if 
  not, 
  how 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  more 
  effective 
  in 
  that 
  regard. 
  

   22889°— 
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