Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1939, Síða 194
192
The death rate 1939 is 2,1 per 1000 children born alive. The distri-
bution of aecidents of childbirth is as follows: puerperal haemorrage 2
and other accidents of childbirth 1.
12. Artificial abortion (see table XII).
During the year 49 artificial abortions took place under the Birth
Control Act, which came into operation in 1935 (in the preceding year
there had been 33). In 21 out of these 49 cases social as well as health
indications had been taken into consideration.
13. Care of infants. Infant mortality is on the whole very low in
IceJand, this year 37,3%0 (last year 28,3 and the lowest on record in
the world).
The care of infants may be said to be fairly good and a great
majority of the children are breast-fed. The midwives have made out
a report (table XIII) concerning 2294 infants born during the year
(out of 2331 births). In 2230 cases the nutrition of the infants after
birth is reported as follows (Reykjavík figures in brackets):
Breast-fed ...............
Breast- and bottle-fed . . .
Bottle-fed only ..........
87,8 % (97,5 %c)
5,7-- ( 1,3—)
6,5— ( 1,2—)
14. Sanitary officials and workers. (See table I). The total number
of trained medical men in Iceland was 145 in 1939. There are 49 inedi-
cal districts, and as a rule they are all filled. The number of midwives
holding appointments is 203, while the number of districts is 207.
Trained nurses do little service outside hospitals. Dentists are verv
few. Trained dispensing chemists are onlv in Ihe larger towns, in
villages and in the country the district medical officers have a small
drug store.
15. Gencral Insurance. The National Insurance Aet from 1936
(amended 1940) covers besides diseases: accident, disablement and
old age insurance. In all urban districts insurance against loss of health
is obligatory for persons, whose annual income does not exceed a fixed
minimum, in rural distriets tlie parish councils may, after a general
vote has been taken, adopt compulsory insurance. 27,8% of the popula-
tion are now insured under the National Insurance Act (childrens who
are insured witli their parents not included).
16. Food and Nutrition. Public inspection of food has taken place
in this country since 1936, wlien the Food Adulteration Act came into
force. This Act provides comprehensive control of all articles of food
and other nutritients. This insiiection is in the hands of the District
Medical Officers of Health and the Sanitary Coinmittees, in co-opera-
tion with the local Police Authorities and under the supervision of a
special Sanitary Officer in Reykjavík (the capital). The chemical ana-
lysis work is done at the Public Chemical Analysis Institute in Reykja-
vík. 433 samples of food (milk excepted) were submitted for analysis