1 6  Statistics  of  the  Drug  Business.  jln'-xs^ys""' 
once  was  ;  that  there  is  no  profit  in  it  ;  that,  at  the  end  of  the  year,  noth- 
ing is  left  after  all  bills  are  paid,  and  other  complaints  of  a  similar  na- 
ture, we  must  conclude  these  days  have  departed,  at  least  for  the  pres- 
ent, and,  as  a  matter  of  interest  to  all  concerned,  endeavor  to  find  some 
cause  for  the  change  that  undoubtedly  has  taken  place  in  the  trade. 
It  is  not  the  intention  of  the  writer,  in  this  paper,  to  advance  any 
theories  as  to  the  causes  which  have  produced  the  alleged  changes  in 
the  business  of  pharmacy,  but  simply  to  direct  attention  to  the  facts 
shown  by  a  comparison  of  the  tables  of  the  three  last  U.  S.  Census 
Reports,  viz.,  1850,  i860,  1870,  as  they  apply  to  pharmacy  and  some 
other  pursuits  connected  with,  or  allied  to,  it,  and  allow  each  to  draw 
his  own  conclusions.  Previous  to  1850,  no  reports  were  made  in 
which  the  different  occupations  were  classified  with  as  much  detail  as 
they  were  in  that  year  and  in  subsequent  reports,  so  that,  for  our  pres- 
ent purpose,  we  cannot  go  back  of  that  time. 
The  first  table  gives  the  total  population,  and  the  proportion  of  each 
occupation  to  it ;  the  second  and  third  only  as  matters  of  interest,  the 
ages  and  the  nativities  of  those  engaged  in  each,  for  1870  only. 
OCCUPAT  IONS. 
1850 
Total 
Population 
23,391,876. 
Population. 
I860 
Total 
Population 
31,443,221. 
Population. 
187o 
I  Total 
Population 
38.558,371- 
Proportion. 
Physicians 
40,554 
I  t0572 
54,543 
I  to  576 
j 
62,283 
I  to  638 
Druggists  .... 
6,139 
I  to  3778 
11,031 
I  to  2850 
1  17,369 
I  to  2,219 
Pat.  Med.  Manufrs 
Perfumers  .... 
59 
132 
I  to 
369,472 
I  to 
277,165 
203 
216 
I  to 
154,893  i 
I  to 
145,571 
409 
248 
I  to 
94,274 
I  to 
155,477 
Nurses  .... 
10,976 
I  to  3,5 12 
Midwives  .... 
1 
1,186 
I  to 
32,511 
OCCUPATIONS. 
ALL  AGES. 
10  to  15 
16  to  59 
60  and 
over 
Total. 
Males. 
Females. 
Total. 
Total. 
Total. 
Physicians,  ..... 
62,383 
61,858 
525 
57,947 
4,436 
Druggists,           .       .       .  • 
17,369 
17,335 
34 
16,977 
392 
Patent  Medicine  Manufacturers, 
409 
331 
78 
16 
377 
16 
Perfumers,  .... 
248 
142 
106 
13 
230 
5 
Nurses,  ..... 
10,976 
806 
10,170 
9^636 
1,340 
Midwives,  .... 
1,186 
1,186 
766 
420 
