ANTHRAX IN BRUSHES

Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1921, Page 4

ANTHRAX IN BRUSHES

AUSTRALIAN PROHIBITION. MELBOURNE, Feb. 10. Certificates of freedom from disease sent from Japan respecting shaving i brushes arc not very highly esteemed by the chairman of the Commission of Public Health, Dr Robertson. The < Department has been put to a great deal of trouble over a case of anthrax which was reported by the Melbourne Hospital. The source of Infection was a black-handled shaving brush, and tins xxas traced to a retailer, xvlio had also ! a number of xxhite-handlcd brushes thathad been in contact with the black one. Tim white brushes actually grew an- . thrax. The retailer had sold till the 1 black brushes, but had four of the white ones left. The white brushes—,l lot: of 58 dozen—were found to have ! come from Sydney, and were accom- ( I panied hy a certificate trom the officei- | in-charge ol disinfectant xxoiks at ( Osaka, Japan, to the effect that they bad been treated and "'ere free from disease. The Federal Gox'crnmnt has now absolutely prohibited the importation of Japanese shaving brushes. 111 the search for the suspected Japanese shaving brushes. Dr Robertson discovered that a surprising series of profits had lveen made on the brushes as they passed through the hands of the distributors. Two samples were found to be infected. The cheaper hnishes left the Japanese factory in 1917, and wore shipped to the Sydney importer at a price of a fraction over -]d each. The Sydney importer sold the Id brush to a Melbourne wholesale house, which resold it to a second firm. Then it passed on to a retail shop, which ehaigod the user 9d for it, anthrax germs included. The second brush, an imitation badger hair with a vegetable ivory handle, left the factory in May, 1920. The Sydney importer paid a fraction over 1 .‘d for it. Three wholesale houses in Melbourne took their toll of the profits, and some of the brushes were sold to a barber’s shop, which charged the customers 2s for a brush.