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in these cases. At one reservation several written requests from Indians for medication were received. The physician said that he had never examined or attempted to examine the cases. His position was that as the Indians’ funds were being used to supply these drugs, the Indian was entitled to whatever he asked for, just as if he had come to a local drug store. Samples of their requests are listed:

These requests obviously might have indicated the presence of serious maladies, yet a medicine was dispensed on request and the case forgotten.

At only one reservation visited was it asserted that a thoroughly complete family or individual case record was maintained. The physician who had maintained such records had been transferred to another field, and these records were not available for examination.

The lack of such records not only reflects upon the type of medical service rendered, but indicates the difficulties a newly transferred physician faces. He starts in ignorance of what has been done. No foundation has already been laid and he has but slight, if any, incentive to start a system of records.

Lack of time and the great distances to be traveled are common excuses for not having records. These factors are of course, important, but they do not explain away the situation. In a few instances it was found that a part of the necessary records was being kept and the amount of work done by the physicians responsible was up to the average of others working under’ comparable conditions. The real answer is the lack of initiative of most field physicians and lack of practical use of the records in planning and developmental work. On outlining to a certain physician the type