Maria Lipińska

State Collective Farms (PGR) were established in Poland after the Second World War. Their employees were covered by free health care provided by rural health centres. The knowledge gained from a search of medical bibliographies provided little insight into the subject. On the other hand, an analysis of the contents of “The Rural Medicine” scientific journal (1963–1994) provided valuable information. The information obtained from the journal made it possible to visualise the social and living situation of State Collective Farm (PGR) employees, the state of hygiene of their dwellings and workplaces and the health care provided to them. The state of health care provided to the farm workers during the mentioned above period was unsatisfactory due to the shortage of qualified medical staff as well as the insufficient number of health centres, the lack of housing and means of transport for the employed. However, in accordance with the principles of the national class policy applied at the time, employees of State Collective Farms were favoured through the organisation of tiny and greater health centres at farm premises. The employees were also given priority in the use of services provided by other than local health centres, as well as additional medical care during the period of field work, etc.

The objective of the article was to present the history of medicine in Poland based on the opinions published in “The Health Service” magazine keeping in mind the infl uence of political transition happening in period of 1949–1956. In the press of the period in question, the principle of the boundless subordination of the ruling party was fully applied. It was characterized by great amount of ideological content and propaganda both of which were ubiquitous at that time. It was so-called propaganda of success and cult of personality. The analysed articles included only those, which were in any way related to the subject of the history of medicine in Poland during the period considered. The study proved that in the discussed period there were no large-volume press articles on the history of medicine. A total of 174 articles were published on the history of medicine, of which 31 articles representing 18% contained propaganda and ideological content. The remaining ones were directly related to the history of medicine and were respectively biographies representing the highest number of 36% as well as cyclic articles (25%) and a single topic articles (21%). The highest number of literary articles was published between 1950 and 1951 (respectively: 8 and 11), which – as one might suspect – was the period of the most intense ideological struggle.