What is a combine?

In the book One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest the psych ward is referred to as a combine several times.  A combine is a machine that is used to harvest grain in the field.  As the combine chops and collects the grain, all the mentally ill are collected and admitted to this hospital.  I do think that McMurphy is just as vulnerable as the other patients because he is admitted to the ward, and that means that he is subjected to all of Nurse Ratched's all her strict rules, policies and abuses that happen on the ward.  The combine has not gotten to McMurphy totally yet, because  he still thinks out side the box.  It hasn't broken his free spirit, and he still dares to defy Nurse Ratched's policies, and wants to break her down.

No, I do not think that a school is similar to a combine.  This is because a school is not meant to break kids down, but to build them up and teach them to improve their knowledge.  Yes a school gathers children together and has certain rules, but they're not meant to harm.  A mental hospital, especially the one in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is similar to a combine because of the Nurse Ratched, and her goals as a leader.  She was trying to emasculate the men and make herself over power them, so that is why it could be considered a combine, but a school is not run with the same intentions, so I don't see any similarity.

School or Mental Hospital?

It's funny and slightly scary to think about, but there are a few similarties in the way that school and psych wards are run.  One similarity is they are both run on a strict schedule.  In the book One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest we learn that there are certain times a day that things happen and if the wards don't follow that then they could get in trouble.  This is also true with school.  We have a everyday schedule and if we don't show up to the right class at the right time then we too will suffer the consequences.
Another similarity is the fact that they both are run by a head leader, such as a principle or Big Nurse.  These leaders don't work alone though.  I mean it would be pretty difficult to try to run an entire school or psych ward all by yourself, so they have helpers, also know as vice- principles, teachers, and the black boys.  Big Nurse uses certain tactics to keep all the wards in line, and obidient.  Principles and administrators in the school do similarly.  We are told that if we do not obey or if we do something wrong we will be given a detention or we will have to attend saturday school both which are not enjoyable punishments so they are used as an ultimatum- basically saying that if you don't abide by the rules you will have to endure the consequences.  In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Big Nurse does similar things, but on top of that she emaculates the men so she will be the ultimate power, so they will obey.
A third way the two are similar is rebellion is in the air.  In schools there are always those disrespectful kids who feel like they don't have to listen to anybody, and who don't want to do what they are told.  And they don't even care about the consequences.  They also may do it for different reasons.  Some may find it funny to talk back and get a laugh out of the class, some may do it for the thrill of not getting caught, and some may just be raised disrespectful and not know any other way.  Comparably the psych wards face similar problems.  For example in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, McMurphy is very rebellious, but he does it because he finds it funny and he wants to stir things up a little bit.  Then there's Taber who questioned his medicine, which wasn't trying to upset anyone by doing he was just curious, but it was disobedient.  The Chief is also a little rebellious because he acts like he is deaf and blind which is dishonest and he also didn't tell anyone that he didn't take his pills.  There are a lot of similarities to the way a school and a psych ward are run.

The Difference Between Physical Illness and Mental Illness.

Mental and physical illness are not the same thing.  A mental illness is a disease of the mind.  It's psychological. A physical illness is something wrong with your physical body, such as an injury, disease, sickness.  A mental illness can be caused by many things.  One thing it can be caused by is heredity.  A lot of times mental illnesses are passed down from generation to generation throughout the family.  Examples of this are stress, hyper active disorders, and abusive behavior.  Mental illness can also be caused by brain injuries or defects, infections, and substance abuse.  Physical illnesses are usually caused by bacteria or a disease.  But an interesting factor is that they can effect each other.  For example if some one is depressed, which is considered a mental illness, they may cause physical harm to themselves and become physically ill.  Or vise versa, say if someone is physically ill or sick they may become stressed or depressed.  So mental and physical illnesses are not the same thing at all by definition, but they do have an effect on each other.