So, where to start? Where can I look to find out more about what he did?

Would FOI requests to relevant departments/councils help you?

Dangerous Electric Kettles
SIR,-Dr. W. R. Lee ( 11 September, p. 616) mentions that half the deaths from electrocution of women over 60 are due to the use of scissors in the investigation of the connectors of electric irons and kettles, and suggests that these deaths are a hazard of old people living by themeselves or reflect a lack of instruction of the older generation in electricity. I would like to suggest that what they do reflect is a dangerous appliance, made so by its so-called safety devices. If it were specifically designed as a booby trap for old ladies the present design of electric kettles could hardly be improved on.

I have done post-mortems on two of these cases and the picture is quite typical. An old lady is found dead in her kitchen. On the table is the electric kettle, empty. In her left hand she holds the connector on the end of the flex and in her right a metal skewer. What has happened is that the kettle has boiled dry and the consequent overheating has released the " safety " device which throws out the connector. The old lady comes back into the kitchen to make her tea and finds the kettle not boiling. She sees that the connector is not in its socket, thinks " How stupid of me," and tries to put it in. Because of the strength of the spring she cannot do this, assumes an obstruction is present, and investigates with the first item to hand in many cases a metal skewer. She does not even have to make good contact with the floor to be electrocuted because the earth contact on the connector is on the outside and she is firmly gripping this.

It seems to me that the design of the present-day electric kettle is faulty in at least two respects.
(1) Ejection of the connector (which remains live) is dangerous. Not only can the above accident occur, but it could be ejected into a bowl of water, when, as so often, the kettle is used on the draining board. A totally enclosed contact breaker is required.
(2) The earth should not be on the outside of the connector but should be just as inaccessible as line and neutral-deep in a socket.

In conclusion it seems that electricians exercise a mysterious double-think about earths. Water pipes and stone floors are considered to be dangerous but conduits and
earthed apparatus are safe. Both can make an equally good return circuit for an electrocution.

I am, etc.,
J. W. NICHOLAS, Essex County Hospital

That's an excellent letter, and examining any modern electric kettle will reveal the safety measures he advises

SIR,
-Dr. David Hooker (April 30, p. 1362) saw no jaundice developing within 39 to 67 days after his 4,000 injections. As the incubation period of homologous serum jaundice is about 100 days this is hardly surprising.
-I am, etc.,
J. W. NICHOLAS.
Pathology Laboratory, J. W. NICHOLAS.
Essex County HospitaL
Colchester.

Start with Google Scholar? then science direct?

Not known to me but will have a snoot around in the next few days.