RESUMO
The AA. build upon experience acquired by histopathologic and bacterioscopic examinations of a few thousand cases of lepromatous leprosy taken and after leprosy treatament by sulfone derivatives was first tried in So Paulo. The AA. do not pretend to deny those drugs a direct action upon the Hansen bacillus; they are m howewer, more ready to believe that the drugs, in spite of acting with a clearly benefic effect, do not go further than to start off, speed up and intensify some mechanism that seems to be present in the economy of the Virchow's cell/Hansen bacillus complex. It is their opinion that the action is directed principally toward the component Virchow's cell, altering its metabolism by some manner or other, and turning the cell into a medium improper for the multiplication and survical of the leprosy bacillus. An identical mechanism also occurs, even if not so regularly and efficiently, as a sequel to other types of treatment or bound to natural conditions, that is to say, with no treatment at all. The AA. arrived at this hypothesis based upon the following facts: 1) The receding lepromatous lesions obtained by sulphonic treatment superpose them-selves axactly to those receding lepromatous lesions observed, if not so frequently, before this treatment was instituted, presenting no new findings. This type of lesion's characteristics are the following: a) swollen Virchow's cell; b) pycnotic nucleus; c) cytoplasm full of vacuoles, with a foamy appearance; d) vacuoles containinglipids in a quantity inversely proportional to the number of bacilli - signs of cellular suffering; e) rare Hansen bacilli, with a granular aspect - signs of bacillar suffering. The AA. think the celular degeneration to be previous to the bacillar disintegration. 2) For the sulphonic treatment to be efficient in leprosy, the drug is required in large doses for a long time...