When Souza Araujo visited Ilha da Cal in 1933, he found the small Asylo de Leprosos, in which were housed five women and five men in separate buildings. Dr Americo de Oliveira, the Director of the Hospital de Isolamento on Ilha da Polvora, made daily visits to the asylum, during which he administered chaulmoogra injections.

Souza Araujo considered the morale and physical state of the patients to be satisfactory.

(Araujo, H C S. 'Contribuição á epidemiologia e prophylaxia da lepra no norte do Brasil: V.- A lepra no Estado do Maranhão - Situação actual: 1.- Hospital do Gavião'. Mem. Inst. Osw. Cruz, 1933:27 (3) 329-330)