APPENDIX H.

REGISTER OF PHYSICIANS IN PENNSYLVANIA, BY COUNTIES, FROM JULY 1, 1881 TO DECEMBER 1, 1888.

DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS,
BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS.

The importance of this Bureau, which was created by the act of June 3, 1885, has not as yet been well understood. It seems to have been the purpose of the framers of the law to collect information as to the entire number of births, marriages and deaths throughout the Commonwealth, as well as to secure a full registration of the physicians. Under the provisions of the act referred to, the clerical duties were imposed upon this department, and the management of the Bureau upon the State Board of Health; but this department has cooperated with the Secretary of the Board, Dr. Benjamin Lee, so far as possible, in all his efforts to accomplish the results contemplated by the law. Up to this time no effort has been made to secure statistics concerning the births and deaths that occur in the Commonwealth. The blank forms for the registration of physicians were prepared, in which information was called for as to the name of the practitioner, date of registration, residence, sex, color, place of birth, and college from which graduated; also the number and character of degrees conferred. These blanks were sent to the prothonotaries of the several counties, with a letter of instruction requesting a prompt return of the blanks with the information asked for. In a few cases some attention was paid to these requests, but as a rule they were not responded to, for the reason generally given, that no compensation was allowed for the work to be performed. When the present administration assumed the duties of the office, in May, 1887, a few returns were found to have been made, but none of them had been recorded. Books of record were at once prepared and a complete registration made of these returns. During the last year, through the earnest efforts of Dr. Benjamin Lee, with such assistance as he was able to obtain from local medical societies and boards of health, a great addition has been made to the registration. There are now

8,248 names registered, which embraces all the counties of the Commonwealth except Adams, Bucks, Cambria, Carbon, Clarion, Fulton, Greene, McKean, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Westmoreland and Wyoming. The aggregate population of the counties thus far reporting is, according to the census of 1880, 3,791,376. Allowing the remaining counties the same proportion of physicians, there would seem to be at present about 9,318 practicing physicians in the Commonwealth; or an average of one physician to every 459 inhabitants. The following table shows (in each county) the number of persons to each physician; the number of male and female physicians; the number practicing without diplomas; the number who are foreign born, and the total number registered:

In the county of Bedford the law requiring registration must have been disregarded, as there are but two physicians reported as registered there. It would appear that there are about 17,464 persons to each physician, which, of course, is a misrepresentation of the facts. This condition seems also to exist in the county of Lehigh, where but 12 physicians are reported, making 5,497 persons to each one. Forest county shows the largest number of physicians in proportion to the population. The returns fail to show the place of birth of many of the physicians. Of the 8,248 reported, 641 are of foreign birth. The following table gives the number of foreign born, and shows the number of each nationality:

Table Giving Number of Foreign-born Physicians, and the Respective Places in which they were Born.

RETURN OF PRACTITIONERS

In the County of Adams from the first day of September, 1881, to the first day of the State Laws, by John C. Felty, M. D., Secretary

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