The founding of the Spanish Society of Neurology (1949) in its international context

Type of article: ARCHIVE IMAGE

AUTHORS

M. Balcells¹, V. Cisteré^2
1Department of Neurology. Hospital del Sagrat Cor, Barcelona, Spain.
²Museo Archivo Histórico. Sociedad Española de Neurología (SEN), Barcelona, Spain.

ABSTRACT

Introduction. With the advances in neuroanatomy and the development of clinical neurology in the second half of the 19th century, neurologists began to form associations to distance themselves from psychiatry and internal medicine. This movement resulted in the founding of independent neurological societies in Europe and the USA. Early neurological societies in Spain were linked to the field of psychiatry. It was not until 1949 that an association dedicated exclusively to clinical neurology would appear: the Spanish Society of Neurology, or SEN.

Material and Methods. We present a review of historical medical literature and a study of the collections kept in the Spanish Society of Neurology’s historical archive (AHSEN): the Luis Barraquer Ferré/Luis Barraquer Bordas collection (1923-1951): the Antonio and Manuel Subirana collection (1929-1990); the Spanish Society of Neurology collection (1949-1979); and the José María Espadaler Medina collection (1953-1968).

Results. We analyse the international neurology scene and review sections of the SEN’s statutes and bylaws referring to international cooperation. The SEN’s attendance of international neurology conferences is also examined. Discussion. The founding of the SEN was a key moment in the history of neurology in Spain, and the Society employed two lines of action to develop the specialty. The first focused on obtaining representation for the discipline of clinical neurology in hospitals and universities. The second uses the SEN’s corporate role as the Spanish exponent of the study of neurology in order to promote and transmit its scientific findings to relevant neurological forums, whether national or international.

KEYWORDS

Spanish Society of Neurology, medical societies, history of neurology, international neurology conferences

Neurosciences and History 2013;1(2):94-100