In recent speech in Curitiba (May 22nd, 1954), Dr. Mario Pinotti, Director, Serviço Nacional da Malaria, informed that his personnel started on February, 1953, a survey upon chagas Disease in 23 counties of the State of Paraná, South Brazil. out of 895 places surveyed, 678, or 75.7%, were infected by Triatoma infestans klug 1834 and in 234 out of those 678, or 34.5%, this vector was infected by Trypanosoma cruzi. The general natural infection of the insects examined reached 18.86%. The serological survey (Machado-Guerreiro test) was positive in 10.7% of the persons examined in jacarezinho and in 28.3% of those living in Bôa Vista. These data suggested the author to actualise the subject. During his control of severe outbreack of malaria in the North part of Paraná, from march to June 1917 he worked in 8 counties. March 1917 he photographed in Boa Vista four girls, severe cases of chronic malaria, two of which showed bi-palpebral oedema, later on considered by Dr. Pinho Simões (1943) as Romanã syndrome (created in 1935) and Prof. Salvador Mazza (1946) classified as typical cases of Chagas' Disease. now, being elapsed 36 years, the National Service of Malaria confirmed the discovery. The region surveyed was populated, in the beginning of this century, by immigrants from the State of Minas Gerais, from where the author believes that were imported the disease and its vectors. In April 1917 the A. discovered that the old town Jatahy was a big focus of Triatoma megista (now Panstrongylus megistus0. All its 43 houses were strongly infested by such hematophagus and amongst the 200 inhabitants seen many were suspicious cases of chronic cases of Chagas's Disease. In the Indians town (three tribes) of S. Pedro D' Alcantara, situated in front of Jatahy, in the left side of the river Tibagy, there were no Triatomas nor suspicious cases of trypanosomiasis. In 1919 the author started the control of the endemics by destroying the foci of Triatomas and reforming the housing. In 1946 he returned to jatahy and found the sanitary conditions of the town and its inhabitants much better. Climate of the region is favorable to spreading of all tropical diseases, being very suitable one for an extensive sanitary survey. In 1943 Dr. Pinho Simões examined 85 triatomas ( T. infestans) from six counties of the North region and found 40, or 46% infected by Trypanosoma cruzi. The highest incidences were; Joaquim Tavora 74.2% and Carlópolis 26.9%. These counties seem to be infested by Itaporanga county of São Paulo State. in 1953 Serviço nacional da Malária proved that 19 out of 23 counties surveyed were infested by Triatoma infestans. They examined 7,701 of this insect and found 1,453 positive for Trypanosoma cruzi, or 18.9%. in two counties, Jacarezinho and Sengés, were examined 2,588 human bloods, not selected, and 323, or 12.6% of such samples were positive for Chagas' Disease. This year the Malaria Service is doing insects survey in 25 other counties and DDTising infested domiciles of another eight. Such activity is very promising and should be extended to other places.

The A. described on December 14, 1951, his first culture of acid-fast bacillus isolated from nasal mucus of a leprous girl. in this paper the A. describes two new strains of acid-fast bacilli gotten also from nasal mucus of other two leprous girls, L3 cases. The first patient (layse S) had her mucus treated by petroff's method on December 16, 1952 and sown onto three tubes of loewenstein medium and in glycerin broth. After two weeks incubation at 37°C all three tubes of Loewenstein showed many punctiforme and pin-head yellowish colonies, whose microscopic examination proved to be of a pure acid-fast bacillus culture. This sample inoculated in rats and mice produced, after 55 days incubation, small tumors from which the culture was easily recovered. On April, 9, 1953 a new sample of nasal mucus of the same patient was sown in three tubes of Loewenstein. After two weeks incubation at 37°C all 3 tubes showed germination of small yellowish colonies of acid-fast bacilli. Within four months being gotten two samples of identical cultures in all smeared tubes of Loewenstein medium sown, proved that such cultures were not an ordinary ambient contamination. Second patient: - Maria N. After various sowing of different kinds of material from her, february 26, 1953 her nasal mucus treated by soda and sown onto Loewenstein medium, after 25 days incubation showed in only one tube, one small round colony, at first white, becoming creamy after three months. Transplants in various media grew at first slowly and after 2 or 3 generations grew faster. The "Layse" strain produced pellicle in glycerin broth and Dubos medium; the "Maria N." strain did not produce as yet. Both strains (Layse I and II, and Maria N.) gave weak positive Dubos test in half-an-hour and negative after 24 hours reading. Both were strongly positive when stained by Gram, Ziehl-Neelsen and Fontes methods. Both strains gave also positive fluoroscopy. These cultures are being studied. The A. concludes that, according to his experience, the slower growing cultures of acid-fast bacilli isolated from leprosy material, are the more suitable for experimental work. Aknowledgement. The A. thanks to Miss MARIA DE LOURDES SANTANA for her valuable collaboration in the studies of the described cultures.

Com o fim de produzir o fenômeno de KOCH, os A. A. inocularam em 30 leprosos da Colônia Mirueira (Recife), de várias idades e formas clínicas, emulsões vivas de três culturas de bacilos ácido-álcool resistentes isolados de leprosos pro um dêles (S.A.). As doses inoculadas foram de 0,2 cc., por via intradérmica, em cada doente, das amostras "CII", "E" e "H" e mais da Leprolina S.A. (antígeno morto). No 10º dia da inoculação verificou-se que 24 dos 30 pacientes tiveram reação geral intensa; 2, reação moderada e 4, nenhuma reação geral. 16 dos 30 tiveram reação leprótica, sendo 10 em casos ativos (lepromatosos) e 6 em inativos, e 17 dos 30 tiveram adenopatias inguinais. O inóculo "CII" produziu escaras de 1 x 1 e 2 x 2 cm. de diâmetro, com destruição total da pele, nos 30 pacientes (o total dêles); o inóculo "E" produziu escaras de igual intensidade em 29, o inóculo "H", escaras muitos mais benignas em 23, e a Leprolina em 10, naturalmente por ação concomitante de um dos outros três inóculos. No 10º dia foram semeadas em meio de LOEWENSTEIN secreções das escaras de sete dos 30 doentes, num total de 20 tubos, dos quais 19 produziram retroculuras, a amioria contaminada por fungos ou por bactérias cianófilas. De um doente foi obtido retrocultura cromogênica da escara produzida na intradérmoreação pela "Leprolina S. A.", macro e microscòpricamente indiferencável das amostras "CII" e "E". Aliás, pela extensiva experimentação feita com estas duas amostras, estamos nos inclinando por considerá-las como idênticas. No 18º dia da inoculação foram feitos 30 esfregaços de secreções de lesões experimentais de 13 doentes, com 15 resultados positivos (50%), apesar do exame tardio. As morfologias macro e microscópica das retroculturas obtidas em Recife confirmam os caracteres descritos nas culturas originais. Dêste rápido ensaio se conclui que a maioria dos pacientes apresentou o fenômeno de KOCH parcial ou integral, com as clássicas reações gerais, focais e locais. A falta de recursos de laboratório na Colônia não permitiu melhor aproveitamento de tão precioso material experimental, e por isso êste trabalho apresenta várias lacunas.

With the aim to produce the KOCH's phenomenon, the A. A. incoulated 30 lepers of the Colonia Mirueira (Recife), from various ages and clinical types, with alive suspensios of three strains of acid-fast bacilli isolated from lepers. Each volunteer received three intradermical inoculations in his thighs, of 0.2 c.c. each from strains "Chaves II", "Emília", and "Hecke" and in his left forea rom 0.2 c.c. of Leprolina S.A. (killed antigen). At the 10th day of inoculation were verified that 24 out of the 30 volunteers had severe general reaction, 2, moderate ones and 4, nothing. 16 out of the 30 had leprosy reaction, being 10 lepromatous cases and 6 inactive oens. The inoculum "C II" produced craters, of 1 x 1 and 2 x 2 cm. diameter in the 30 patients (total), craters with complete destruction of the skin; the inoculum "E" did the same in 29, of equal severety and the inoculum "H" did only in 23, but lesions of minor severety and the "L" produced craters in ten patients, evidently due to the concomitant action of one of the three inocula. At the same 10th day were inoculated secretions onto 20 tubes of LOEWENSTEIN medium of seven patients. 18 days later were seen developpment of retrocultures in 19 ou 20 tubes, the mojority being contaminated by fungs or cyanophile bacteria. From one patient (nº 16) was recovered a chromogenic culture from his Leprolin-test, macro and microscopically undistinguishable from strain "C II" or "E", which, based on a large experimentation the senior writer is inclined to consider as identical. At the 18 th day were made smears from lesions of 13 patients, 30 in total with 15 positive (50%) for one or another of the inocula. The macro and microscopical morphologies of the recovered cultures (retrocultrues) coincide with the characteristics of the original cultures from which the inocula were made. In conclusion, the majority of the patients showed partial or integral KOCH's prenomenon, with its classical general, local and focal reactions. By lack of laboratory resource, at the leper Colony, the precious material available from this series of experiments were not used, resulting in omissions of various kind in this paper.

Fourteen samples of sputum from fourteen lepers with pulmonary tuberculosis, were treated by PETROFF method and its sediments were smeared on LOEWENSTEIN medium and incubated at 37°C. These fourteen patients are under treatment by Streptomycin. They are advanced cases of active leprosy associated with pulmonary tuberculosis, according to X ray diagnosis. Between 15 to 45 days thirteen out of fourteen (92,85%) sputa gave cultures of acid-fast bacilli with all characteristics of KOCH'S bacillus, eugonic type. Nine out of thirteen positive cases produced eugonic colonies in all ten tubes smeared with each sample. These facts proved that Streptomycin did not affect the pulmonary flora. Three out of fourteen patients died within two months after positive cultures of KOCH'S bacillus. New fact - Three out of those thirteen positive patients gave non-chromogenic cultures, eugonic type, associated with chromogenic ones, quite similar to cultures of acid-fast bacilli isolated previously by the author from leprous material. One of the three patients who died showed in smear of fresh sputum only characteristics globies (globies of MARCHOUX not globi of NEISSER) of HANSEN'S Bacillus. Probably he died from leprous-pneumonia. The eugonic type cultures are being inoculated in guinea-pigs and the choromogenic ones, similar to leprosy-culture, will be inoculated in white rats and mice.

The A. remembers the history of his lepra-culture and the method he uses to prepare with it the antigen called Leprolin Souza-Araujo, giving photographic illustrations upon the subject. The A. says that the results published about the general action of his Leprolin in leprosy must be revised or rectificated. But he says that the rapid action of his antigen upon perforant ulcers in lepers is consecrated by a large experience. He cured, in relatively short time, perforant ulcers in five lepers. Dr. CASSIANO, from Baurú leper Colony (S. Paulo) treated 21 such cases. The median time of treatment was 23 days and the median dosage of Leprolin injected in each patient was 7.7 cm3. All lesions were cured. After 18 months observation three cases relapsed and 18 (or 85.7%) remained cured. Dr. CALDEIRA, Director of padre DAMIEN Leper Colony (Ubá, Minas Gerais) treated regularly with Leprolin 50 cases of severe perforant ulcers and obtained cure in 46 (or 92%). ina special meeting held in Minas Gerais nineteen leprologists examined the cases of Dr. CALDEIRA and considered the results he have obtained as "magnifico", in the sense as "unic". This experiment is being continued in various brazilian leper colonies and the Author offers, graciously, his antigen to be tried also in foreing countries.