THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
PAGE 4
PNEUMONIA PREVENTABLE
(Continued from page 1)
This is the pneumonia season. The pneumonia toll
for 1927 was 606. Pneumonia is one of the most pre
valent and fatal of all acute diseases. As a cause of
death it exceeds tuberculosis. Pneumonia is a com
municable disease and is to a certain extent prevent
able. In this state pneumonia is a reportable disease
and all cases should be placed in restrictive quarantine.
Special quarters should be provided and the patient
should be isolated from the other members of the
family. If these restrictions are not followed the
health officer may place an absolute quarantine on the
premises. These conditions provide that if the family
allow visitors in the sick room or if the family be so
careless as to permit contagion to be spread, the case
shall be promptly quarantined. However, it your
case of pneumonia is isolated, and is kept isolated,
you will not be quarantined.
This rule was not written as a joke or without fore
thought, for pneumonia is a contagious disease. It is
not so much so as smallpox or diphtheria, but still con
tagious to a degree. It is just another one of those ‘ ‘germ
diseases’ ’ caused by the ‘ ‘pneumococcus’ ’ in true pneu
monia and by any one of a number of organisms in
other types of the disease.
In common with other throat, bronchial and lung in
fections, pneumonia is characterized by coughing, de
fined as “sudden forced expiratory noise,” expels by
reason of its force not only solid or liquid matter that
may be in the throat or lungs, but a fine spray as well.
That fine spray, if from a diseased throat, is poison
ous and to breathe it into your healthy throat is about
as safe a procedure as jay-walking blindfolded across
Broadway. You may get across without being pushed
over of course. The law of averages takes care of that,
and the law of averages, qualified by the state of your
health and resistance force, has a great deal to do with
you if you breathe this deadly spray. Keep away from
it just as you would keep away from other communic
able diseases.
Sleep right, eat right, and live right, and get some
joy out of life. You may miss a good time now and
then, but you can’t have everything. Build a good
resistance to disease. Take care of yourself. Keep
away from “sneezers” and “coughers” and you and
pneumonia will very likely remain strangers.
EYA, THE DEVOURER
One day an old woman while gathering wood found
a little baby in the forest. She took the baby home
and gave it to the chief’s pretty daughter. The ten
derhearted girl took the baby and cared for him like
he was her own. She fed him often, but he was never
satisfied.
When he cried his mouth would stretch from ear to
ear, and down his throat there seemed to come sounds
of people struggling in confusion. The chief’s daugh
ter told no one, but cared for the child as before.
When the baby cried at night and awakened the chief’s
daughter and her ear would be near the mouth of the
baby she would hear some far off noises as of voices of
many people in great trouble.
At last she awakened the chief one night and told
him about it. He went, listened, and exclaimed,
“This is Eya, who devours all things, even whole vil
lages. These people you hear crying are the people
he has swallowed. He has now taken the form of a
baby and has come to destroy us. ’ ’
The chief awakened the people and broke the camp
without disturbing the baby who was sleeping in the
Chief’s wigwam. They traveled all night and just
as dawn was breaking they came near a wide river.
Here they met Unktomee (Spider, or sly one).
Unktomee found out why they had fled and was
willing to help them. The people were afraid of
Unktomee, for they thought he might play some trick
on the Indians. Unktomee persisted and went to
meet the Devourer.
Eya was following the fleeing ones. His mouth
was wide open and his feeble legs tottered under
their weight.
Very pleasantly “Unktomee,” or Sly Spider, said,
on meeting Eya, “Those foolish ones whom you are
after are camped on the banks of the river quite close
to you now. They cannot escape. Why not rest and
eat those nicely dried human ears for your meal?’ ’ As
he said these last words he pointed to a pile of mussel
shells that lay on the hilltop. Eya was so hungry he
hastily swallowed the shells. They caused him so
much pain that he was helpless. He was easily killed
by the people of the village.
The village people cut open his body and out jumped
the people, including many friends of the villagers.
A big dance followed, then a big feast.
This was one good deed done by Unktomee, who
was always getting people into trouble. He had killed
Eya, who was going about swallowing people. Eya
had been left for dead, but the people he held had
never been freed; so upon their freedom he would be
dead. When they were freed Eya was dead, and
dead forever.—J ohn C adotte .
Alex Melovidoff, who left Chemawa more than ten
years ago to start his career in the wide, wide world
as a violinist, has more than “made good.” He has
had many experiences, with their accompanying ups
and downs, but, like a cat, Alex has usually landed
on his feet. As a professional violinist Chemawa can
well be proud of him. Just at present he is leader at
the Imperial theater in San Francisco, a position of
great responsibility and not without musical honor.