MR. J. A. SMITHsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether the Statement which has appeared in several of the papers in reference to the outbreak of yellow fever in the Mauritius is well founded; and, if so, whether the unusual rate of mortality reported has occurred; and, whether any steps have been taken to draw the attention of the Government to the possible extension of the disease to India?
§ MR. ADDERLEY, in reply, said, that no despatches had beer, received on the subject. The information referred to had been brought by private letter by the French mail, and official despatches were expected every hour. He was afraid that the information was too true. He had received an extract from a private letter fully corroborating what appeared in the papers. It appeared that the mortality had been very great—250 a day in Port Louis alone—and up to the 17th of April 13,000 had died. Such a thing had never occurred before. Yellow fever had never broken out East of the Cape of Good Hope until now. A mortality of 13,000 in a population of 300,000 was certainly very alarming. The last information received was to the effect that the weather had changed, the disease was on the decrease, and every means had been taken to mitigate it. The troops had been moved to an out-station, and among them there had been very little mortality. The despatches, which were hourly expected, would doubtless bring more detailed information. As to the second part of the Question, he would refer the hon. Member to his (Mr. Adderley's) right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for India.
§ SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTEsaid, that no information on the subject had been received at the India Office, but attention having been called to the matter, he had telegraphed to the Governors of Madras, Bombay, and Bengal, directing that all necessary precautions should be taken; and he was sure that measures would be adopted for enforcing quarantine and preventing the introduction of the disease into India.