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The need for more special work to control and prevent tuberculosis may be illustrated by a typical case. At one reservation a home was visited not over a mile from the hospital. The house was of logs, had one door and two small, closed, immovable windows. The floor was of dirt; the equipment scanty. In this house a young mother was attempting to nurse twins only a few months old. She had a well-developed case of tuberculosis, as did a brother about fifteen years of age. No provision whatsoever was made for caring for sputum. Expectoration was profuse and promiscuous. Situations like this can, of course, be duplicated indefinitely, both in the Indian and white communities, but at this station the local hospital, less than a mile away, was only being used to about half its capacity. The wards on the second floor were vacant. These unused beds would have been ideal for tuberculous cases. The local officers were not only failing to use valuable bed space, but, in addition, were making little real effort to correct these or similar home conditions. The brother referred to had been operated for tuberculosis of the bone. The leg was still draining, and the only care being administered was by members of the household.

Trachoma. Trachoma is the second most prevalent disease among Indians. Its exact extent is not known, and while it does not produce mortality, it does leave permanent injury to the eye, which not infrequently results in blindness.

Trachoma is reported among whites living adjacent to Indian reservations. It is not known whether the disease spreads from the Indians to whites, from whites to Indians, or in both directions. A serious problem exists. The Indian Service and several of the states are making efforts to control the situation. This work should be amplified and should not be hampered for lack of funds or of expert personnel.

The most recent trachoma figures obtainable for a single year are those for the year ending June 30, 1926. The following tabular statement shows the number examined, the number of positive cases, and the number operated upon by special and agency physicians: