DR. CAMERONasked the Secretary to the Local Government Board, Whether his attention has been called to the experimental test of the efficacy of the system of protective vaccination against cholera, at present being carried on by Dr. Ferran at Alcira, an insular town of the province of Valencia; whether he has been made aware that, of the 16,000 inhabitants of Alcira, Dr. Ferran asserts that between the 1st and 18th of the present month 5,432 have been inoculated according to his method, and that among them the number attacked with cholera has been 7, or 1 in every 776 persons, and the number of deaths nil; while, among the uninoculated remainder, the number of attacks has been 64, or 1 in every 163 persons, and the number of deaths 30, or 1 in every 352 persons; whether he is aware that Dr. Ferran is desirous that an English Commission should be appointed to verify the results he claims; and, whether, in view of the re-appearance of cholera in the South of France, and the special importance of questions relating to that disease to Great Britain as possessor of India, he will consider the 1148 propriety of nominating a small Commission to visit Alcira, and Report?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLI am aware that Dr. Ferran is testing the efficacy of the system known as "protective vaccination against cholera;" and I have seen a telegram from him containing the statement of facts mentioned in the Question, and asking that an English Commission may be sent out. We are considering whether we can comply with this request; but the telegram was only placed in our hands yesterday. I will, however, at once bring the proposal under the notice of the Secretary of State for India, as India is even more directly interested than England in means for the prevention of cholera.