§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether there are three sorts of vaccine lymph in use by medical men, viz.: (1) Humanised lymph passing through the systems of the million since the time of Jenner; (2) Small-pox virus taken from the human patient and put into a cow, as propagated for Government use by Dr. Badcock, of Brighton, and Dr. Ceely, of Aylesbury; (3) Animal vaccine or calf-lymph, prepared by Dr. Renner; whether any lymph allowed by Government is guaranteed to be free from humanised or animal diseases, or all alike, or all productive of exactly the same results; and, whether, under the system of compulsory vaccination, parents have to submit to the vaccination of their children with anything the vaccinating officer supplies, even though he be incapable of saying what its origin is, and without guarantee that it is free from hereditary taint, tubercular disease, or scrofula, or any of its cognates?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLGovernment has nothing to do with any lymph but that which it supplies from its own establishment. This is of two kinds—the one collected from children's arms by approved vaccinators in various parts of the country and examined at the Board offices; the other cultivated from calf to calf at the Board's station at Lamb's Conduit Street. These are known as the humanised lymph and the animal lymph (of the establishment) respectively. Government is always on the watch for every indication of the quality of the lymph which is supplied. No reason appears for supposing that any variety of it can cause any disease except vaccinia, or any other result than to protect from small-pox. Public vaccinators are required to keep a record of the source from which they obtain their lymph, and a failure to comply with this requirement would render them liable to penalties.
§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked whether the Government declined to guarantee any kind of lymph used by its officers; and whether parents had a right to be informed as to the origin of the particular lymph used?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLsaid, he thought he had made it clear that the 1644 Government did its best to secure that that which it supplied should be free from suspicion. [Mr. ARTHUR O'CONNOR: It does not guarantee it.] He did not see that there could be any more positive guarantee. The Notice of the Question only appeared on the Paper that morning; but if the hon. Member desired further particulars, he would do his best to supply them.