Diseases of the respiratory and digestive organs are the most frequent
and serious ailments from which they suffer. The former are most
prevalent toward the end of summer and early in winter, and are due to
the natives sleeping on the damp ground and to their extreme
carelessness in exposing themselves to drafts of wind when overheated.
Nearly everyone suffers from coughs and colds in the latter part of
August, and many deaths occur at this season and the beginning of
winter from a disease which appears to be pneumonia. A few cases, one
fatal, of hemorrhage of the lungs were observed, which were probably
aggravated by the universal habit of inhaling tobacco smoke. The
people suffer from diarrhea, indigestion, and especially from
constipation.
Gonorrhea appears common in both sexes, but syphilis seems to be
unknown in spite of the promiscuous intercourse of the women with the
whalemen. One case of uterine hemorrhage was observed. Cutaneous
diseases are rare. A severe ulcer on the leg, of long standing, was
cured by our surgeon, to whose observations I am chiefly indebted for
what I have to say about the diseases of these people; and one man had
lost the cartilage of his nose and was marked all over the body with
hideous scars from what appeared to be some form of scrofulous
disease. A single case of tumor on the deltoid muscle was observed.
Rheumatism is rather frequent. All are subject to snow blindness in
the spring, and sores on the face from neglected frost bites are
common. Many are blind in one eye from what appears to be cataract or
leucoma, but only one case of complete blindness was noticed. Dr.
Sutherland states that he does not recollect a single instance of
total blindness among the Eskimo that he saw in Baffin Land, and
expresses the opinion that “An individual in such a state would be
quite unfit for the life of toil and hardship to which the hardy
Esquimaux is exposed. The neglect consequent upon this helpless
condition most probably cuts off its afflicted objects.”[N26]
[Footnote N26: Journ. Ethnol. Soc., vol. 4, p. 206.]
This seems quite reasonable on a priori grounds, but nevertheless the
blind man at Cape Smyth had lived to middle age in very comfortable
circumstances, and though supported to a great extent by his relatives
he was nevertheless able to do a certain share of work, and had the
reputation of being a good paddler for a whaling umiak.
Injuries are rare. One man had lost both feet at the ankle and moved
about with great ease and rapidity on his knees. All are subject to
bleeding at the nose and usually plug the bleeding nostril with a
bunch of deer hair.[N27]
[Footnote N27: Compare what Davis wrote in 1586 of the
Greenlanders: “These people are much given to bleed, and,
therefore, stoppe theyr noses with deere hayre or the hayre of an
elan.” Hakluyt, Voyages, etc., 1589, p. 782.]
This habit, as it has been termed, of vicarious hemorrhage seems to be
characteristic of the Eskimo race wherever they have been met with,
and has been supposed to be a process of nature for relieving the
fullness of the circulatory system caused by their exclusively animal
diet.[N28]
[Footnote N28: Egede, Greenland, p. 120; Crantz, vol. 1, p. 234
(Greenland); Southerland. Journ. Ethnol. Soc., vol. IV, p. 207
(Baffin Land); Chappell, “Hudson Bay,” p. 74 (North Shore of
Hudson Strait); Lyon, Journal, p. 18 (Hudson Strait); Franklin,
1st Exp., I, p. 29 (Hudson Strait); Parry, 2d Voy., p. 544
(Igluilik); Hooper, Tents of the Tuski, p. 185 (Plover Bay,
Siberia).]
Natural deformities and abnormalities of structure are uncommon,
except strabismus, which is common and often, at least, congenital.
One boy in Utkiavwĭñ had his forehead twisted to one side, probably
from some accident or difficulty during delivery. His intelligence did
not seem to be impaired. The people are, as a rule, right handed, but
that left-handed persons occasionally occur is shown by their having a
word for a left-handed man. We also collected a “crooked knife,”
fitted for use with the left hand.[N29]
[Footnote N29: I have an indistinct recollection of having once
seen a left-handed person from Nuwŭk.]