The article explores the transformation of the city of São José dos Campos, which in 1935 received the official designation of "health resort" for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. Research of Boletim Médico (a periodical published by the city's tuberculosis specialists) and of other, related sources grounds this analysis of both the motives and the strategies of this professional group when the quiet little town of São José dos Campos was transformed into a major center for tuberculosis cures. This examination of the technical arguments in support of the project reinforces the idea that the city's status as a health resort was both a threat to city residents and also a driving force behind the local economy, based almost exclusively on exploiting the disease through the 1950s.
tuberculosis; Boletim Médico; public health; São José dos Campos; Brazil
