Vital Brazil Mineiro da Campanha, Brazilian biomedician (Campanha, Minas Gerais State 28 April 1865 – Rio de Janeiro 08 May 1950)

Authored 114 works

ACHIEVEMENTS

Demonstrated the specifity of anti snake serum (1899)

With Bruno Rangel Pestana prepared anti Elaps serum and noted that species presenting great  sensibility to venoms are that which produce more antibodies (1910)

First to develop anti scorpion serum (1908)

First to introduce polivalents sera   

With Jean Vellard showed the role of lipoids in immunology (1927) and developed anti arachnid serum (1925-6)

Introduced the concentration process of sera by ammonium sulfate (later replaced by sodium sulfate)

First to describe and use flocculation reactions in antivenom sera dosage (1907)

With A.S. Braga developed a lipoidic vaccine for anthrax  (1935)

Indicated the potency of serum in venom milligrams that each cubic centimeter neutralizes (1907)

Established evaluation and antitoxic activity of anti venomous sera method (adopted in Brazil, Argentina and other countries)

Described the action of heterologous antibodies

Described coagulant, anticoagulant, agglutinant, cytotoxic, hemolytic, proteolytic properties of many snake venoms and noted the distinct sensibility of erythrocyte in many species facing the same poison

With Argentine herpetologist Avelino Barrio discovered Veratrine properties of poison from Crotalus durissus (1950s)

Discovered ophiophagous features of  muçuarana (Clelia sp.) in 1910

With US researcher Monoelesser performed studies about the action of snake venom on leprosy (1920s)

Published in French Le defense contre ophidisme, attaining international repercussion (1914)

METHODS

Dosagem do valor anti-tóxico do serum anti-peçonhento. Rev. Med. S. Paulo 10(22):457-62, 1907 

With J. Vellard. Imunização por via intradérmica e por via subcutânea pelo soro antictenus. Método de dosagem e primeira aplicação no homem. Brazil Médico 31(2):224-7, 1925

With J. Vellard. Soro contra o veneno da Lycosa raptoria. Método de dosagem. Brazil Médico 31(2):249-51, 1925 

Developed a device to increase the serum production

Appareil compressif du caillot pour augmenter la production du serum. Rev. Med. S. Paulo 4:476-7, 1903

Eponym of Vital Brazil process for dosage of anti-snake serum 

BRAZILIAN PATENT

Soros anti-peçonhentos  (Anti venom sera) 10 May 1917 (donated to Government  of São Paulo State)  

HONORS

Vitalius Lucas, Silva & Bertani 1993 (Arachnida)

See  

www2.prossiga.br/VitalBrazil/sobre/oswaldovitalbrazil.PDF (link)

Rosenfeld, G. Vital Brazil como pesquisador cientifico. Ciencia e Cultura 17(2), 1965  (biliography)