Tuberculosis Among The Oglala Lakota Sioux Indians

More Indians than whites are infected by TB. Indians had TB before contact with whites, but it was rare and remained so until they changed their nomadic lifestyle. Life in tipis was filthy but there is no evidence that filth ever caused TB, except when it mingled with TB germs. Living in houses reversed the condition through overcrowding. In 1896 over half of the Oglala Lakota Siouxs were tubercular and more than 75% of deaths among them was caused by TB. An effort was made to get the Sioux out of their houses and back out into the open, but after 5 years the physician in charge was "deprived of the opportunity of giving it his personal supervision." Once again the natives became neglectful of sanitary conditions and TB returned.