Armstrong – Table of Contents

passed outside through the skin -, learned methods by which they could at least get
temporary relief from these pests. In fact, many individuals were voluntarily applying the
lessons learned when the campaign came to an end. The terminal effect of the general
delousing of the districts upon vermin was most marked in the case of body lice which
were found rarely; however, head lice were still prevalent quite widely in the deloused
areas at the close of the campaign owing to the hatching of new crops of nits from
survivors that had not been killed (this situation is exemplified in modern times by the
difficulty in eradicating head lice in affected nursery-age groups and school children).
Armstrong listed some of the knowledge gained from the epidemic that was relevant to
the early 1920s:
“ (1) The Navajo Indian Reservation must be considered a potential focus of typhus fever
and will remain such as long as the native inhabitants are permitted to live in their present
vermin-infested condition.
(2) Indians enjoy being clean and free of vermin. If bathing and laundry facilities should
be instituted at a few points where water is available, it is believed the Indians would
avail themselves of the advantages. They requested repeatedly that this arrangement be
made. Dr. Newberne, Chief Medical Supervisor, Office of Indian Affairs, made
recommendations covering this point to the Department of the Interior.
(3) Medical men and government employees upon the reservations should keep typhus
fever constantly in mind as a possibility in every case of illness (with fever and rash).
(4) Although it was necessary to make a number of concessions regarding isolation and
quarantine of cases and exposure in order to gain the cooperation of the natives, vigorous
delousing measures brought the epidemic quickly under control.”