Some medical observations on kibbutz children.

During my work as a general practitioner in the south of Israel during 6 years (1954-1959), I had occasion to observe, from close range, kibbutz children in health and disease within their " artificial" habitat. Although they do not differ, in my opinion, from other children living in more " natural" conditions, collective education creates a number of problems which the physician is not likely to encounter elsewhere and which leave their imprint on the children in his care as well as on his own work. It is, furthermore, my belief that, as far as Israel is concerned, the kibbutz is the only place where true family medicine can be practised. The basic idea of the kibbutz, that " Venture in Utopia " (Spiro), is that of an ideologically inspired agricultural collectivity. Private property does not exist, there are no salaries, and food, housing, clothing, as well as cultural amenities are supplied equally to all. Membership is voluntary, and these settlements, of which there are in the country over 200 with a total population of some 80,000 are collective islets within anything but collective surroundings. Food for the adult members is prepared in the settlement kitchen and meals are served in the communal dining hall, which is also used for meetings, theatre and cinema performances, concerts, and so on. Living conditions which formerly were substandard, are now quite adequate. The original settlers who founded the kibbutz in 1941, live in small, quite comfortable flats (2 or 4 flats per concrete house). The younger members still live in simpler buildings and have to use common shower-rooms and " public " toilets. All able-bodied persons over 18 work 8 to 9 hours a day, thehigher age groups somewhat less. They have one day's rest per week and 7 to 14 days-according to age-annual leave. The woman in the kibbutz, equal in all respects, has the additional burden of rudimentary housekeeping. By the end of December, 1959, the population of the settlement was distributed as shown in table I.