ANTHRAX IN SHAVING GEAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3463, 17 April 1920, Page 7

ANTHRAX IN SHAVING GEAR.

JA};’ANES]:I BRUSHES DANG ER OUS

The question of the danger of contracting anthra.\; from Japanese shaving‘ brushes was mentioned at yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Central (_lhamber- of C‘omme-rce. It was mentioned that the (‘hief Health Ofiicer, Dr. Valintine, had writ.ten to the effect that the Customs’ Department had been informed that no mfiethod of disinfection could be considered satisfa-cto-ry. In some instances where ‘articles were accompanied by a certificate from an officer of the Health Department of the country of origin, sati.sfact_orily identifying them and stating that the hair from which they were made was eflt'ective.ly cleaned, they might be allowed in without further ‘action. So far as‘ the. New Zealand Health Department was concerned, the only cases of anthrax reported from both England and America originating; in Japanese brushware ‘had been due to the use of shaving brushes. Furthermore, extensive bacteriological tests of samples of hair-brushes of Japanese origin had been carried out by ‘the Department on several occasions without. detection of anthrax baccili.