Most of its contents is devoted to detailed family case histories, followed up during tens of years. The medical history of these families is presented in a nar... » 

Most of its contents is devoted to detailed family case histories, followed up during tens of years. The medical history of these families is presented in a narrative way and can be read like a medical novel. Out of these case histories the thesis is developed that the family system is to be regarded as an important unit. This thesis is tested and confirmed in several broad family surveys, executed in cooperation with psychologists, sociologists, medical students and statisticians. The final chapter is devoted to family medicine as an emerging academic discipline in its own right. «