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special enquiry into the atmospheres of workshops. With regard
to this last-named matter, reference is made to it under
"Ventilation," on page 168, and here the appendix only is
incorporated.
(a) Anthrax.
During the year we have had three cases of Anthrax.
In 1902 we had four cases, and in 1903 no cases, (i.) On February
24th I received a notification from the Home Office of a case of
Anthrax in the person of William C., aged 25, of 12, Locton Street,
Old Ford, E., employed by Messrs. W. & C. Nightingale, 70 to 74,
Old Street, E.C., Feather and Horse-hair Manufacturers. The
usual enquiries were made. This firm receives horse-hair in bulk,
which is hackled, milled and washed. The hackling is done while
the hair is saturated with hot water, soap and soda; milling is
carried out whilst the hair is dry. I was informed that milling was
last done by the man William C. on February 19th. He had been
employed at this factory for about years, and his work was
sometimes hackling hair and sometimes milling. I was further
informed that the firm only purchase English hair, and that
beyond this no special precautions are taken to protect the workers
from Anthrax. I gathered that on February 18th the patient had
on his left arm, near the elbow, a small boil, of which, however, no
notice was taken. He milled on the 19th, and on the 20th he was
seized with illness which consisted, according to his own statement,
of pains all over his body and blood poisoning in his left arm.
He was duly admitted into the London Hospital, and came under
the care of Mr. J. Hutchinson, Jr., F.R.C.S., Surgeon to the
Hospital, to whose courtesy I am indebted for the following
information. This case was one of typical local Anthrax. The
lesion was near the left elbow joint. There had been no direct
wound, but the man had scratched himself on this part of his arm
with the fingers of his right hand when working in the horsehair.
The presence of Anthrax Bacilli was verified in the blood serum of
the sore. The entire pustule was excised by Mr. Hutchinson.
The constitutional symptoms were relieved from that time and the
patient made an excellent recovery.