International Leprosy Association -
History of Leprosy

  • International Leprosy Association -
    History of Leprosy

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    Heráclides César de Souza Araújo

    Status Medical Researcher
    Country Brazil

    Notes

    Heráclides César de Souza Araújo was born in the state of Paraná, Brazil, in 1886. He graduated from the Escola de Farmácia de Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais and immediately enroled at the Faculdade de Medicina de Rio de Janeiro, finishing there in 1915. While still a student, he also completed the Curso de Aplicação offered by the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC) in 1913. He received his doctorate from IOC with his thesis entitled, 'Estudo sobre o granuloma venéreo'. He remained affiliated with the Institute and began to concentrate on the area of leprology. His training concluded with the courses in Public Health at John Hopkins University in the USA in 1926, and in Dermatology at the London School of Dermatology between 1930 and 1931.

    As researcher at IOC, he published around 210 scientific works, and headed the Leprology Laboratory from 1927 to 1956. He also edited the journal, Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz during the same period. He was head of the Bacteriology Section and of the Divison of Microbiology and Immunology from 1946 to 1956, and professor of the application course from 1928 to 1956.

    As an internationally renowned researcher, Souza Araújo had an important role in the creation of the International Society of Leprology, holding the post of vice-president from 1932 to 1956.

    He dedicated himself to research into the control and treatment of leprosy, and played an important role both as a formulator of policy and as a critic of the policies and public iniciatives in the field of leprosy. He visited the main institutions involved in the study of and fight against the disease, both in Brazil and abroad. He was nominated Knight-Commander of the Military and Hospital Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem in 1936 and was a member of the WHO Expert Panel on Leprosy.

    Despite retiring in 1956, he continued working at IOC until his death in 1962. In 1960 the Brasilian Government awarded him the Order of Medical Merit in recognition of his outstanding work. He was a Councillor of the International Leprosy Association and patron of the Center for the Study of Leprosy of the University of Parana to which he donated his personal collection of books on leprosy.

    (Information from biographical details in Guia do Acervo da Casa de Oswaldo Cruz. COC/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, 1995. pp59-60) and International Journal of Leprosy, Centennial Festskrift edition, Vol 41, No 2. 1973.

    Entry made on 18 September 2002. Amended 11 April 2006.

    Research Institute(s) associated with:
    Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Publications

    A História da Lepra no Brasil: Volume I, 1946. Imprensa Nacional, Rio de Janeiro.
    A História da Lepra no Brasil: Volume II, 1948. Imprensa Nacional, Rio de Janeiro.
    A História da Lepra no Brasil: Volume III. Imprensa Nacional, Rio de Janeiro.
    A Lepra em 40 Países, 1929. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro.
    'Lazaropolis do Prata. A primeira colonia agricola de leprosos fundada no Brasil'. Monograph. Belem, 1924.
    'Contribuição á epidemiologia e prophylaxia da lepra no norte do Brasil'. Mem. Inst. Osw. Cruz, 1933:27 (3)
    'A lepra e as organizações anti-leprosas do Brasil em 1936: 2.- Estado do Pará - Organizações anti-leprosas: Lazaropolis do Prata'. Mem. Inst. Osw. Cruz, 1937:32 (1)
    'The Leprosy Problem in Brazil'. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine, 1925:5 (3)

    Archives

    Lazarópolis do Prata   Dr Souza Araujo, Head of the Rural Sanitary Service of Par?, opened Lazar?polis do Prata on 24 June 1924. He wrote a monograph on the leprosarium.
    Casa de Oswaldo Cruz - COC/Fiocruz  
    CPDOC - Fundação Getúlio Vargas  

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