The use of chlorine gas in 1915 and mustard gas in 1917 led to the provision of 2 million “khaki kits” with safety razors to American troops in 1918 because it was believed that gas masks would be more effective on clean-shaven soldiers. Before the war, shaving brushes were generally made from hair from badgers, horses, or boars, but badger-hair brushes were the most popular because of their ability to hold water. However, with the wartime disruption of commerce, badger hair from Russia—then its main exporter—became difficult to acquire. In response, imitation “badger” brushes made from horsehair from Russia, China, or Japan appeared in the United States. Before the war, bundles of hair used to make shaving brushes were cleaned and disinfected in France or Germany while en route to the United States. During the war, however, the bundles were shipped directly to the United States (11).
Anthrax risk during 1914–1917 seems to have varied by brush color and country of origin. Cases were more likely to be associated with light- than with dark-colored brushes, and brushes from horsehair from Japan were considered to be particularly risky. Public health officials investigating these outbreaks at the time speculated that at least some of these manufacturers used the hair as received, assuming it was already disinfected (2). They also speculated that hightemperature disinfection may have been avoided for brushes made from light-colored hair out of concern that this treatment might diminish their resemblance to badger hair. Thus, light-colored brushes may not have been as effectively disinfected as their dark-colored or darkly dyed counterparts (12).