Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 01.12.1957, Page 179

— 177
1957
During the last two decades death
from tuberculosis in Iceland has been
almost steadily decreasing, yet, with
a relative stand-still during the war,
and during the last years the fall of the
tuberculosis death rate is truly adven-
turous. In 1930 232 died from tuber-
culosis in Iceland (2.16 per 1000 of
the population), 1939: 94 (0.79 per
1000), 1945: 88 (0.68 per 1000), 1947:
71 (0.53 per 1000), 1948: 47 (0.34 per
1000), 1949: 36 (0.26 per 1000), 1950:
29 (0.20 per 1000), 1951: 31 (0.21 per
1000), 1952: 20 (0.14 per 1000), 1953:
14 (0.09 per 1000), 1954: 10 (0.06 per
1000), 1955: 4 (0.03 per 1000), 1956:
43 (0.08 per 1000), 1957: 7 (0.04 per
1000).
7- Leprosy. Patients known in the
whole countrv at the end of each year:
Nlimber 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957
of Patients 7 6 5 5 6
A new case was discovered this
vear, a woman 60 years old.
3- Hydatid Disease (cf. tablcs V
and VI).
^umber 1953 1954 1995 '956 1957
°f Patients 3 4 4 4 4
'leaths 3 „114
These figures are based upon month-
ly reports from physicians, but in
'e annual report on the disease,
which comprises all medical districts
ln this country, 11 cases are reported,
njost of them very old people, perhaps
only with some or other remains of
Ine disease.
9. Scabies (cf. tables V, VI and
VII, 4).
3'uinber 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957
of Patients 177 301 244 177 63
10- Cancer (cf. tables V and VI).
3'umber 195.3 1954 1955 1956 1957
of Patients 65 86 92 88 74
eaths 211 198 210 200 237
In addition to the monthly reports
from district medical officers, on
which the above survey is based,
medical officers in all districts have
made out lists showing the incidence
of malignant tumors during the year.
According to these lists there are 545
such patients. Op p. 92 these mali-
gnant tumors are classified according
to location.
11. School Inspection. In Iceland an
obligatory medical examination of all
school-children takes place at the be-
ginning of each session, especially
with regard to tuberculosis. At the
same time the sanitary condition of
the schools is inspected and all mat-
ters bearing upon the health of the
children are looked into. The inspec-
tion is undertaken by the district
medical officers. In Reykjavík, how-
ever, there are special school medical
officers. Table X shows the result of
school inspection in the whole coun-
trv, comprising 20037 children.
12. Maternity (cf. tables XII—XIV).
The total number og births in 1957
was 4791, 4726 born alive and 65 still-
born (13.6 per 1000 of the total num-
ber).
Deaths in ccnnection with child-
birth during the preceding years have
been as follows:
Complications
of Pregnancy,
Childbirth 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957
and Puerperium 2 5 15 2
Puerperal Sepsis „ „ „ 1 „
Total Number
of Deaths 2 5 16 2
The maternity death rate 1957 was
0.42 per 1000 children born. The di-
stribution of maternal deaths is
shown on p. 68.
13. Artificial Abortion (cf. table
XII).
During the year 59 artificial abor-
tions took place under the Birth Con-
trol Act, which came into operation
in 1935. In 12 out of these 59 cases
social as well as medical indications
had been taken into consideration.
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