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and reraotest. The number of midwives holding appointments is 158
while the number of districts is about 200. 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.
17. General Insurance. The National Insurance Act from 1936
(amended several times) covers besides diseases: accident, disable-
ment and old age insurance. In all urban districts insurance against
loss of health is obligatory, in rural districts the parish councils may,
after a general vote has been taken and a majority for it obtained,
adopt compulsory insurance. 55,0 per cent of the population are now
insured under the National Insurance Act (children insured with
their parents not included). The total number of insured is estimated
to comprise 80 per cent of the population.
18. Food and Nutrition. Public inspection of food has taken place
in this country since 1936, when the Food Adulteration Act came into
force. This act provides for comprehensive control of all articles of food
and other nutritients. This inspection is in the hands of the district
medical officers of heallh and the sanitary committees, in co-opera-
tion with the local police authorities. The chemical analysis work
is done at the Public Chemical Analysis Institute in Reykjavik. 474
samples of food (milk and milk products excepted) were submitted
for analysis in 1948, out of which number 14 were found to be not up
to the standards (3,0%).
19. Hospitals, large and small, in 1948 numbered 49 in the whole
country, with 1224 beds, or 8,8 beds per 1000 inhabitants, 43 of this
number being general hospitals, wúth 753 beds (5,4%e). In the
tuberculosis sanatoria there are 257 beds (about 1,9%0). Of other
special hospitals may be mentioned: 1 lunatic asylum, 1 leprosarium
and 1 small epidemic hospital in Reykjavik. The sickdays in hospi-
tals amounted to 3,1 per head for the whole population, while in the
general hospitals the figure was 1,7 and in the sanatoria 0,73. Added
to this there is always a considerable number of tuberculosis patients
in the general hospitals (cf. also tables XVII—XVIII).
Patients in general hospitals this year may be classified as follows:
Epidemic Diseases ...................... 3,1 %
Venereal Diseases ...................... 2,0 —
Tuberculosis ........................... 2,3 —
Hydatid Disease ........................ 0,1 —
Cancer — Malignant Growths ............. 2,6 —
Births, Miscarriages etc.............. 13,6 —
Violence ............................... 7,2 —
Other Diseases ........................ 69,1 —
20. Vaccination is compulsory in Iceland. 2617 children were vac-
cinated for the first time, 76 per cent with full reaction, and 2133
revaccinated, 65 per cent with full reaction (cf. table XIX).