J. Antall szerk.: Medical history in Hungary 1972. Presented to the XXIII. International Congress of the History of Medicine / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 6. (Budapest, 1972)
L. Várađi: The Social Position of Physicians in Hungary at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries
L. Várađi: The Social Position of Physicians in Hungary 219 financial state was often on the verge of a subsistance wage. Being unable to make a living out of his medical practice, a physian had to work e.g. as an insurance agent and deal with ground-rent in order to be able to sustain his family of four. In 1895 in 63 counties of Hungary the total number of physicians was 2806, 1618 of which concentrated in towns. 8 The population of the counties was 12 640 663, that of the towns 2 659 339. This unfavourable distribution was even increased between 1893 and 1900, when the percentage ratio of physicians kept by towns increased from 31% to 40%. These data alone confirm that there were great differences in the chances of physicians, in the possibilities of development, and in the costs of living as well as the duties which fell on them. The majority of the physicians seemed to have endevoured to settle down in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Consequently, this was the only place in the country which was owercrowded whith physicians. Their ratio was one physician per 600 men, which is remarkable considering their means of support. Nevertheless, the majority of the physicians preferred Budapest, which can be explained by the fact that specialists, —appearing parallel to the scientific development in the 19th — 20th centuries —did not want to be away from the intellectual atmosphere of the clinics promoting scientific development, at least not at the beginning of their career. Even later on they insisted to towns where their practice seemed to be more efficacious. This latter factor must have seriously influenced the majority of specialists, and serve as an explanation for the great disproportions in the areal distribution of physicians in towns and villages. To get a better view of what we have said so far let us quote the evidence of some major towns with the exception of Budapest —where the number of physicians seems satisfactory but far from being redundant. 9 These Municipal Town Number of inhabitants Number of Physicians Surgeons Budapest 716,476 1,268 10 Szeged 100,270 52 2 Szabadka 81,464 32 — Hódmezővásárhely 60,824 20 — Kecskemét 56,786 23 1 Győr 27,758 22 — As a comparison : County Győr 97,045 11 2 data alone doesn't permit us to draw conclusions referring to the social position of the physicians. Beyond the regional distribution of medicating physicians we have to examine the average distribution of medicating physicians we have to examine the average distribution between official and private doctors, and have to analyze the spirit of medical regulations and their effects in the everyday practice of health administration. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid.
