Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1929, Page 138

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in getting fully rid of ít. The following figures show the situation in
1921—1929, cf. also tables V—VI:
1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 19.26 1927 1928 1929
Number of Patients.......... 54 27 37 43 50 46 46 43 30
Deaths ....................... 4 9 12 5 16 12 8 10 8
It is significant that some of the patients notified are quite voung,
which shows that people are still liable to infection, in spite of all pre-
ventive measures.
9. Canccr. The notification of cancer patients is verv defective as
may be seen from the following survey for 1921 —1929, where in the
majority of years the number ol' deaths exceeds that of cases notified
(cf. tables V and VI):
1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
Number of Patients ......... 101 110 73 84 125 108 114 131 85
Deaths ....................... 88 118 95 107 129 126 124 131 145
The death rate does not change much from year to year, and proh-
ably the cause of the increase is to be found in a more precise notifica-
tion and more relial)le death certificates.
Reports do not as a rule state in which part of the hody the mali-
gnant tumor is located. 1'his year 29 cases provide this information
and the distribution is as follows: Stomach 13, oesophagus 4, liver 1,
mesenterv 2, intestines 1, uterus 5, breast 2 and lungs 1. This is the
first case of pulmonary cancer notified, hut it is not likelv to be the
first time that Icelandic doctors come across this form of the disease.
10. Trachoma has hitherto heen reckoned among diseases unknown
in Iceland. This year, however, 1 indigenous case was notified.
11. Diabetes is very infrequent in Iceland. This year it has caused
the death of one person. (In 1921 — 192o the total numher of deaths
from this disease was 7).
12. Rachitis too is an infrequent disease in this country, according
to the opinion of district physicians, at least it seldom reaches such a
stage as to display definite symptoms.
13. Maternity (see also tables IX—X). The total number of hirths
in 1929 was: 2644 horn alive and 82 stillborn, or 30,1%C of the total
number.
Deaths from accidents of childhirth and puerperal sepsis during the
preceding years have been as follows:
1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
Accidents of Childbirth ...... 3 5 5 3 4 4 8 7 10
Puerperal Sepsis ............. 3 5 6 3 6 1 3 3 1
Total Number of Deaths .... 6 10 11 6 10 5 11 10 11
The death rate 1929 is 4,1 per 1000 children born alive. The distribu-
tion of accidents of childbirth is as follows; Ectopic gestation 1,
abortion 4, puerperal hæmorrage 2, puerperal convulsions 1, other ac-
cidents of childhirth 2.
14. Accidental deaths are very frequent in Iceland, heing No. 7
among the causes of death. Drowning is Ihe most common form of