§ MR. HOPWOODasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether his attention has been directed to the vaccination on board the Catalia Hospital Ship, of a child when only three hours old, and the re-vaccination of the same child when three days old, on both occasions unsuccessfully, the reason alleged being that the mother had been attacked with small-pox; whether he, or his predecessor in office, have expressed, or will express, disapproval of such treatment of infants; and, whether the child in this case had small pox and recovered, though vaccination was ineffective?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR)The mother was received on board the hospital ship suffering from small-pox, and the child was horn 12 days after her admission. The infant was vaccinated on the day of birth, and again two days later unsuccessfully, and afterwards had small-pox. The medical superintendent stated that he vaccinated the child in the hope of averting an attack of small-pox communicated after birth; but it was afterwards found that the disease had developed before the child's birth, and 1186 that the child was consequently protected against vaccination. I see no reason to doubt that the medical superintendent acted rightly in causing vaccination and re-vaccination of the infant.