William Horrocks
Encyclopedia
Sir William Heaton Horrocks KCMG, CB
(25 August 1859 – 26 January 1941) was an officer of the British Army
remembered chiefly for confirming Sir David Bruce
's theory that Malta fever was spread through goat's milk. He also contributed to the making safe of water, developing a simple method of testing and purifying water in the field. Because of his work, he became the first Director of Hygiene at the War Office
in 1919.
. Horrocks studied for his M.B.
at Owen's College and passed his first M.B. examination in 1881. He received a Third Class Honours pass in Anatomy, and a Second Class in Physiology
and Histology
.
Previously a Surgeon on probation
, Horrocks was promoted to Surgeon (the equivalent of Captain
) on 5 February 1887. While serving in India
, Horrocks married Minna Moore (died 1921), the daughter of the Reverend J.C. Moore of Connor, County Antrim
on 27 September 1894 at Christ Church, Mussoorie
. Together they had one son and one daughter. His son Brian
also joined the British Army
, and became a leading corps commander during the Second World War.
Horrocks was promoted from Captain to Major on 5 February 1899.
's Mediterranean Fever Commission, to investigate the highly contagious disease Malta fever
which was prevalent in the British colony of Malta
. Identified by Sir David Bruce
in 1887, Malta fever was characterised by a low mortality rate
but was of indefinite duration. It was accompanied by profuse perspiration, pain and occasional swelling of the joints. In 1905 Sir Themistocles Zammit
infected a goat with the bacteria
Micrococcus Melitanensis which then caught Malta fever. Horrocks was the first person to find the bacteria in goat's milk, thus identifying the method of transmission.
In attempting to settle the matter of who was responsible for the discovery, Bruce (who had served as chairman of the Commission, wrote to The Times
newspaper
:
Horrocks afterwards served as sanitary officer at the British colony of Gibraltar, where he noted that the incidence of Malta fever practically disappeared with the removal of Maltese goats from that place.
Colonel dated 20 May, in recognition of his services. In 1915, Horrocks was honoured by becoming an Honorary Surgeon to King George V
, commencing 6 November 1914, holding the appointment until 26 December 1917.
Horrocks also developed the "Horrocks Box", following his research into contamination of water. This device used sand filtration
and chlorine
sterilisation plants to provide a portable means of decontaminating water supplies. It proved of particular use during the First World War
, when it kept the Allied forces
largely free of water-borne disease. In addition to this he also developed means of removing poisons from water and assisted in the design of the first gas mask
.
For his services in the war, Horrocks was honoured with appointments to a number of orders. On 24 January 1917 he was appointed a Companion of the Bath
. On 3 June 1918 (in the King's Birthday Honours) Horrocks was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George. He became the first Director of Hygiene at the War Office
on 1 June 1919 in recognition of his expertise in military hygiene, this last period of active duty came to an end on 1 November 1919, and he relinquished his temporary rank of Brigadier-General
.
Horrocks died on 26 January 1941 at the age of eighty-one, at Hersham
in Surrey
. His funeral
took place at St. Peter's Church, Hersham on 31 January with his son and daughter, among others, present.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(25 August 1859 – 26 January 1941) was an officer of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
remembered chiefly for confirming Sir David Bruce
David Bruce (microbiologist)
Major-General Sir David Bruce KCB FRS FRSE was a Scottish pathologist and microbiologist who investigated the Malta-fever and trypanosomes, identifying the cause of sleeping sickness....
's theory that Malta fever was spread through goat's milk. He also contributed to the making safe of water, developing a simple method of testing and purifying water in the field. Because of his work, he became the first Director of Hygiene at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
in 1919.
Early life and career
William Heaton Horrocks was the son of William Holden Horrocks of BoltonBolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
. Horrocks studied for his M.B.
Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, or in Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae , are the two first professional degrees awarded upon graduation from medical school in medicine and surgery by universities in various countries...
at Owen's College and passed his first M.B. examination in 1881. He received a Third Class Honours pass in Anatomy, and a Second Class in Physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
and Histology
Histology
Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is performed by examining cells and tissues commonly by sectioning and staining; followed by examination under a light microscope or electron microscope...
.
Previously a Surgeon on probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
, Horrocks was promoted to Surgeon (the equivalent of Captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
) on 5 February 1887. While serving in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Horrocks married Minna Moore (died 1921), the daughter of the Reverend J.C. Moore of Connor, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
on 27 September 1894 at Christ Church, Mussoorie
Mussoorie
Mussoorie is a city and a municipal board in the Dehradun District of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is located about 35 km from the state capital of Dehradun and 290 km north from the national capital of New Delhi...
. Together they had one son and one daughter. His son Brian
Brian Horrocks
Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer. He is chiefly remembered as the commander of XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden and other operations during the Second World War...
also joined the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and became a leading corps commander during the Second World War.
Horrocks was promoted from Captain to Major on 5 February 1899.
Malta fever
In 1904 Horrocks was appointed as a member of the Royal SocietyRoyal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
's Mediterranean Fever Commission, to investigate the highly contagious disease Malta fever
Brucellosis
Brucellosis, also called Bang's disease, Crimean fever, Gibraltar fever, Malta fever, Maltese fever, Mediterranean fever, rock fever, or undulant fever, is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unsterilized milk or meat from infected animals or close contact with their secretions...
which was prevalent in the British colony of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. Identified by Sir David Bruce
David Bruce (microbiologist)
Major-General Sir David Bruce KCB FRS FRSE was a Scottish pathologist and microbiologist who investigated the Malta-fever and trypanosomes, identifying the cause of sleeping sickness....
in 1887, Malta fever was characterised by a low mortality rate
Mortality rate
Mortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths in a population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit time...
but was of indefinite duration. It was accompanied by profuse perspiration, pain and occasional swelling of the joints. In 1905 Sir Themistocles Zammit
Themistocles Zammit
Sir Themistocles Zammit was a Maltese archaeologist and historian, professor of chemistry, medical doctor, researcher and writer, serving as Rector of the Royal University of Malta and first Director of the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.-Career:After graduating in medicine from the...
infected a goat with the bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
Micrococcus Melitanensis which then caught Malta fever. Horrocks was the first person to find the bacteria in goat's milk, thus identifying the method of transmission.
In attempting to settle the matter of who was responsible for the discovery, Bruce (who had served as chairman of the Commission, wrote to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
:
Horrocks afterwards served as sanitary officer at the British colony of Gibraltar, where he noted that the incidence of Malta fever practically disappeared with the removal of Maltese goats from that place.
Later career
Horrocks was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 19 May 1911, then in July was promoted BrevetBrevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Colonel dated 20 May, in recognition of his services. In 1915, Horrocks was honoured by becoming an Honorary Surgeon to King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, commencing 6 November 1914, holding the appointment until 26 December 1917.
Horrocks also developed the "Horrocks Box", following his research into contamination of water. This device used sand filtration
Sand filter
Sand filters are used for water purification. There are three main types;# rapid sand filters# upflow sand filters# slow sand filtersAll three methods are used extensively in the water industry throughout the world...
and chlorine
Chlorine
Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine...
sterilisation plants to provide a portable means of decontaminating water supplies. It proved of particular use during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, when it kept the Allied forces
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
largely free of water-borne disease. In addition to this he also developed means of removing poisons from water and assisted in the design of the first gas mask
Gas mask
A gas mask is a mask put on over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Some gas masks are also respirators, though the word...
.
For his services in the war, Horrocks was honoured with appointments to a number of orders. On 24 January 1917 he was appointed a Companion of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. On 3 June 1918 (in the King's Birthday Honours) Horrocks was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George. He became the first Director of Hygiene at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
on 1 June 1919 in recognition of his expertise in military hygiene, this last period of active duty came to an end on 1 November 1919, and he relinquished his temporary rank of Brigadier-General
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
.
Horrocks died on 26 January 1941 at the age of eighty-one, at Hersham
Hersham
Hersham is a village in Surrey, within the M25 boundary. It is within easy reach of Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The main A3 London to Portsmouth road runs through its boundaries...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. His funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
took place at St. Peter's Church, Hersham on 31 January with his son and daughter, among others, present.