Donatien Raffegeau (1855–1931), fondateur de la clinique « La Villa des Pages » au Vésinet ; ses collaborateurs et successeurs : B.-A. Casalis, H. Leulier, P.-M. Leulier, R. Leulier et H. Mignon

Abstract

Donatien Raffegeau (1855–1931) was born in Vendée. He studied medicine in Nantes and Angers. He was successively the intern of Aurèle Petrucci (1880–1906), medical director at Saint-Gemmes-sur-Loire asylum, Ambroise-Eusebe Mordret (1822–1904), head doctor at the mental asylum of Le Mans and Jules Christian (1847–1907) during 15 months at the National House of Charenton. In 1884, he qualified as a medical doctor. Raffegeau worked for a short period of time in a private asylum located at 130 rue Glacière in Paris and then he found a house of health in 1890. Its name was “Hydrotherapeutic Institute of Vésinet” and called later “La Villa des Pages”. It was a winter and summer sanatorium for cases of convalescents and all nervous disorders. The insane were not admitted. Raffegeau promoted a treatment approach by the hydrotherapy, the thermotherapy and the massotherapy. He used the electrotherapy, the light therapy and the suggestion according to Liebeault’ method. The gymnastic or the fencing were used as therapeutic adjuvants. Raffegeau prescribed for specific patients a therapeutic stay at the “Villa des Charmilles” (Castle of Port-Cé) near Saint-Nazaire (Loire Atlantique). In 1908, he acquired this peacefull place located on the waterfront. Member of various societies: medico-psychological society, anthropology society, hypnotism society, astronomy society and vice-president of the psychotherapy society, he was elected Mayor of his native city from 1908 to 1931 and Vésinet municipal counsellor. In the flow of mental hygienist school, he insisted on the important role of the school doctor on the mental and physic health. After the Great War, Raffegeau was the first to prescribe the Gardénal epilepsy treatment (Luminal of the Germans), which became a classic treatment. The quality of social and professional life of the patients has been improved. This treatment was developed at the Villa des Pages clinic (Le Vésinet). Over the years, the Villa des Pages has opened its doors to the psychiatric patients. The physiotherapy had to give way partially to the new therapeutic approaches developed in public hospitals: malaria therapy, insulin shock therapy, electroshock, caradiazol therapy. No psychiatric doctor could not ignore them in their practice. They have been introduced by the doctors Henri Mignon (1870–1854), Pierre-Maximin Leulier (1884–1952), Bernard-Alfred Casalis (1902–1975) as proved their articles published in “Annales Médico-Psychologiques”. From 1947 to 1981, their successors Roger Leulier (1913–1998) and Hélène Leulier (1913–) trained by pioneers of modern psychiatry (J. Delay, P. Guiraud, G. Heuyer, J. Rondepierre) have assumed the medical direction. The latter was a member of the Psychiatric Evolution (1946) and an adherent member of the Psychoanalytic Society of Paris (1953). She introduced the psychoanalysis in the Villa des Pages. After having been directed by two psychiatrists (A. Campagne and A. Sonnier), this old “Hydrotherapy Institute of Vésinet” is an establishment whose destiny is in the hands of the ORPEA group since 2002. We acknowledge that the renewal of the clinic's doctors since being set up in 1890 who took account of therapeutic advances in the field of psychiatric by integrating them into their practice had allowed that this Health Home survived throughout the centuries and to maintain in the world of French psychiatric.