§ MR. W. MILLERsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he is aware that the Cattle Plague Royal Commission, in their endeavours to discover the best disinfectant, referred the question only to a single individual—namely, Dr. Angus Smith, who reported in favour of Carbolic Acid, or Macdougall's Powder, of which preparation he himself is co-partner with Mr. Macdougall, and which is generally believed by chemists to be no disinfectant at all.
MR. BARINGsaid, it would have been more convenient if the Question had been put to the right hon. Member for Calne (Mr. Lowe), who was a Member of the Commission. He (Mr. Baring) had, however, communicated with Dr. Angus Smith, who was annoyed at the reference to himself, and more particularly because he thought that the question should have been deferred until his Report upon disinfectants had been completed and presented 1502 to Parliament. He had, however, given the following information on that part of the question:—
I never had any interest, profit, or advantage from the sale or manufacture of MacDougall's powder, or of any other substance made by him, or by anybody else.Dr. A. Smith added—I do not recommend MacDougall's powder as the best disinfectant.And, upon the third point, he said—Carbolic acid is not MacDougall's powder, but a liquid not manufactured by MacDougall.With regard to the first portion of the Question he had received the following information from Mr. Montagu Bernard, the Secretary to the Commission:—Dr. Angus Smith was the person employed by the Commissioners to report on disinfection and disinfectants. He is an eminent chemist, as every one knows, and had previously turned his attention to the subject. After a long series of experiments on a great number of substances he reported in favour of chlorine, muriatic acid, sulphurous acid, and the two tar acids (otherwise called carbolic, and cresylic acids). On a consideration of his Report the tar acids were deemed by the Commissioners most likely to be efficacious and best suited for general use. They then instructed a younger, but distinguished chemist Mr. W. Crookes, F.R.S., to go to a district where the disease was raging to test in several ways the efficacy of the selected substances, and to ascertain by personal experience the best and simplest modes of using them. Mr. Crookes has been for some time at work and the accounts received from him are very satisfactory. MacDougall's powder is a preparation containing carbolic acid, with sulphites of magnesia and lime. It was among the many substances tested by Dr. Angus Smith, and he recommended it as useful in some ways, making no secret of the fact that it had been first produced by himself, together with Mr. MacDougall, ten years ago.In answer to the latter part of the Question, he had to state that the Home Office had no means of forming an opinion in regard to disinfectants, but when the Cattle Diseases Prevention Act was passed the Secretary of State for the Home Department directed a letter to be written to the Royal Commissioners, asking them to furnish him with the best plan for disinfecting premises, &c, from the contagion of the cattle plague. That information was supplied, and it had been circulated throughout the country. Prom the constitution of the Commission, and the manner in which they had directed the experiments to be made, it was impossible to suggest any body of persons better qualified to come to a proper conclusion on the matter.