- Volume 72 , Number 4
- Page: 504
Prof. Luiz Marino Bechelli 1912–2004
Prof. Luiz Marino Bechelli attended medical school at University of São Paulo where he graduated in 1933. In 1957, he was invited to organize the Department of Dermatology of the new School of Medicine at Ribeirão Preto - University of São Paulo. He then decided to abandon his private practice and devote his life to dermatology, both as a teacher and a researcher. In order to improve his knowledge, he became a post-graduate fellow at the New York Skin and Cancer Center at Columbia University, the Western Reserve University in Cleveland and visited many institutions such as the Hôpital St. Louis (Paris-France). While a Professor at the University of São Paulo, one of his outstanding contributions was the publication of a comprehensive Textbook of Dermatology in 1960, which had its 6th edition in 1988.
Prof. Bechelli joined leprosy work at the Department of Leprosy of São Paulo as a trainee and later became Chief of Epidemiology. Intense activity as a researcher and as a practioner lead to the publication of more than 300 papers in this field. Together with Dr. Abrahão Rotberg, he published the well known Brazilian Treatise on Leprosy and the Compedium of Leprology. He also served as Chief of the Leprosy Unit of the World Health Organization in Geneva from December 1961 to June, 1972.
His services to the cause of leprosy and dermatology has granted him membership in many international societies such as Association des Léprologues de langue Française, Sociedade de Dermatologia y Sifiligrafia, Sociedade Cubana de Dermatologia y Sifiligrafia, Sociedade Brasileira de Hansenologia, Société de Pathologie Exotique, Sociedade Argentina de Dermatologia, Colégio Ibero-Latino-Americano de Dermatologia, and Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia. He also acted as a contributing editor to the the INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEPROSY.
After his compulsory retirement from the School of Medicine at U.S.P., he worked for more 14 yrs without payment, explaining: "I worked free of charge in order to compensate the University for the period I dedicated to WHO."
Prof. Bechelli was a noble example of life and dedication to patients, friends, and colleagues, and he will always be remembered.
- Norma T. Foss, M.D.
President, Brazilian Society of Hansenology
- Marcos Virmond, M.D.
ILA Vice-President for the Americas