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subject of the anthrax bacillus were published. The bacillus had, it is true, been described by
Pollender in 1849, but Davaine, who discovered the bacillus quite independently, first showed that there
was reason for looking upon it as the cause of the disease affecting animals and man. In the same
year, 1863, malignant pustule appears for the first time as a cause of death in England in the Registrar
General's reports (vide Appendix II.)
In 1876, Koch completed the proof that the bacillus was the cause of the disease, and he
instituted a series of researches which led to the anthrax organism being studied in many laboratories, and
to knowledge concerning it becoming much more widely diffused than had hitherto been the case. It
was at about this period that the subject began to attract special attention at Guy's Hospital, and the
occurrence of malignant pustule in workers in the hide and skin trade in Bermondsey from this time
forward was carefully inquired into.
In 1878, the attention of Dr. Russell, of Glasgow, was called to certain cases of sickness
and death among horsehair workers. In February and March of that year Dr. Russell was able to
trace nine cases of illness among women employed at a particular horsehair factory ; four of these cases
were fatal, and in one case, anthrax bacilli were proved to be present. Dr. Russell attributed the
outbreak to the manipulation of a particular kind of hair known as " raw Russian manes," and he drew
attention to three deaths of workers in the same factory which took place in 1876-7, and to three deaths
which occurred in another factory in Glasgow in which raw Russian manes were being dealt with.*
Dr. Russell's cases in a few instances suffered from malignant pustule, but the majority were
affected with constitutional symptoms unaccompanied by any skin lesion ("internal anthrax").
Dr. Russell refers in his paper, which is published in the annual report of the medical officer of the Local
Government Board for the year 1878, to several similar outbreaks among workers in horsehair recorded
by other observers. Rayer's experience in Paris, and that of Ibrelisle at Metz, are quoted, Trousseau's
cases are referred to, details are given concerning outbreaks in Massachusetts and in Leipzig.
Dr. Russell also refers to the cases described by Lawrence (already mentioned) as the only cases of
malignant pustule arising in an English hair factory recorded at the time of occurrence of the Glasgow
outbreak.
In Bradford certain anomalous forms of illness had been noted as occurring from time to time
among wool-sorters. These cases are said to have become more numerous after 1863 when Van mohair
(the fleece of the goat inhabiting the Van district in Asia Minor) was introduced into Bradford, and the
sorters came to regard the manipulation of these fleeces as particularly dangerous. Dr. J. H. Bell was led
to the conclusion that the "wool-sorters' disease" was really anthrax, and in 1880, the Local Government
Board directed Mr. Spear to make inquiry into the matter. Mr. Spear's report on the so-called "Woolsorters'
Disease" appeared in the 10th report of the medical officer of the Local Government Board. Mr.
Spear made careful inquiry into the history of upwards of forty recent cases of the disease, and studied
such material as was available relating to the mortality statistics of wool-sorters. His researches
established the theory put forward by Dr. Bell that the wool-sorters' disease was internal anthrax.
Mr. Spear was shortly after the completion of his Bradford inquiry engaged in his investigations
into the occurrence of anthrax in persons engaged in the hide and skin trades in London.
Mr. Spear's attention was especially directed in this connection to an outbreak of the disease
which occurred in 1882-3 in association with the manipulation of certain particular bales of China hides.
He appended to his report a table of 39 cases of anthrax occurring in London between 1873 and 1883.
Of these, no fewer than 37 cases occurred among persons engaged in the hide and skin trade, and of
these 37 cases, more than one-third, appeared to be attributable to the manipulation of the particular
consignment of China hides in question.
In recent years, considerable attention has been directed by the veterinary profession to the
occurrence of anthrax in animals. An important new departure was made in the autumn of 1886, when
anthrax was added to the list of contagious diseases legislated for under the Contagious Diseases
(Animals) Acts. The order empowered local authorities to regulate the movement of animals from
premises on which anthrax had broken out, to cleanse and disinfect premises where diseased animals
had been kept, and to dispose of carcases of animals dead of anthrax by burial or other means. No power
to slaughterf was given. As a result of this order, anthrax returns are now available from 1887 onwards,
and are given in the annexed table—
Anthrax Statistics—Great Britain.
Animals (cattle, sheep, swine, horses).

These returns show some extent of variation of prevalence during the six years, but judging by
the figures given, the disease would appear to be but little more prevalent now than it was n 1887.
* Some suspicious cases of illness were shortly afterwards observed by Dr. Russell in the case of girls
employed in picking and sorting Russian manes in another hair factory, but from that time to the present,
no further suspected case of anthrax has been noted by him in Glasgow.
† A new order was passed at the end of 1892, giving power to local authorities to slaughter, the owner
having, however, a right of appeal to the Board of Agriculture.