Page:LewisMeriam-TheProblemOfIndianAdministration.djvu/298

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Health
271
  1. The specific recommendations regarding the physicians and public health nurses have been already made and need not be repeated here.
  2. The object of the clinic should be to encourage all Indians on the reservations to consult physicians freely regarding their general physical condition without waiting the onset of serious diseases. Through this agency it should be possible to detect incipient cases of tuberculosis, trachoma, and other serious diseases or susceptibility to such diseases and to arrange for preventive treatment while the chances for complete arrest and cure of the disease are good. It should also serve as an agency for the follow-up and after treatment of Indians who have been to hospitals and sanatoria because of serious conditions, especially tuberculosis and trachoma. It should give especial attention to expectant mothers and to mothers with young infants. In this work it would encourage women to come to hospitals for confinement or at least to have skilled attendants.

    The location of the clinic, its days and hours for patients, and other similar details will depend on local conditions. In general, stress should be laid on holding clinics at times and places convenient for the Indians.

    The facilities should be adequate, and reasonably attractive waiting rooms should be available for the Indians. The personnel should place special emphasis on maintaining friendly relations with the Indians and on winning and keeping their confidence. At regular intervals the traveling specialists of the Service should visit the clinics and give special attention to the Indians found to require their services.

  3. Through the clinics, the public health nurses, and the school physicians, a determined effort should be made to locate all Indians in contact with cases of tuberculosis, trachoma, and other communicable diseases. If these persons show evidence of the disease or susceptibility to it, appropriate measures should be taken for their protection. In any case educational work should be done to instruct them in respect to hygiene and especially diet. Recommendations with respect to hospitals, sanatoria, sanatorium schools, and boarding schools are given in detail in the respective sections dealing with these subjects.
  4. Special attention should be given on the reservations to child welfare and hygiene, so that correctable defects may be detected
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