William Horrocks 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 . Early life and career . William Heaton Horrocks was the son of William Holden Horrocks of Bolton . 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 . Malta fever . In 1904 Horrocks was appointed as a member of the Royal Society ' 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 . Later career . Horrocks was promoted to Lieutenant - Colonel on 19 May 1911 , then in July was promoted Brevet 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 .