Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1933, Qupperneq 183

Public Health in Iceland 1933.
A Summary.
1. In 1933 the climatic conditions were unstable but on the wbole
favourable. Tbe atmospheric pressnre in the whole country was 0.9
nnn. above Ibe average. The mean temperature of the air was 2,3°
above the average. Tbe rainfall was 26°/o above tbe average.
As in the previous year nature conditions were favourable to the
pastoral and fisbing industrj' — tbe two main industries of the coun-
try — but the economic depression continued and unemployment
was as extensive as bei’ore among labourers in the coastal districts.
It is, however, the general opinion ol' medical officers that scarcity
ol' the elemental requisites of lile was nowbere so great as to afl'ect
tlie general health conditions.
2. Population, hirths and deaths. The population was on December
31st 1933: 113366 including Reykjavik 31689 (1932: 111555 and 30565).
The marriage rate was 6,2 (6,1), the hirth rate 22,0 (24,3) and tlie
death rate 10,3 (10,8) per 1000 inhabitants. Infant mortality was 43,1
(45,4) per 1000 horn alive.
General death rate has never heen so low (lowest before in 1928
and 1932 10.8 0/o«). Infant mortality was also near to the minimum
ever reached, having only once heen a trifle lower (in 1929 43,0 %o).
3. Causes of death are shown on pages 8—11.
The ten following are the most common:
Numbcr
Tuberculosis (all forms).................. 173
Old Age................................... 133
Cancer — Malignant Growths ............... 131
Accidents (all forms)..................... 112
Pneumonia (lobar and lobular) ............ 104
Apoplexy.................................. 92
Diseases of the Heart ................. . 88
Premature Birtli and Debility of Newborn . 28
Diseases of the Arteries . . ............. 23
Nephritis................................. 19
Other and Unknown Causes.................. 250
•/oo Ol’ °/oo of the
deaths population
149,3 1,5
114,8 1,2
113,0 1,2
96,6 1,0
89,7 0,9
79,4 0,8
75,9 0,8
24,2 0,2
19,8 0,2
16,4 0,2
220,9 2,3
4. Epidemic diseases. The incidence of epidemic diseases is shown
in tables II, III and IV, 1—25.
The following table shows the incidence of epidemic diseases in
1924—1933 as also tlie aggregate number of deaths from each disease
during the same period.