Bad Shaving Brushes Gave WWI Soldiers Anthrax of the Face

From Popular Mechanics

Lots of guys appreciate the feel of an old-timey shaving brush when they go in for a barbershop shave. A hundred years ago, though, men were decidedly unhappy when they realized these grooming tools were giving them outbreaks of deadly head and face anthrax that caused swelling, bumps, and blisters.

The Verge reports on a curious case study recently released by the Centers for Disease Control. The report studies a mini-outbreak of face anthrax during the World War I years and into the 1920s, concluding that soldiers from the U.S. and U.K. were exposed to anthrax because they used animal hair shaving brushes tainted with the spores.

Shaving was a serious matter during the Great War, and not just because of military discipline and uniformity. The rise of chemical weapons meant soldiers needed to wear gas masks often, and the masks were thought to adhere better to a clean-shaven face (today's fighter pilots are beardless for a similar reason). However, the report found, many soldiers were subjected to shaving with fake brushes that put their lives in danger. Says the Verge:

When World War I cut off the regular supply of badger hair from Russia, the market opened up for knockoff badger hair - which was really horsehair from Russia, China, and Japan. Apparently, horses and other herbivores are more at risk for anthrax infections than badgers and pigs, which are omnivores.

Once public health officials realized what was wrong, they came up with new rules to make sure brushes were disinfected. So if you're hanging onto a vintage shaving brush, it's probably safe-as long as it was made after 1930.

From Popular Mechanics

Lots of guys appreciate the feel of an old-timey shaving brush when they go in for a barbershop shave. A hundred years ago, though, men were decidedly unhappy when they realized these grooming tools were giving them outbreaks of deadly head and face anthrax that caused swelling, bumps, and blisters.

The Verge reports on a curious case study recently released by the Centers for Disease Control. The report studies a mini-outbreak of face anthrax during the World War I years and into the 1920s, concluding that soldiers from the U.S. and U.K. were exposed to anthrax because they used animal hair shaving brushes tainted with the spores.

Shaving was a serious matter during the Great War, and not just because of military discipline and uniformity. The rise of chemical weapons meant soldiers needed to wear gas masks often, and the masks were thought to adhere better to a clean-shaven face (today's fighter pilots are beardless for a similar reason). However, the report found, many soldiers were subjected to shaving with fake brushes that put their lives in danger. Says the Verge:

When World War I cut off the regular supply of badger hair from Russia, the market opened up for knockoff badger hair - which was really horsehair from Russia, China, and Japan. Apparently, horses and other herbivores are more at risk for anthrax infections than badgers and pigs, which are omnivores.

Once public health officials realized what was wrong, they came up with new rules to make sure brushes were disinfected. So if you're hanging onto a vintage shaving brush, it's probably safe-as long as it was made after 1930.

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