Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1957, Side 177

Public Health in Iceland 1957. — A Summary.
1. In 1957 the climatic conditions
'vere favourable with exception of the
first three months. The weather was
stormy in the beginning and later the
snowfall was heavv. but the mean
temperature was 1.1 centigrades above
the average. In spring, summer and
autumn the weather was mild, the
uiean temperature of April—May 1.8
centigrades, of June—September 0.3
centigrades and of October—Novem-
her 1.2 centigrades above the average.
The downfall in spring and autumn
was above, but in summer under the
average.
Although the fisheries yielded a little
less than in previous years, economic
conditions of the country were com-
Paratively sound. The weather was
favourable for agriculture and foreign
markets were profitable. Nevertheless,
there were increasing difficulties for
the national economy. The fishing in-
dustry became increasingly dependent
upon state subsidies and an enormous
investment resulted in the raising of
foreign loans. There was a shortage
of foreign currency throughout the
vear. Prices did not increase much
and wages remained practically level.
2. Population, Births and Deaths.
The population was on December lst
1957 166831 including Reykjavík
67589 (1956: 162700 and 65305). The
estimated midyear population was
164766 (161090). The marriage rate
was 8.0 (8.3), the birth rate 28.7
(28.3) and the death rate 7.0 (7.2) per
1000 inhabitants. The infant mortality
rate was 16.9 (17.3) per 1000 born
alive. The general death rate is near
the lowest on record, the 1954 figure
being the lowest (6.9 per 1000). The
last year’s infant mortality figure is
the lowest ever registered.
3. Causes of Deaths are shown on
pp. 63—76.
The following ten are the most
common:
Diseases of the Heart ................... 292
Cancer — Malignant Growths .............. 237
Apoplexy ................................ 166
Violence (all forms) ..................... 79
Influenza ................................ 55
Pneumonia (Lobar and Lobular, Pn. of
Infants included) ...................
Diseases of Infants (Pneumonia excepted)
01 d Age ................................ 21
Congenital Malformation .................. 20
Hypertrophy of Prostate .................. 20
Other and Unknown Causes ............... 181
kpidemic Diseases. The incidence cidence of epidemic diseases in 1953
1 epidemic diseases in 1957 is shown —1957 as also the aggregate number
Per 1000 of Per 1000 of the
Number deaths population
292 252.4 1.77
237 204.8 1.44
166 143.5 1.01
79 68.3 0.48
55 47.5 0.33
47 40.6 0.29
39 33.7 0.24
21 18.2 0.13
20 17.3 0.12
20 17.3 0.12
181 156.4 1.10
ln tables II, III and IV, 1—28.
I ue table below shows the
of deaths from each disease during
the same period.