| Category | Leprosarium |
|---|---|
| Country | Brazil |
| Address | Victoria, Espírito Santo |
In an official letter to Dr Aristeu Aguiar on 3 September 1928, Dr Pedro Fontes stressed the need for a leprosarium in the state of Espirito Santo. Over the following year he corresponded further on the subject, which resulted in Law No. 1727, authorising the construction of a state leprosarium.
In 1932 a leprosarium was established on Ilha da Cal, as an ‘asylo de emergencia’. Souza Araujo inspected the leprosy situation in the north of the country in 1933, and proposed that money be made available for the construction of a state leprosarium. The Ministro de Educação provided an initial sum, so that building could begin. After discussion, and criticism, over the appropriate site, it was decided that the institution be built by the River Cariacica, as there was enough room for future expansion, and the area was considered salubrious. Based on plans lent by the Saúde Publica Federal, the Serviços de Prophylaxia da Lepra of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, and the Secção de Leprologia do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Dr Pedro Fontes organised the general layout of the leprosarium of Itanhenga. Celestino Quintanilha began the work in March 1934.
Coinciding with the fourth centenary of the colonisation of Espirito Santo, a preliminary inauguration occurred for the first thirteen buildings on 22 May 1935. Those present included Antonio Aleixo (from the Government of Minas Gerais), Ernani Agricola (from the Ministry of Education) and H C de Souza Araujo (from the Centro Internacional de Leprologia). The main inauguration, for the remaining fifty-two pavilions, took place on 11 April 1937. In his inaugural speech, the Governor of Espirito Santo, Capitão João Punaro Bley, announced that the leprosarium was situated fourteen kilometres from the state capital of Vitória, and had sixty-five pavilion buildings. The total area of the colony was 8 000 m², which contained twenty kilometres of road and fifteen kilometres of barbed wire, which encircled the whole colony, preventing external contact. He further related that a wall of 400 metres in length was being constructed, separating the ‘clean’, ‘neutral’ and ‘contagious’ zones.
A number of sources were acknowledged for their help in financing the construction, namely, the State Government of Espirito Santo, the Federal Government, the Departamento Nacional de Café and the Prefeitura Municipal de Vitória. At the time of opening, the colony had a capacity of 350 residents, and there were plans to house not only those considered contagious, but also those unable to earn a living due to deformities caused by the disease. In his speech, Bley also announced plans for a granja (farm) and preventório (for children whose parents had leprosy), the foundation stones of which were laid the same day.
Souza Araujo gave a detailed description of the layout of the colony, describing the three zones mentioned above. He explained that as far as possible, only people with leprosy carried out jobs in the ‘contagious’ zone. This area contained the houses of the Medical
Director and Administrator, and three semi-detached houses for six workers not affected by leprosy. It was advised that such workers should not exceed 5% of the total number of patients. In the ‘clean’ zone, there was also an administration building for the colony’s Secretary and Accountant. The ‘neutral zone’ was planned for people who had suspected leprosy; they would stay there until a diagnosis was confirmed, or they were found not to be affected. At the entrance of this zone was a ‘parlatório’, ensuring physical separation between patients and visitors. Araujo related that included in this section of the colony was a pharmacy, clinical research laboratory, waiting room, kitchen and sanitary installations.The leprosarium building itself had two entrances – one for patients and the other for staff not affected by leprosy. The movement of patients was restricted to outside varandas, whereas staff used internal corridors. There were thirty to forty beds in this building, amounting to ten per cent of the total capacity of the colony.
The main road of the colony was 500 metres in length and lined with five ‘Carville’ style pavilion-buildings either side. Each pavilion had nine bedrooms, each designed for two people, and sanitary installations. There were 180 beds in total. At the end of the main road was the recreation building, a bar, restaurant, kitchen and sports area. There was a section for married couples, a football field, the chapel of S. Francisco de Assis and the cemetery, which was quite removed from the centre of the colony.
On the leprosarium land, there were orchards of bananas, oranges, coconut palms and avocados, as well as fields of corn, potatoes, beans and other produce. Dairy cows, calves and other farm animals were kept too. Telephone lines, electricity, water and the drainage system were supplied by the respective general utilities companies for the State.
(Araujo, H C S. 'A lepra no Espirito Santo e a sua prophylaxia. A "Colonia de Itanhenga" - Leprosario modelo'. Mem. Inst. Osw. Cruz, 1937:32 (4) 551-605)