The deaths of 10,738 physicians, 1949 to 1951, relative to a 1950 physician population of 204,450 comprise the basic statistics of this study of physician mortality. Through a detailed examination of these dat by age and by cause of death, the highlights of physician mortality experience for the period cited are presented and compared with the mortality experience of white males of the same ages. This is followed by a brief description of the nature of the data and the methods employed in their compilation and development. (6 refs)