'Basta aplicar uma inje？？o?': concep？？es de saúde, higiene e nutri？？o no Programa de Erradica？？o da Bouba no Brasil, 1956-1961

the article analyzes the program to eradicate yaws, enforced in brazil from 1956 through 1961. following world war ii, when antibiotics first came into use, it seemed there might be a method for eradicating treponematosis in a short time: a single-dose injection of penicillin. at a moment when priority was being placed on fighting rural endemic disease in brazil, it became possible to organize a campaign against yaws. the article explores the initiatives undertaken by the national department of rural endemic diseases that revealed a malnourished, starving population, and called into question the very intentions behind the campaign and the day's concepts of health and development.