Evening star., 1943-09-06
Of Doctors
Will Get More Acute,
owl Survey Shows
Civilian Health Called
Unusually Good; Deoth
Rote Lowest in History

The health of American civilians
Is unusually good, despite stresses
of wartime living and shortage Of
doctors which will become more
acute unless requirements of the
armed forces are revised, the once
Of War Information reported today.
The national death rate for l942,
first full year Of war. was 1913 per
thousand, lowest in medical history.
Two births were recorded for every
death during the year. The national
birth rate for 1912 was 20.7 per thou
sand. the first time In decades 1t has
doubled the death rate.
Data collected from the Public
Health Service, War Manpower
Commission and the Federal Works
Agency indicated q generally favor
able" picture of civilian health de-
spite rationing, doctor and nurse
shortages and overerowded housing
facilities In industrial areas.
5000 to Be Taken in 1888.
Predicting continuing shortage
of physicians, the report said the
armed services recruiting schedule
calls for enrolment of 5000 doctors
by the end of 1943. This will leave
$4,000 effective" physicians to care
for 100, 800 900 civilian Americans,
plus $4,000 public health doctors,
5000 internes and 5000 doctors res
ident in hospitals. In addition, there
are roughly % 900 physicians more
than IS years of age, rated as one
third effective.
The armed forces will take 30 per
cent OF the doctors who graduats
each year for the duration, leaving
less than 1,500 available for civilian
duty to. replace the 2,500 to 5000
doctors who normally die each year,
the survey indicated.
OWL estimated that there Is In
general practice one doctor for every
1,557 persons throughout the country.
This was described as very close to
the ratio of doctor for every 1900
persons, considered desirable from
the standpoint of health protection.
1t was pointed out, however, that
perfect distribution is unobtainable
short of compulsory shifts of doctors
to critical areas, thus many sections
have acute shortages.
Refugee Doctors Available,
The Owl report noted that 6.000
foreign refugee physicians are avail
able, but licensing difficulties pre-.
vent use of their services in soma
of the worst shortage areas. ON
cial efforts are being made, owl
said, to break down State restric-
tions preventing practice by ouali-
f1ed foreign physicians during the
emergency.
Increases In Industrial absen.
tee1Sm due to illness increased dur.
| ing 1912, and showed an upward
| trend during the first quarter of
1943. Influenza, grippe, pneumonia,
bronchitis and other diseases of the
respiratory tract were almost en-
| tirely responsible for the jump from
1874 man-days. absence per 1000
feported IN the ifrst quarter of 1912,
to 1929 man days absence per 1000
IN the first quarter Of 1943.
| Meningitis Increases.
The survey showed the only com.
mun1cable diseases above the normal
| 1942-43 level were cerebraI-spinal
meningitis, infantile paralysis and
the dysenteries.
Up to mid-August, 1888 cases of
meningitis had been reported this
year, larger than any full-year total
since 1914, when national collection
OF health reports began. The high.
est full-year total was 10,551 re-
corded in 1929.
Infantile paralysis totaled 4.ose
cases to August 81, 1943, far above
the 1,505 reported last year. and
highest since 1884. Dysentery is
about twice as prevalent in 1943 as
In 1942, condition the report at
tributed to shortages of help in
restaurants and consequent lower.
ing OF sanitary conditions.