MANITOBA SUPERINTENDENCY - MEDICAL REPORTS.
proverbial "frying-pan and tea-pail" which not very many years ago constituted the amount of their household possessions. The houses now built are much improved by having more rooms, being larger, better ventilated and better furnished. In many of the houses neat sets of furniture may be found, and in nearly all tables, chairs and stoves have a place, whereas formerly the Indians were quite satisfied with the traditional chimneys, by which to prepare their meals, which were then eaten off the floor. Also, their manner of dress is remarkably improved. Tattooing, long hair, blankets, & c., no longer have a place amongst them: instead, they all endeavour to dress more like and copy the customs of white people. Likewise, their manner of travelling is much improved, as they now use horses and sleighs, wagons, buckboards, & c., instead of "dog trains" and "trains" as formerly. One marked evidence of civilization lies in the feet that the "medicine men" were unable to hold their customary "long tent" this year for want of followers, showing that the rising generation is beginning to relegate such things to the past.

It will be observed that I have put my remarks on the characteristics and progress, temperance, morality, & c., under one heading for all the reserves. To explain this, I may say the same remarks on those subjects apply to all the Indians in my district, so it was useless repeating them at the end of each reserve.

In conclusion, I may remark that the present generation is a decided improvement on the preceding one, and everything indicates that my fervent hope will be fulfilled that the rising will make a still further and more decided step towards civilization.

I have, & c.,
H.B. MARTINEAU,
Indian Agent.
MANITOBA SUPERINTENDENCY,
MEDICAL REPORT,
FORT FRANCES, ONT., 13th July, 1896.

The Honourable
The Superintendent General of Indian Affairs,
Ottawa.

SIR, - The year ended 30th June, 1896, has been remarkably free from epidemic disease.

Medical Visits. - We made the annual trip with the agent on the upper lakes and visited all the reserves on Rainy River the week following.

Operations. - During the year I have made several special trips to Sturgeon Falls Band, more especially for the chief's family, which had been considerably afflicted with sickness, but no fatalities. I have visited the river reserves very frequently and find them greatly improved. At Stangecoming I reduced and dressed a fractured and dislocated arm and at Redgut's Reserve found a girl suffering from Monson's disease, a somewhat rare form of nerve lesion. The first recovered, and the latter has improved under treatment.

Dwellings. - At the Manitou Reserve especially, the Indians have erected several good substantial and capacious houses. There appears to have begun a healthy rivalry among them, and this should be encouraged.

School-buildings. - The sanitary condition of the various schools is good, the two new schoolhouse being models of neatness. Under the very careful management of the several teachers there has been a marked and wholesome improvement in the speech, manners, morals, appearance and cleanliness of the Indian children on the various reserves.