The question whether the federal government has fulfilled its responsibility to the American Indian with respect to providing health facilities is best answered by the disease and death records among Indians, which, by comparison with similar records for the general population, speak for themselves.
To infer that progress has not been made over a period of years in the improvement of health conditions among American Indians would be far from correct. Much progress has been made, particularly since 1911 when the first specific appropriation, in the amount of $40,000 for that year, was allowed by Congress for health work among Indians. Increased recognition on the part of the federal government of its responsibility in providing health and hospital facilities for Indians has been reflected in lower specific death rates among Indians as increased appropriations have been made available from year to year.
To the time of writing, thirty-eight years after