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102
Lead On the 4th June I received a notification that a person, resident in the
Lead Poisoning. Borough, was suffering from lead poisoning. A copy of this I forwarded to the
Home Office. Upon investigation it appeared that the patient was a refiner
employed at a refinery in the Borough. He did not come in contact with lead
in any form though there was a po sibility of lead impurities being carried in
the fumes from the refining. He had done no painting or worked with lead at
home recently. Two samples of drinking water from the patient's house and
from his workplace were submitted to analysis and found to be free from lead.
The water fittings appeared to be in good condition. No other cases were
reported among the workpeople.
Anthrax. A death, due to anthrax, occurred on the 15th May in a hospital in the
Borough. I attended the inquest, when it was ascertained that the deceased
had, three weeks previously, purchased a cheap shaving brush at a shop in the
Borough. The brush was produced at the inquest and the Coroner directed me
to have it examined. It was sent to the Government laboratories and was
found to be infected with virulent anthrax.
I immediately caused enquiries to be made at the shop where the brush
had been purchased and ascertained that this was one of 16½ dozen purchased
in January, 1931. I was able to obtain particulars of some of the other shops
to whom the shopkeeper had sold them and also the wholesaler who supplied
him with them in January.
All the Medical Officers of Health of the Boroughs where the shops were
situate were communicated with, and also the Ministry of Health.
We managed to secure 2 dozen of the brushes which had been sold to a
barber's shop in this Borough and sent them away for examination. These
also were found to contain abundant colonies of virulent Anthrax.
The man who sold the brush to deceased was only able to account for 92
out of the 16½ dozen. Of these 83 were secured and destroyed forthwith, but
9 had been sold over the counter at various shops outside the Borough.
I again communicated with the Medical Officers of Health of the districts
concerned and reported the facts to the London County Council, suggesting
that the information be sent to all the Medical Officers of Health in London
and Greater London.
Dr. Shaw, of the Ministry of Health, called on me on the 30th May, and
he appeared to be quite satisfied as to the extent of the investigations.
The wholesaler had since removed but he was traced by Dr. Shaw, when it
was ascertained that the brushes came from Japan ten years ago.
It is of interest to know of the extremely long life of virulent Anthrax
spores.