This series contains correspondence, reports, surveys, pamphlets and plans relating to the work of Indian Service medical staff in the southwest. Correspondents include other District Medical Directors in Spokane, Washington, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, San Francisco and Sacramento, California, Minneapolis, Minnesota; staff of the U.S. Public Health Service, the Office of Indian Affairs, state health officials, the War Relocation Authority and agency superintendents and medical staff.
Correspondence between district medical staff and state health officials in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico discusses tuberculosis control, venereal disease control, the registration of vital statistics, crippled children, and maternal and infant care. Of particular note is the material on a special study of venereal disease conducted at the Phoenix Indian School and the Jicarilla Agency in 1945. Correspondence with officials of the U.S. Public Health Service includes discussions of hospital administration and nursing procedures and duties. Correspondence with the Office of Indian Affairs includes discussions of health and sanitary conditions on reservations, availability of medical services, disease prevention, hospitalization of patients, birth control, vital statistics, recruitment of personnel, medical officers' travel, supply purchases, funding and expenditures. Correspondence with medical officers include narrative field reports concerning the District Supervisory Nurses' site visits and administrative matters such as appointment, leave, evaluations and in-service training and conferences. Correspondence between the District Medical Director and Edna A. Gerkin, Supervisor of Health Education concerns the training of Indians on personal hygiene, nutrition, maternal and child care, sanitation in schools, preventions of accidents, first aid and control of communicable disease. Also includes an in-depth study on health education by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Correspondence with agency physicians, special physicians and sanitary hygienists include health and sanitary surveys and related correspondence regarding health problems among Indians such as tuberculosis and syphilis; and issues relating to water supply, sewerage, disposal of garbage, dairies, and food handling.
Of particular interest is the correspondence with the War Relocation Authority (WRA) documenting medical treatment being provided at the Colorado River War Relocation Center in Poston, Arizona as well as some information regarding the Gila River War Relocation Center in Rivers, Arizona. Topics found in this correspondence include outbreaks of poliomyelitis and tuberculosis, the establishment of hospitals and medical care for Japanese relocatees, the recruitment and training of medical staff within the camps.
Indian Agencies represented in this material include United Pueblos and Zuni, Navajo, Colorado River, Consolidated Ute, Ft. Apache, Jicarilla, Mescalero, Hopi, Mission, Truxton Canon; Indian schools represented include the Sherman Institute, Albuquerque Indian School, Santa Fe Indian School, Phoenix Indian School, as well as several schools located under the jurisdictions of the Indian agencies.
