6533b7d5fe1ef96bd1263d1c

RESEARCH PRODUCT

A Psychiatrist Caught in a Civil War: Rodríguez Lafora's Work in Valencia, Capital of The Republic (1936-1938)

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espanolUn periodo poco conocido de la vida de Rodriguez Lafora es el que paso en Valencia durante la guerra civil espanola, desde 1936 hasta su exilio en 1938. Durante la guerra, Valencia se convirtio en capital de la republica y muchos cientificos e intelectuales encontraron alli un refugio donde tratar de continuar su labor. Lafora participo, junto a otros intelectuales evacuados, en numerosas actividades cientificas y academicas organizadas desde la Casa de la Cultura de Valencia, donde llego a mantener una controversia con Antonio Machado y otros intelectuales a raiz de la disolucion de la misma. Destacamos especialmente su trabajo como medico psiquiatra en el Hospital Militar de Sangre de Godella, donde se creo, bajo su direccion, una seccion neurologica y donde coincidira con el psiquiatra Jose Miguel Sacristan y el neurologo Justo Gonzalo. Es escasa la documentacion de archivo existente sobre el hospital, pero gracias a sus publicaciones de la epoca, especialmente en las revistas Madrid y Sanidad de Guerra, hemos podido recuperar su trabajo, que muestra su interes por la psiquiatria de guerra, especialmente las neurosis de guerra. Tambien ponemos de manifiesto, a traves de sus publicaciones, su inquietud por el futuro de la psiquiatria en Espana, asi como su preocupacion por la ensenanza universitaria. Estos intereses academicos y su relacion con el gobierno de la republica —colaborativa pero discrepante en algunos aspectos— unido a la inquietud por su propio futuro personal marcaran sus vivencias de guerra, con las vistas puestas en el exilio EnglishA little-known period in the life of Gonzalo Rodriguez Lafora consists of the time he spent in Valencia during the Spanish Civil War from 1936 until 1938. During the war, Valencia became the capital of the Republic, and many scientists and intellectuals found refuge there and could continue their work. Along with other evacuated intellectuals, Lafora participated in numerous scientific and academic activities organized by the Valencian House of Culture, where he had a dispute with Antonio Machado and other intellectuals due to its closing. We especially highlight his work as a psychiatrist in the Military War Hospital in Godella, where, under his direction, a neurological section was created, and where he would coincide with the psychiatrist Jose Sacristan and the neurologist Justo Gonzalo. The existing archived documentation about the hospital is scant, but thanks to publications from that time, especially the journals Madrid and Sanidad de Guerra, we were able to recover his work, which shows his interest in war psychiatry, especially war neuroses. His publications also reveal his concern about the future of psychiatry and university education in Spain. These academic interests and his relationship with the government of the Republic —collaborative, but disagreeing about some aspects— along with concern about his own personal future, would define his war experiences