Northwest History. Alaska. Epidemics & Contagious Diseases.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1935
• Subjects: measles; Eskimos; Point Barrow; Alaska; Arctic Ocean; influenza; Wainwright; Dr. Henry W. Greist; medical missionary; airplanes; epidemic; Northwest; Pacific > History > 20th century; Arctic; Pacific; Barrow; eskimo*; walrus*
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/90725

Coffins for 13. Coffins for 13 Measles, to Eskimos a strange and fatal disease, killed 50% of the natives at Point Barrow, on Alaska's Arctic Ocean edge 30 years ago. Last week influenza demonstrated that the years of white men's invasion have not inured Eskimos to white men's epidemics. Three hundred Eskimos at Point Barrow, 200 at Wainwright, were abed with influenza last week. Thirteen of the Point Barrow victims were dead. While Eskimo boys chopped graves in the frozen Point Barrow cemetery, the 13 lay in the rear end of the Presbyterian church. They had coffins. But Dr. Henry W. Greist, 67, an Indianian who sequestered himself in that remote community as a medical missionary 15 years ago, sent out word that to make more coffins he would be obliged to dismantle outhouses. Coal was getting scarce in his little hospital. However, Eskimos piled whale and walrus blubber at the back door in case blubber was needed for fue*.* Airplanes brought Dr. Greist canned milk for his patients and some serums. By wireless he informed the interested world that the three other white men and two trained nurses at Point Barrow were helping bring the epidemic under control.