﻿FUR-SEAL 
  SERVICE. 
  151 
  

  

  much 
  more 
  than 
  enter 
  upon 
  this 
  hnportant 
  work. 
  Since 
  that 
  date 
  

   various 
  unexpected 
  untoward 
  conditions 
  liave 
  arisen 
  which 
  have 
  pre- 
  

   vented 
  any 
  marked 
  progress 
  from 
  being 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  these 
  

  

  problems. 
  

  

  Health 
  Reports. 
  

  

  The 
  reports 
  submitted 
  by 
  tiie 
  physicians 
  for 
  the 
  last 
  year 
  are 
  brief; 
  

   the 
  more 
  important 
  matters 
  contained 
  therein 
  are 
  here 
  given. 
  

  

  St. 
  Paul 
  Island. 
  — 
  During 
  the 
  fiscal 
  year 
  ended 
  June 
  30, 
  1913, 
  the 
  

   resident 
  physician 
  treated 
  220 
  cases, 
  not 
  including 
  subsequent 
  treat- 
  

   ments. 
  These 
  cases 
  were 
  vaiied 
  in 
  their 
  nature, 
  totaling 
  about 
  46 
  

   different 
  kinds. 
  Several 
  surgical 
  operations 
  were 
  performed, 
  includ- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  enlarged 
  tubercular 
  glands 
  of 
  the 
  left 
  axilla, 
  setting 
  

   fracture 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  end 
  of 
  radius, 
  incision 
  of 
  abscesses, 
  etc. 
  

  

  Seven 
  births 
  took 
  place 
  during 
  the 
  year. 
  There 
  were 
  9 
  deaths, 
  6 
  

   of 
  which 
  were 
  infants 
  and 
  3 
  adults. 
  

  

  St. 
  George 
  Island. 
  — 
  ^The 
  resident 
  physician 
  on 
  St. 
  George 
  Island 
  

   reports 
  that 
  there 
  was 
  very 
  little 
  sickness 
  on 
  that 
  island 
  during 
  the 
  

   year 
  ending 
  June 
  30, 
  1913, 
  except 
  an 
  epidemic 
  of 
  influenza 
  in 
  the 
  

   summer 
  of 
  1912, 
  when 
  the 
  whole 
  population, 
  including 
  the 
  whites, 
  

   w^ere 
  attacked. 
  Fortunately, 
  with 
  few 
  exceptions, 
  the 
  cases 
  were 
  

   mild. 
  During 
  the 
  winter 
  the 
  cases 
  treated 
  were 
  chiefly 
  gastro-intes- 
  

   tinal 
  and 
  pulmonary 
  affections. 
  

  

  Montlily 
  inspections 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  natives' 
  houses 
  and 
  surround- 
  

   ings 
  which, 
  with 
  few 
  exceptions, 
  were 
  in 
  excellent 
  condition 
  and 
  credit- 
  

   able 
  in 
  every 
  way. 
  At 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  these 
  inspections 
  instructions 
  were 
  

   given 
  to 
  the 
  natives 
  on 
  feeding 
  and 
  general 
  care 
  of 
  infants 
  and 
  chil- 
  

   dren, 
  how 
  to 
  clean 
  milk 
  bottles, 
  proper 
  method 
  of 
  disposing 
  of 
  sputum 
  

   and 
  other 
  excreta, 
  the 
  danger 
  of 
  expectorating 
  on 
  the 
  floors, 
  the 
  value 
  

   of 
  fresh 
  air, 
  and 
  the 
  general 
  principles 
  of 
  ventilation. 
  

  

  The 
  records 
  kept 
  on 
  this 
  island 
  show 
  that 
  there 
  were 
  105 
  births 
  

   and 
  94 
  deaths 
  between 
  January 
  1, 
  1891, 
  and 
  July 
  1, 
  1913. 
  According 
  

   to 
  Dr. 
  Mills, 
  70 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  deaths 
  have 
  been 
  from 
  tubercular 
  

   troubles, 
  25 
  per 
  cent 
  from 
  gastro-intestinal 
  disorders, 
  and 
  5 
  per 
  cent 
  

   from 
  other 
  causes. 
  At 
  present 
  about 
  25 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  the 
  natives 
  are 
  

   suffering 
  from 
  tuberculosis 
  in 
  one 
  form 
  or 
  another. 
  The 
  resident 
  

   physician 
  believes 
  it 
  possible 
  to 
  control 
  this 
  disease, 
  with 
  proper 
  

   care 
  and 
  attention 
  and 
  the 
  improved 
  hygienic 
  conditions 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  

   two 
  or 
  three 
  years, 
  together 
  with 
  an 
  appreciation 
  by 
  the 
  natives 
  

   themselves 
  of 
  the 
  necessity 
  for 
  properly 
  disposing 
  of 
  sputum 
  and 
  other 
  

   excreta. 
  

  

  The 
  Bureau 
  concurs 
  in 
  this 
  view. 
  It 
  believes 
  that 
  a 
  competent, 
  

   resourceful 
  physician 
  in 
  charge, 
  ambitious 
  to 
  do 
  something 
  worth 
  

   while, 
  could 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  entirely 
  free 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  

   tubercular 
  and 
  all 
  other 
  contagious 
  and 
  infectious 
  diseases. 
  This 
  is 
  

   a 
  hope 
  worthy 
  of 
  the 
  ambition 
  and 
  best 
  efforts 
  of 
  any 
  physician. 
  The 
  

  

  