314 A MANUAL OF BACTERIOLOGY 



Under the Factories and Workshops Act, 1895, all 

 cases of anthrax contracted in connection with various 

 industries have now to be reported to the Home Office. 

 In 1909 56 cases, in 1910 51 cases, were thus reported, 

 with mortalities of 21-5 and 17-6 per cent, respectively. 

 In addition, in 1910 there were 31 other cases in England 

 and Wales. 101 cases of anthrax occurred in 1913 with 

 10 deaths. During the war (1914-18) there was some 

 increase in the number of cases :- 



1913. 191418. 



Industries. Cases. Deaths. Cases. Deaths. 



Wool .43 4 . . 242 31 



Horsehair. . . 5 1 20 6 



Hides and Skins .19 2 .. 94 11 



Other Industries . 3 . . 18 3 



Not reportable . .31 3 



101 10 374 51 



Industrial anthrax has been exhaustively discussed by 

 Legge. 1 It is particularly Persian wool, Chinese hides 

 and Russian hair which are dangerous, while Argentine, 

 Australian, and New Zealand wools are almost innocuous. 

 The sorting and exclusion of wool derived from infected 

 animals seem to be impracticable, and the efficient 

 sterilisation of the thousands of bales that are imported 

 is a difficult problem. As regards hides and skins, Legge 

 points out that it is doubtful if there is any way in which 

 hides to be afterwards tanned can be effectively disin- 

 fected, and to be of real benefit it would have to be 

 done before the material is opened in the warehouse ; but 

 to secure this would be impossible. A method introduced 



Gram-negative, easily cultivated and not liquefying gelatin, and in the 

 tissues surrounded with a capsule. 



1 Brit. Med. Journ., 190$, vol. i, pp. 529, 599, and 641. 



