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35
SHAVING BRUSH PATTERN No. 2592.—Two out of the three samples
of this brush on examination were found to be positive. Three different City
traders were associated with the distribution.
SHAVING BRUSH PATTERN No. 1040.—This brush was returned
positive by the Ministry of Health. Only 4½ dozen passed through the City.
SHAVING BRUSHES PATTERN No. 12918.—Brushes of this pattern
were found to be positive in Shoreditch. The samples were taken from an original
consignment which had not been distributed.
Brushes from consignments of the following patterns were examined by the
Ministry of Health, and reported as being infected with Anthrax:—
Pattern No. 2641
,, ,, 801
„ „ 065
„ „ 066
„ „ 073
„ „ 074
I believe in all these cases the brushes were recent importations and had
not been the subject of extensive commercial transactions.
I must direct your attention to the fact that I believe that the traders, who
have given me every facility in conducting a rather complicated and certainly
tiresome investigation, purchased these brushes in good faith. In certain instances
the brushes were packed with a printed note to the following effect:—
"FREE FROM ANTHRAX."
"The hair in this brush has been disinfected by the Osaka Prefectural Government
"and is free from Anthrax."
One trader also submitted to me an officially sealed and attested certificate
of disinfection by the Osaka Prefectural Government. It seemed then to be rather
a hardship that any loss incurred as a consequence of this particular trading
transaction should fall upon the trader or the City Corporation, or any other
Corporation. I discussed the position with the officials of the Japanese Government
in this country, and I pointed out that in the interests of the Japanese trade,
it would be well if arrangements could be made for indemnification of traders
in respect of these infected brushes. I further emphasised the necessity for uniformity
of supervision in Japan, as I was informed that, although these brushes
in some instances were certified as having been disinfected, certification in Japan
is not invariably a Government concern. There should be no ambiguity on the
point, and only one class of certificate should be granted, and that a State Certificate.
I mentioned a further point, that if future improvement in regard to
disinfection were arranged in Japan, it would seem desirable before the trade
under such improved conditions were commenced, that all existing Japanese
brushes in this country should be called in, lest by coincidence some brush which
might now be infected should later be sold and give rise to disease when the new
requirements were in operation, in which event the confidence created by the
improved regulations would be impaired.
The before-mentioned facts were reported to the Ministry of Health, and on
the 9th of February, 1920, the Anthrax Prevention (Shaving Brush) Order, 1920,
was made, which prohibited the importation into the United Kingdom of shaving
brushes manufactured in or exported from the Empire of Japan. The Order
applied to such shaving brushes whether exported direct to the United Kingdom
or otherwise.
I had several conferences with members of the trade on this matter, and,
after careful consideration, it was decided to permit the return to Japan of such
brushes as were in the hands of City traders, or, at their request, to destroy and
issue a certificate of destruction, of which the following is a copy:—
"TO ALL CONCERNED.
"Messrs of
"having delivered to the Sanitary Authority for the City of London certain articles,
"TO WIT Shaving Brushes of Pattern No samples from the
"bulk of which had been found by bacteriological examination to be infected with
"Anthrax, the same were destroyed at the City Disinfecting Station on the
"day of it being impossible to disinfect without rendering
"the articles unsaleable."