Eskimo Medicine Man

Book excerpt: "Eskimo Medicine Man" is a record of primitive Alaskan life in the 1930's. It records the experiences in Alaska's remote areas of Dr. Otto George, the last "traveling physician" for the Department of Interior's Indian Service, when in all the territory (an area one-fifth that of the contiguous United States) there were fewer than sixty thousand persons. This book deals with the Eskimos of the Bering Sea, along the coast of the Artic Ocean, the areas of the Kuskokwim rivershed, and of the lower Yukon. The notes from Dr. George's eight diaries furnish the materials for this volume, documenting the time, the peoples and their ancient way of life. The photographs used to illustrate the book are those taken by Dr. George and developed by him, often with water from the silt-laden Kuskokwim River or melted snow. Some of the incidents Dr. George relates concern the difficulties of traveling to, from, or over Alaska; of finding groceries, even at great cost; and of dealing with the natives' superstitious acceptance of tuberculosis. Dr. George details his fight against that disease and includes his impressions and thoughts during a stay along the Bering Sea with villagers who were free of tuberculosis because they still practiced the ancient ways of building new winter homes each fall, letting spring floods wipe out dirt and germs. (AN)