The History of the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery as Seen through a Document

Abstract

In 1970, the social worker María Luisa Flores González visited the “Bernardino Álvarez” Farm Hospital, located on land now occupied by the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery. Her goal was to establish a “Protected Workshop” for the weak-minded there. Though that initiative never fructified, the details of her visit were recorded in an original document held in the Historical Archive of Mexico’s Department of Health. Her report is reproduced here because it offers fascinating insights into the antecedents of this Institute, which will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding in 2014.