OUR INDIAN WARDS 221 



A principal obligation of the Indian Service is 

 building up the vitality of the people and establishing 

 a new standard of living. In this is involved, be- 

 sides its current health programme, an industrial 

 programme, a great amount of preventive work, sys- 

 tematic attention to the physical welfare of children, 

 and even going into the Indian homes and by pre- 

 cept and example teaching the adult Indians matters 

 relating to personal hygiene, home sanitation, fresh 

 air, good food, and the safeguarding of the well 

 from the sick who may be housed together in one 

 tepee, tent or other habitation. Besides the diseases 

 to which white people are subject, Indians suffer 

 particularly from tuberculosis, a contagious disease 

 of the eyes known as trachoma, and a variety of 

 child diseases. 



To combat tuberculosis are twelve sanataria 

 with a capacity of 968. Trachoma affects 30,000 

 Indians, of which 9,000 are treated surgically. The 

 Bureau's ninety hospitals with bed capacity of 2,965 

 is about to be increased by fourteen others of bed 

 capacity of 320. There are 113 full-time and 68 

 part-time physicians, 13 special physicians, 10 den- 

 tists and 182 nurses. 



Besides this regular service, the United States 

 Health Service has, since 1926, furnished Medical 

 Directors for four general districts and sanitary 

 and other specialists for regular tours of observa- 

 tion. Laboratory facilities and the advice of experts 

 are also available upon request. 



