You don't have to go back to 1939.
In the late 1970s and early '80s I was systems programmer for a large Canadian hospital. After designing my own online CICS registration/admissions system and successfully getting it up and running, I was gradually implementing more and more features into it.
Then the IBM suits walked in with their inferior (in my modest estimation) system, and sold it to the top brass for beaucoup $$.
Anyway- one of the demographic boxes on this "new" IBM system had exactly that: WHITE, BLACK YELLOW. I don't remember if there was a fourth "MULATTO" box - this may have come in a later release.
BTW, our IBM sales "engineer" had just come back from Rio de Janeiro, where he had helped to install this vaunted IBM hospital system. Perhaps this is where Brazil picked up these descriptions.
Anyhow, I was gladly outa there, and let several COBOL hacks, um.. programmers (not hackers!) take over its implementation, replete with an older version of CICS.
Finally, by the 21st century, I had thankfully retired, as the suits with their "Master of Hospital Administration" and MBA degrees had increased at least tenfold, running rampant. Then the hospital became embroiled in huge financial and operating scandals, with the CEO and his wife escaping arrest by fleeing to Panama, where he eventually died. But I think it's still safe to have an operation or other medical procedure performed in this hospital - the medical staff appears to be competent enough....
Biting the hand that feeds IT
