MEDICINE AMONG NEW IMMIGRANTS AND ARAB MINORITIES IN ISRAEL

The reaction to modern medicine and the general health of the new immigrants and Arab populations of Israel are described. The material was gathered during a threemonth visit to Israel where the author participated in the medical care of these persons. While these peoples still share many of the traditional medical superstitions and practices, the new immigrants have progressed much more during the 16 years of Israel's existence. At present over 99% of Jewish women give birth in hospital, whereas only 65% of Israeli Arabs do. The infant mortality rate among the Jews in 1963 was about 21 deaths per 1000 live births, about one-half the rate for Arabs. The importance of understanding the cultural background and social conflicts of these people as a preliminary to the provision of proper medical care is stressed.

COLOR OF THE FACE IN DIABETES MELLITUS; OBSERVATIONS ON A GROUP OF PATIENTS IN JERUSALEM

1. A higher incidence of Latent or manifest diabetes mellitus has been found in Jerusalem in patients with red faces than among those without red faces. The incidence of diabetes was highest among patients with markedly red faces.

2. Most diabetic patients showed facial redness. In half of them a marked degree of redness was present.

3. Redness of the face appeared to have a familial incidence.

4. Diabetes, red faces, and reddish or red hair were more commonly encountered among patients of Ashkenazi than of Oriental or Sephardi origin.

5. A deliberate search for diabetes in this group of 150 patients revealed thirty-nine new cases of diabetes, mainly latent. All but four of these newly discovered diabetics had red faces of varying degree.

6. The finding of a red face on clinical examination seems to justify a careful search for diabetes in the patient and his family.

7. Diabetic microangiopalhy, increased sensitivity to actinic radiation, dehydration and other possible causes of facial redness in diabetes have been discussed.

ETHNIC BACKGROUND IDENTIFICATION FROM KODACHROME SLIDES

High school students were very accurate in identifying ethnic backgrounds from color slides of Jewish, Italian, and Other females. Their accuracy extended to the identification of an Italian male but not to slides of a Jewish or Other male. With correct and incorrect Italian identifications, “black hair” and “dark complexion” were frequently checked, whereas in the Jewish identifications a “big nose” was noted often. There was no consistent pattern of facial characteristics prominent in identification of Other figures.