The Biblioteca Nacional (National Library) of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro holds photographs, correspondence, reports, inventories and other documentation relating to leprosy.

The Iconografia (Iconography) section holds catalogues of photographs. The first (Ref. 19.2.7) was published in 1918, and holds detailed photographs and plans relating to the construction of the leprosarium of Santo Ângelo in São Paulo. The photographs show details of installations, including the accommodation of doctors and staff, laboratories and library. The second (Ref. Box 81, no. 5) is entitled ‘Saúde publica em Santa Catarina’ and is dated around 1943-44. This was compiled by the State Department of Printing and Propaganda, and contains photographs of Santa Teresa Colony (including images of the installations, accommodation, plantations and roads) and the ‘preventório’ Educandário Santa Catarina. The document highlights the importance of the Sociedade de Assistência aos Lázaros de Santa Catarina in the maintenance of this institution for the children of parents with leprosy.

The Manuscritos (Manuscripts) section holds an early manuscript from 1787, written by Caetano Maurício Machado and consisting of sixty-seven pages. It tells of the inauguration of the Hospital de San Lázaro in Salvador, later renamed Leprosário D. Rodrigo de José de Menezes, including the inaugural program of a theatrical event. Another early document, probably from the late-eighteenth century but the exact date unknown, describes the leprosy situation in Rio de Janeiro. It is from Manoel Joaquim Marreiros to the Prince Regent and details the rise in the number of leprosy cases in the city, as well as suggesting ways to proceed in fighting the disease.

This section also holds correspondence dated 1806, to the Visconde da Anádia (Ref. 5,3,10). It relates to the discovery of a plant, a type of ‘cipó’, that could be used in the treatment of leprosy. In March, the Conde dos Arcos sent samples for analysis to the Visconde, and José Narciso de Magalhães de Menezes later commented on experiments with the plant, describing the results as inconclusive. Another letter (Ref. 5,3,49), dated 1848, from the President of the province, Jerônimo Francisco Coelho, to the Viscount of Monte Alegre, tells of a substance acquired from the Assacu tree, used by an indigenous person for an advanced stage of leprosy, but experiments have not proven its efficacy. There are also letters dated 1876 (Refs. I-3,9,51; I-3,9,52) on the translation of La Lèpre au Brésil from the work’s author, José Lourenço de Magalhães, to the Conde de la Hure (the translator?).

There are reports and other documents related to the Hospital dos Lázaros in Rio de Janeiro in the Manuscritos section. An 1829 report (Ref. II-30,28,25), sent to Emperor Dom Pedro I from Francisco Gomes de Campos (juiz conservador), relates the hospital’s need for supplies and administrative problems due to a lack of resources. Another record (1829) lists the patients in the hospital. Information given includes sex and “colour”. There is also an inventory (1829) of portable items in the hospital, and a report (1829) on the buildings and assets of the institution. Further documents show financial information for the hospital, from 1819 to 1829. This includes data on funds received and spent.

A report dated December 1848 records the death ratio of patients as 1:3 in the Hospital of Tucunduba (Tocunduba) in the state of Pará, which marks an alarming increase. The report refers to leprosy as morphea. The use of the Assacu tree as a cure is discussed, including the formula used for this treatment.

Also in Manuscritos are documents pertaining to Béatrix Reynal, who campaigned for the Sociedade de Lázaros Marina Dias. There are two large bound files (Ref 24,3,5 – número 3), the first dated May 1943 to August 1945, the second from 1950, containing both written and printed text relating to the Financial Campaign of Béatrix Reynal for the Sociedade de Lázaros Marina Dias. In the list of donors are many organisations and important names from Brazilian cultural and political life. Also here are receipts for the donations, signed by the Director of the Sociedade do Distrito Federal de Assistência aos Lázaros. There are also telegrams to Béatrix Reynal, one dated 22 May 1946 from Ana Bastos da Silva (President of the Caixa Beneficente at Curupaití colony) which acknowledges a cash donation co-ordinated by Reynal and given via the Sociedade do Distrito Federal de Assistência aos Lázaros e Defesa Contra a Lepra, and another dated 6 December 1951 for Maria Dias, asking Reynal to participate in a meeting of the afore-mentioned Sociedade. An article from O Jornal, dated 14 April 1945, on the annual meeting of the Sociedade relates that the educandário (another name for a preventório) Santa Maria received aid, resulting in the appointment of Franciscan Sisters. The importance of Reynal’s campaigns is highlighted and a homage to her in the name of the Society is proposed.

The Obras Raras (Rare Works) section also holds publications of interest. Reflexões acerca da mortalidade da cidade do Rio de Janeiro em todo o ano de 1847, by Roberto Jorge Haddock Lobo, was published April 1848 in Rio de Janeiro. This work holds information on patients in the Hospital dos Lázaros in Rio for the years 1845-1846, such as provenance, date of death and age. In this work is also a study on the death rate in Rio among leprosy patients.

There are also many medical journals in the Obras Raras section, dating from the nineteenth century, containing articles on leprosy:-

• Gazeta dos Hospitais do Rio de Janeiro, PR-SOR 2352 (1). In issue Anno II, núm. 23, 1 February 1852, an article by José Maria Alves Branco Junior reports on his experiments with the Assacu tree in the treatment of morfea (name by which leprosy was also known at the time) in the Hospital de São Lazaro in Lisbon, Portugal. The conclusion is that the substance improves the patient’s condition, but does not cure completely.
• Archivo Médico Brasileiro, PR-SOR 752 (1). In Volumes I to IV, spanning the years 1844 to 1848, there are a number of relevant articles, including the following:-

  In Vol. I, No. 7, February 1845, there is mention of the application of manteiga d’antimônio (a concoction of antimony), covered with bardana (burdock) leaves. After repeated applications, the tubercules became ulcers, at which time the patients were made to sweat. After thirty to forty days, the lesions were gone.

  In Vol. II, No. 11, July 1846, Maximiano Marques de Carvalho reports on his visit to the Hospital dos Lázaros in Rio, and describes the poor condition of the patients and ineffective treatment. He suggests hygienic measures to be taken, and advises on the use of plants and other treatments.

  In Vol. III, No. 7, J D’Aquino da Fonseca writes on the history of the disease, its symptoms and prognosis. He relates the case of a patient in Peru who was treated with guano and sea baths, which led to his cure. However, in Vol. III, No. 8, April 1947, there is an article by Antônio Pinto Chicorro da Gama on using guano to treat leprosy patients in Hospital de Nossa Senhora da Conceição dos Lázaros, and Hospital dos Lázaros in Rio de Janeiro, concluding that it was ineffective. In the same volume is a small notice, claiming that a French leprosy sufferer was cured on Diogo Garcia island, where many turtles live. The patient ate turtle meat and soup, and took sand baths causing him to sweat. After a few months, he was cured. There is also mention of cures effected by eating the meat of green lizards on Ilha de São Cristovão. The use of guano is broached again in Vol. IV, No.1, October 1847, in which Dr Antonio José Peixoto advises care when using the substance, as tests carried out in Minas Gerais and Bahia did not confirm its efficacy in the treatment of leprosy.

  J D’Aquino da Fonseca authors three articles in Vol. III, 1847, and one in Vol. IV, No. 2, which cover the different types of leprosy, its prognosis, treatments, and possible ways of transmission.

  In Vol. IV, Nos. 4 and 6, 1848, there is further mention of the use of the Assacu tree as a leprosy treatment, with particular reference to the state of Pará. In No. 7 of the same volume is an article by Dr José da Gama Malcher, giving the case histories of four patients in Tucunduba Lazaretto, who were treated with Assacu. The treatment procedure is described in detail, and the patients’ condition improved. Dr Gama Malcher’s studies are cited by M A de M Albuquerque Pitta in Vol. IV, No. 12, September 1848, who further endorses the use of this substance.

  Also in Vol. IV, No. 12, José de Goés e Sequeira writes on the Hospital dos Lázaros in Bahia. He describes the hygiene conditions as adequate and describes some treatments tried, albeit without positive results.

• Gazeta Médica Brasileira, PR-SOR 3178 (1). In Vol I, No 12, there is a review by Torres Homem of José Lourenço de Magalhães’ work, Morphéa no Brasil. This study centres on the state of São Paulo. Theories on the cause of the disease are discussed, and the link with syphilis is refuted. In the final chapter, it is stressed that in order to avoid leprosy, hygiene measures are important.
• Jornal da Academia Médica Homoeopathica do Brasil, PR-SOR 984 (1). In the February 1848 edition, Maximiano M de Carvalho writes a brief history of leprosy, describing the increase in cases in Brazil once African slaves were brought to the country. He also describes the infection, diagnosis and treatment of different types, according to the theories of Dr Hahwemann.
• Revista Médica, PR-SOR 3284 (1). In the edition dated 30 July 1874, Ramos Filho writes of Dr Joaquim José da Silva’s theories on leprosy. Dr Silva had written on his theories of the disease’s cause, and treatments that he had tried and found effective, including the use of turtle and viper meat.
• Revista Médica Fluminense, PR-SOR 516 (1-3). In Vol I, No 7 (1835) Dr Urzedo writes of an anti-leprosy xarope (syrup) that he recommends for the patients at the Hospital dos Lázaros in Rio de Janeiro, where he works as a doctor. Abreu and Lima (Vol IV, No 1, 1838) relate the use of snakes and guaco as leprosy treatments, and highlight the efficacy of snake venom and arsenic. They write that leprosy is most common in tropical countries and those near the Equator, and is mainly in places where the temperature fluctuates often. In Vol IV, No 12 (1838), Dr Josué Cohen from Baltimore tells of a letter he received from José Silvestre Rebello, in which is described an experiment with a rattlesnake. He addes that such experiments are common in Colombia, but do not always give positive results. In the same edition, there is a note of thermal baths being used to treat leprosy patients, and doctors of Minas Gerais are asked to investigate cases of cures effected with this treatment.
• União Médica, PR-SOR 3490 (1-6). There are quite a number of references to leprosy in this journal including the following:-

  Two articles in Vol I (1881) describe the leprosy tubercle, treatment, the first doctors to study the tubercle, and the parasitical origin of leprosy lesions.

  In Vol III, No I (1883) Silva Araújo emphasises the importance of José Lourenço de Magalhães’ Morphéa no Brasil, then describes the cases of some patients whose condition improved under treatment.

  An article in two parts in Vol III, Nos 7 and 8, by Julio de Moura, also praises Magalhães’ work, and states that leprosy research in Brazil is in its early stages; little is known about causes and treatment. The book lists the states of Pará, Maranhão, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Paraná as those with the highest incidence, but there are few places for people with the disease. The author blames the State, writing that it neither invests in nor maintains existing institutions.

  In Vol IV, No 3 (1884), an article describes Professor Capanema’s research on the contagiousness of leprosy, by way of inoculating animals with the disease. Two days after injecting it into the cornea, the bacillus was found to be present in two animals. A case of leprosy is also described in a boy of fifteen years, who contracted it at the age of five, and whose parents both have the disease.

  In Vol V, No 8 (1885) Silva Araújo writes a review of Dr Magalhães’ article, which describes the treatment and improvement of patients in his clinic. He also highlights the importance of ‘colônias agrícolas’ (agricultural colonies) with adequately hygienic conditions, where patients take part in work and leisure activities.

  An article on Dr G Profeta in Vol VI, No 9 (1886), describes his theories on the hereditary nature of leprosy, denying the contagion theory.

• Revista Brasileira de Ophtalmologia, PR-SOR 2761 (1). In the January to June edition of 1888, an article reports on forty-eight patients in the Hospital dos Lázaros in Rio de Janeiro. Different types of leprosy are described in detail, and it is concluded that ocular, nasal and auricular lesions are common in leprosy cases.

Entry made December 2002
Entry updated 16, 19 May, 18 July 2003