Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1941, Page 198

196
1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941
Accidents of Childbirth ... 7 4 6 7 3 6 3 3 4 10
Puerperal Sepsis ..... 1 3 2 3 1 3 3 2 1 3
Total Number of Deaths ....8 7 8 10 4 9 6 5 5 13
The maternity death rate 1941 is 5,4 per 1000 children born alive.
The distribution of accidents of childbirth is shown on page 12.
12. Artificial abortion (see table XII).
During the year 52 artificial abortions took place under the Birth
C.ontrol Act, which carne into operation in 1935 (in the preceding year
there had been 46). In 11 out of these 52 cases social as well as healtli
indications had been taken into consideration.
13. Accidents. Being a fishing nation and the fishermen carrying
on their business all the year round off a wild coast in a rough ocean
the number of deaths by accidents is, even in normal times, tremen-
dously high, or on the average more than double the corresponding
number of the other European countries. Due to the war conditions
death by violence in the year 1941 was more frequent than ever before,
or 38% above the average of the decennary 1931—1940. It is not like-
ly that all of the warfaring nations themselves have so far sacrificed
])roportionatIy so many lives to the War God as the Icelanders in
pursuing their peaceful trade. The distribution of deaths by accidents
is shown on page 13.
14. Care of infants may be said to be fairly good, the great majority
of the children being breast-fed. The midwives have made out a report
(table XIII) concerning 2526 infants born duiáng the year (out of
2638 births). In 2447 cases the nutrition of the infants after birth is
reported as follows (Reykjavik figures in brackets):
Breast-fed .................. 89,2% (96,7%)
Breast- and bottle-fed .... 6,1— ( 2,2—)
Bottle-fed only ............ 4,7 — (1,1 —)
15. Sanitary officials and workers (see table I). The total number
of trained medical men in Iceland was 156 in 1941. There era 50 medi-
cal districts, and hither to they have as a rule been filled. The
number of midwives holding appointments is 202, while the number
of districts is 207. Trained nurses do little service outside hospitals.
Dentists are very few. Trained dispensing chemists are only in the
larger towns, in villages and in the country the district medical
officers have a small drug store.
16. General insurance. The National Insurance Act from 1936
(amended 1940) covers hesides diseases: aecident, disablement and
old age insurance. In all urban districts insurance against loss of health
is obligatory for persons, whose annual incoine does not exceed a fixed
minimum, in rural districts the parish councils may, after a general
vote has been talcen, adopt compulsory insurance. 31,8% of the
population are now insured under the National Insurance Act
(children who are insured with their parents not included).