SPREAD OF ANTHRAX

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 263, 25 July 1918, Page 10

SPREAD OF ANTHRAX

PRECAUTIONS ADVISED

REPORT OF BRITISH COM.

MITTEE The Disinfection Sub-Comnutteo of the. Departmental Committee appointed at tho end of VJp, with Sir William .Middlebrook as chairman, "to inquire a> to precautions for preventing danger of infection by anthrax in the manipulation of wool, goat hair, and camel hair," bus completed its investigations. Its report to the Home Secretary was issued us a Parliamentary Paper, with an introduction und summary signed by the chairman. The danger is emphasised and the need for special measures is indicated in a passage which says:— "Al'tev carefully considering all tho evidence and every suggestion made, the uoiiiiniltPG was forced to Hie conclusion that the measures already taken in the worsted trade can afford no protection to workers in warehouses at the ports or In operatives in the woollen and felt trades if applied in these occupations, and that except in minor details all tho precautions it is practicable to take in factories have been in operation for .1 cHusideMbl-i time eitlifr voluntarily or in accordance with existing regulations. We think it probable that many eases of anthrax have been prevented as the result. The incidence of tho disease is, however, steadily increasing, and it is clear that they cannot effectively tope with the danger. Manufacturing processes do not kill the living organisms (anthrax spores) which causo anthrax, and the disease occurs and continues to

occur in every process from the entry of the raw inkterial into the. factory to the production of the fin-shed Roods. Tliß (lunger to ba guarded against is (iifferent from that usually met by menus of regulations applied in factories, and tho committee finally came to tho conclusion that anthrax can only be prevented cither by preventing the disease among animals or by the destruction of the organisms in wool and hair. In these circumstances if was decided to endeavour to find a process by means of which anthrax spore,? in wool can bo destroyed. The difficulties of disinfection of wool and hair are very great, and it was recognised that tho prospects of finding a practicable* process were unpromising having regard to the failure of many previous efforts to find a successful method. The sub-committee has, however, surmounted every difficulty succoss : fully." Solving the Problem. The. committee laid it down that any practicable method of disinfection of wool and hair (1) must bo capable, of completely destroying anthrax spores even when protected ns they are in animal fibres; (2) must not cause- damage to tho material; 13) must .bo practicable for use on a large commercial scale; and (i) must be reasonable, in cost. Laboratory experiments wore expressly avoided, and plant was devised by means of which experiments on a small scale, but on practical commercial line-s, could bo carried out with laboratory precautions. Disinfection by means of steam is shown to be impracticable by reason of its damaging effect, and efforts wore concentrated on devising a chemical process. Tho causes of early failures were gradually discovered and eliminated, mid finally a fiuccessful process was evolved. Its essential'features are:—

1. A preliminary process in which material is submitted to the action of a warm solution of soap in water containing a little alkali, followed by squeezing through rollers. The purpose and effect is to.-fcauso disintegration of bloodclots and the Temoval of all protection from the spores, and to brine the latter inlo a condition in which they are. susceptible to the action of disinfectants. 2. The disinfecting process,. in which material fronted by 1 lie preliminary process is submitted to the action of a warm solution.of formaldehyde in water, and ngiiin squeezed through rollers. Most of the spores are destroyed at this stage. 3. Drying, by which all/the surviving spores are killed except in special circumstances. . . . '

\i. Standing for a short time in order to ensure the destruction of any spores which may, wheii exceptionally well protected, survive stage 3.

It is shown that the- last two steps are largely in the nature of a safety factor. 'I'he. process of disinfection occupies about one hour. Though the details are somewhat complicated and expert chemical supervision is necessary, the method lends itself to continuous and rapid, working on a lnvgo commercial scale by means of machinery of a typo already much used in the worsted industry. Vl'lio material is i'cd into the machine. \nud is not again handled till it; lias pinerged clean, dry. and disinfected. Professor Dolephine, 'Director of the Public Health Laboratory, University of Manchester, was asked to make a critical, examination of the method, and ho reported: "Constantly goad results were obtained, and complete disinfection of highly-infected material pun be obtained by the process."

The Cost. The practicability of the process for use on ii commercial scale is shown by th'i nature and results of tile commercial wale experiments. It is pointed out that an incidental effect of the process is that the iiiiik'fial is cleansed at least as effectively, an by washing, which takes plaeo in the ordinary course oi manufacture, so that some advantage is offered to tho trade. Formaldehyde, the disinfectant used, is already manufactured on a large scale for various purposes, so that thereis no apparent difficulty in adopting the priicess. Plans and estimates of cost of machinery and buildings were obtained on the basis of disinlnition being carried out in ccntnil disinfection stations. An .estimate of all other working costs was submitted to several managers of woolconibing mills. Prom these sources'of information it is calculated that the capital cost of erection and equipment of a cenli'iil station capable uf disinfecting 10,000,(10011). of wool annually ivquld be i:l8,0()0, and that the working cost of disinfection, including very liberal allowances for depreciation and sinking fund, would vary from ll.'ill penny to 0.821 penny per pound of untreated material. Tho costs are computed nt pre-war prices, and about 7,i per tent, would have to be added In inept' existing conditions.

The Departmental Committee thinks it necessary lo i.ssiii , a warning against Ihe taking of premature action by any individual or body before the presentation of the final report. .Disinfection is a highly technical process, anil demands skilled scientific suinirvisioii and the use of extensive special machinery. It cannot, in the opinion of Hie committee, after review-ing all the circuinstamtnj, be carried out in fnclories in which wool or hair is manufactured. Nor can it be applied effectively by any private body. Tho circumstances are such as to make it necessary for the Government themselves to organise disinfection, and it is further , necessary for it to bo carried out: before the materials are deal with, in any wily in this oounlry. Till a decision has bei'm come to as to the steps to be taken, following on the recommendations of the full Tojiort, it: will bo unwise for any person or body lo take any action whatever on the results of the liiili-coiuuiil-ti'c's investigation.