Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1938, Blaðsíða 178

174
“Fhe Friends of the Deaf” has recently been established to assist deaf
people. There is a division of the international Ked Cross society
acíive in Iceland. This society has mostly taken the lead in general
instruction in homenursing, first aid, more convenient transportation
of the sick and nursing activities in out-of-the-way fishing stations.
The boy scout cluhs belonging to The International Boij Scout Move-
ment have a great deal to do with first aid and prevention of accidents.
The International Order of Good Templars may be included here.
This body has for 50—60 years fought against the consumption of
alchoholic drinks by the people and all the evil attended by it, and
it may be said to have attained a certain ainount of success and great
popularity. Finalljr there is an association whose object is to establish
cremation as a general custom of the country, The Cremation Associa-
tion of Iceland.
VII. Several Remarkable Facts in Icelandic Public Health
Legislation.
The Annual Budget.
Some of the most important public provisions for the development
of public health are contained in the pecuniary grants for public
health affairs allotted in the annual State Budget. Since the nation
recovered its financial indejiendence (1874) the Government ex-
penditure for public health affairs has as a rule amounted to 11—
15% of the total expenditure of the State, but in order to realise the
tremendous increase in the expenditure for these purposes we see
that in the year 1876 it only amounted to kr. 0.35 per inhabitant,
in 1915 kr. 2.95, in 1924 kr. 11.72 whereas of late years it has been
up to and over kr. 20.00.
The Medical Practitioners Act of 1932.
No one may engage in any kind of medical activity whatsoever with-
out the permission of the Minister of Health. Even a medical degree
does not, in itself, entitle anyone to practice medicine. The licence
to practice carries with it the obligation to adhere to the official
medical tariff of fees. Every kind of quackdoctoring whatsoever is
unconditionally forbidden and the same applies to advertisements of
medicines and surgical instruments except in letters to doctors or in
medical journals. The Minister of Health makes provisions as to
post-graduate training of doctors as a condition for a general licence
as medical practitioners, and also as to the various specialities as a
condition for a specialist’s licence.
Hospitals Act of 1933.
No one is allowed to run hospitals or any kind of health institutions
unless they are, in the opinion of the Minister of Health, deemed to
be satisfactory, the Minister’s permission for this purpose being
necessary.