A WOOLWORKER from Kidderminster who was one of five to die from anthrax a century ago is to "star" in a fascinating new academic study.

The tragic tale of Joseph Turvey, who contracted the deadly bug working with wool imported from the Middle East, is highlighted in medical historian Tim Carter's investigation, Anthrax in the Wool Industry in Kidderminster from 1900 to 1914.

Mr Turvey was one of five out of 36 carpet workers who died after being infected with the bug during the 14 year spell - the worst infection rate in the UK at that time, according to Mr Carter.

But there was a positive legacy of his death - his widow became the first to successfully sue for compensation on the grounds of industrial disease, paving the way for thousands of others to follow suit.

And that in turn triggered better health and safety practices in textiles, mining and other industries.

Mr Carter has studied newspaper and industry archives during his research for the book.

He is now keen to speak to anyone - particularly relatives of anthrax victims - who might have documents or other anthrax-related information from the period.

Mr Turvey, who worked as a wool sorter for Brinton's for 21 years, died in Kidderminster Infirmary on March 7 a century ago. He had contracted anthrax from imported wool, which would have contained spores in blood from an infected animal.

Surgeons attempted to remove an anthrax pustule from his face without success.

His death was one of two from anthrax in the same week in the town - the other was a drayman who brought wool bales from the railway warehouse to the mills.

Mr Turvey's inquest at the Town Hall, exactly 100 years ago tomorrow also led to a successful criminal prosecution against Brinton's. The firm had to pay a token fine of £5 for breaching the rules on wool sorting.

Mr Turvey's widow then sought worker's compensation and the case, fiercely opposed by the company, ended up at the House of Lords in April 1905, where the judges ruled the case was "compensatable" - the first time this had ever been agreed for a disease rather than an accident.

The decision paved the way to compensation and later benefit payments for a host of other industrial diseases.

Mr Carter said: "A total of 36 anthrax cases were reported in the town from 1900 to 1914, five resulting in death. There were also a number of animal outbreaks.

"This was the highest incidence in Britain proportionally and was down to the town's carpet industry relying on middle eastern wools - referred to as Baghdad or Persian in the trade.

"It is interesting to contrast what was happening then with the situation today, with people terrified about anthrax being "imported" from that part of the world!"

Mr Carter, who is chief medical adviser to the Department of Transport, is carrying out the research in the Centre for the History of Medicine at Birmingham University, funded by the Wellcome Foundation.

He is a research associate of the centre and an honorary senior clinical lecturer at the university's Institute of Occupational Health.

He became interested in the subject while working at the Health and Safety Executive. He stumbled upon research into the illnesses carried out by one of his distant predecessors, Thomas Legge.

The first part of Mr Carter's work is due to be released shortly in a medical journal, and will be followed by further papers on the social, medical and administrative aspects of the disease and its impact on the area.

l Anyone with relevant information should ring Jane Abbott at the Shuttle/Times and News on 01562 633330 in the first instance.