Records of the Philadelphia County Medical Society
Record Group
Identifier: MSS 3/013
Scope and Contents
The records of the Philadelphia County Medical Society document the activities of two committees within the Society: the Committee on Maternal Welfare and the Committee on Archives.
The Committee on Maternal Welfare records consists of records of committee meetings, materials used in conducting maternal mortality surveys, maternal death reports, and correspondence. The records, 1944 to 1973, were maintained by M. Agnes Gowdey, recording secretary of the Committee on Maternal Welfare.
The records of committee meetings, spanning 1944 to 1972, include agenda, minutes, reports, memoranda, and membership lists are contained in Series 1. This series also contains miscellaneous notes, most of which were recorded during committee meetings, and miscellaneous printed material, including maternal mortality reports from other institutions (1958-1964) and the American Medical Association's "Guide for Maternal Death Studies" (1957).
Series 2, spanning 1951 to 1971, includes material used in conducting maternal mortality surveys. Present are procedure forms prepared by the committee to provide guidelines and rules for the proper execution of the maternal mortality study. Also included are samples of forms distributed to the hospitals participating in the survey, as well as explanations of the various codes and symbols used on these forms. This series also contains a record book (1961-1971) providing statistical figures derived from the committee's maternal mortality surveys.
Included in Series 3 are monthly and annual reports, both of which provide statistics on maternal mortality in Philadelphia. Also present are individual case reports (1955-1972); these case reports, which make up the bulk of the collection, provide detailed information about each deceased mother, including her medical history, the nature of her pregnancy, and the cause of death. Also included are medical examiners' reports, mortality summaries, lab reports, and death certificates. The case reports are arranged by code number, a number assigned by the committee as each case report was received.
Series 4 contains correspondence (1945-1973), most of which was received from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. These communications provide information used in the committee's study, including Philadelphia Code Numbers and Bureau of Vital Statistics Codes for maternal deaths in Philadelphia.
The Committee on Archives records consists of correspondence, reports, minutes, and newsclippings, 1912-1951, documents the work of the Philadelphia County Medical Society's Committee on Archives and its officers, particularly Albert M. Eaton and William N. Bradley, and of the society's executive secretary, Franklin M. Crispin.
Included are notifications of appointment to the committee; responses to requests for photographs; discussions of the mission of the committee; biographical and genealogical research on the society's founders and correspondence with their descendants; occasional minutes and reports; and a collection of newsclippings, concerned, primarily, with physicians and medicine during World War I. The newsclippings also contain obituaries of physicians Alfred Reginald Allen and Benjamin Lee. There is also a folder of historical reference material containing lists of society presidents and a list of members in 1883-1884.
The Committee on Maternal Welfare records consists of records of committee meetings, materials used in conducting maternal mortality surveys, maternal death reports, and correspondence. The records, 1944 to 1973, were maintained by M. Agnes Gowdey, recording secretary of the Committee on Maternal Welfare.
The records of committee meetings, spanning 1944 to 1972, include agenda, minutes, reports, memoranda, and membership lists are contained in Series 1. This series also contains miscellaneous notes, most of which were recorded during committee meetings, and miscellaneous printed material, including maternal mortality reports from other institutions (1958-1964) and the American Medical Association's "Guide for Maternal Death Studies" (1957).
Series 2, spanning 1951 to 1971, includes material used in conducting maternal mortality surveys. Present are procedure forms prepared by the committee to provide guidelines and rules for the proper execution of the maternal mortality study. Also included are samples of forms distributed to the hospitals participating in the survey, as well as explanations of the various codes and symbols used on these forms. This series also contains a record book (1961-1971) providing statistical figures derived from the committee's maternal mortality surveys.
Included in Series 3 are monthly and annual reports, both of which provide statistics on maternal mortality in Philadelphia. Also present are individual case reports (1955-1972); these case reports, which make up the bulk of the collection, provide detailed information about each deceased mother, including her medical history, the nature of her pregnancy, and the cause of death. Also included are medical examiners' reports, mortality summaries, lab reports, and death certificates. The case reports are arranged by code number, a number assigned by the committee as each case report was received.
Series 4 contains correspondence (1945-1973), most of which was received from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. These communications provide information used in the committee's study, including Philadelphia Code Numbers and Bureau of Vital Statistics Codes for maternal deaths in Philadelphia.
The Committee on Archives records consists of correspondence, reports, minutes, and newsclippings, 1912-1951, documents the work of the Philadelphia County Medical Society's Committee on Archives and its officers, particularly Albert M. Eaton and William N. Bradley, and of the society's executive secretary, Franklin M. Crispin.
Included are notifications of appointment to the committee; responses to requests for photographs; discussions of the mission of the committee; biographical and genealogical research on the society's founders and correspondence with their descendants; occasional minutes and reports; and a collection of newsclippings, concerned, primarily, with physicians and medicine during World War I. The newsclippings also contain obituaries of physicians Alfred Reginald Allen and Benjamin Lee. There is also a folder of historical reference material containing lists of society presidents and a list of members in 1883-1884.
Dates
- 1912 - 1943
Creator
Biographical / Historical
The records of the Philadelphia County Medical Society document the activities of two committees within the Society: the Committee on Maternal Welfare and the Committee on Archives.
The Committee on Maternal Welfare was established in 1930 by George P. Muller, President of the Philadelphia County Medical Society. Muller created the committee after he became aware of the results of a survey conducted by Dr. Haven Emerson; the survey revealed that although Philadelphia had a falling birth rate, the maternal mortality rate had remained the same over a period of ten years. In order to study this problem, President Muller appointed a committee, chaired by Philip F. Williams, to conduct additional research on maternal death in Philadelphia.
In 1934, after a three year survey of 717 maternal deaths, the Committee on Maternal Welfare produced a report of its findings. The impact of this report was so great that the committee became a permanent division of the Philadelphia County Medical Society and began holding monthly meetings. In 1933, Philip F. Williams, chairman of the committee, received the Philadelphia County Medical Society's Strittmatter Award in recognition of his leadership in this project.
In subsequent years, the Committee on Maternal Welfare continued its surveys and began to implement programs designed to reduce the maternal death rate. Its work had a profound impact on the community; as a result of the committee's on going research and innovative programs, Philadelphia's maternal death rate dropped from 6.8 per thousand births in 1931 to .9 per thousand births in 1949.
Mary Agnes Gowdey was born in 1907 and graduated from the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1935. She practiced as an obstetrician and gynecologist in Pennsylvania and later in New Jersey. Gowdey was an active member of the Committee on Maternal Welfare; as recording secretary, she was responsible for maintaining correspondence with hospital representatives and acquiring all reports relevant to the maternal mortality study. As of 1991, M. Agnes Gowdey is retired and living in Mount Holly, N. J.
The Committee on Archives of the Philadelphia County Medical Society was established by the society's Board of Directors in 1912. The committee, under the supervision of its first chairman, Albert M. Eaton, was charged with seeking out and preserving historical records of the society as well as material on its founders and former presidents.
From 1920 to 1924, the archives of the Philadelphia County Medical Society were housed at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. In 1924, the archives were transferred to the society's executive offices. In 1942, the Committee on Archives and the society's Committee on Library merged to form the Committee on Library and Archives. This committee was active until at least 1962.
The Committee on Maternal Welfare was established in 1930 by George P. Muller, President of the Philadelphia County Medical Society. Muller created the committee after he became aware of the results of a survey conducted by Dr. Haven Emerson; the survey revealed that although Philadelphia had a falling birth rate, the maternal mortality rate had remained the same over a period of ten years. In order to study this problem, President Muller appointed a committee, chaired by Philip F. Williams, to conduct additional research on maternal death in Philadelphia.
In 1934, after a three year survey of 717 maternal deaths, the Committee on Maternal Welfare produced a report of its findings. The impact of this report was so great that the committee became a permanent division of the Philadelphia County Medical Society and began holding monthly meetings. In 1933, Philip F. Williams, chairman of the committee, received the Philadelphia County Medical Society's Strittmatter Award in recognition of his leadership in this project.
In subsequent years, the Committee on Maternal Welfare continued its surveys and began to implement programs designed to reduce the maternal death rate. Its work had a profound impact on the community; as a result of the committee's on going research and innovative programs, Philadelphia's maternal death rate dropped from 6.8 per thousand births in 1931 to .9 per thousand births in 1949.
Mary Agnes Gowdey was born in 1907 and graduated from the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1935. She practiced as an obstetrician and gynecologist in Pennsylvania and later in New Jersey. Gowdey was an active member of the Committee on Maternal Welfare; as recording secretary, she was responsible for maintaining correspondence with hospital representatives and acquiring all reports relevant to the maternal mortality study. As of 1991, M. Agnes Gowdey is retired and living in Mount Holly, N. J.
The Committee on Archives of the Philadelphia County Medical Society was established by the society's Board of Directors in 1912. The committee, under the supervision of its first chairman, Albert M. Eaton, was charged with seeking out and preserving historical records of the society as well as material on its founders and former presidents.
From 1920 to 1924, the archives of the Philadelphia County Medical Society were housed at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. In 1924, the archives were transferred to the society's executive offices. In 1942, the Committee on Archives and the society's Committee on Library merged to form the Committee on Library and Archives. This committee was active until at least 1962.
Extent
10 boxes
Language of Materials
English
Custodial History
The records of the Philadelphia County Medical Society document the activities of two committees within the Society: the Committee on Maternal Welfare and the Committee on Archives.
The Committee on Maternal records were donated to the Historical Collections of the Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia by the Obstetrical Society of Philadelphia on 16 April 1991. The collection was processed and catalogued in 1991.
The Committee on Archives records were donated as part of a larger gift by Samuel X Radbill in April 1984. The collection was processed and catalogued in 1991.
The Committee on Maternal records were donated to the Historical Collections of the Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia by the Obstetrical Society of Philadelphia on 16 April 1991. The collection was processed and catalogued in 1991.
The Committee on Archives records were donated as part of a larger gift by Samuel X Radbill in April 1984. The collection was processed and catalogued in 1991.
Creator
- Philadelphia County Medical Society. Committee on Maternal Welfare (Organization)
- Philadelphia County Medical Society. Committee on Archives (Organization)
- Title
- Records of the Philadelphia County Medical Society
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia Repository
Contact:
19 S. 22nd Street
Philadelphia PA 19103 United States
19 S. 22nd Street
Philadelphia PA 19103 United States
