[Discussions regarding the reconstruction of the significance of leprosy in the post-sulfone period, Minas Gerais, in the 1950s].

Abstract

From a historical viewpoint, all the elements surrounding a disease, from its name to the weight of meaning attached to it, are the result of "negotiations" in which many sections of society are participants. In the case of leprosy, the discovery of sulfones in 1941 made a significant contribution towards transforming our understanding of this disease, leading to questions being raised as to the measures adopted for its prevention and control, particularly the compulsory isolation of sufferers. On the basis of these assumptions, this article examines the debate which took place regarding the process whereby the old prophylactic procedures for the control of leprosy were replaced, in an important national journal, Arquivos Mineiros de Leprologia, in the 1950s.

• Authors: Keila Auxiliadora Carvalho
• Journal: Historia, ciencias, saude--Manguinhos (Hist Cienc Saude Manguinhos) 2015 Jan-Apr Vol. 22 Issue 2 Pg. 541-58 ISSN: 1678-4758 [Electronic] Brazil
• Vernacular Title: Discussões em torno da reconstrução do significado da lepra no período pós-sulfônico, Minas Gerais, na década de 1950.
• PMID: 26038861 (Publication Type: Historical Article, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Sulfones

Topics

• History, 20th Century
• Humans
• Leprosy (drug therapy, history, prevention & control)
• Patient Isolation (history)
• Quarantine (history)
• Sulfones (history, therapeutic use)