§ MR. GRAY (Essex, Maldon)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War how many horses have died from "pinkeye" at Colchester; how many have been affected with it; and what precautions are being taken to prevent its spreading outside the Government stables?
§ LORD ELCHO (Ipswich)I beg also to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the 1st Royal Dragoons and the 10th Royal Hussars are under immediate orders to change their quarters: and whether some of the horses in both these regiments have been suffering from an infectious disease known as "pink-eye"; and, if so, whether the billeting of these regiments in the market towns and other places on their respective lines of route will be a source of considerable danger to the horses of the inhabitants of the districts through which they will pass?
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. E. STANHOPE,) Lincolnshire, HorncastleNo horses have died from "pink eye" at Colchester, but 34 horses 16 of the Royals and 10 of the Army Service Corps have been affected. The last case, however, was on April 25, so that the disease has been arrested. All necessary sanitary precautions have been taken to prevent the disease spreading. The regiments mentioned in the question of the noble Lord were under orders to change their quarters, but as some very recent cases of "pink-eye" have occurred in the 10th Hussars, that regiment has now been ordered to remain at York for the present. The last case in the Royals occurred on April 25, and they therefore had started to relieve the 10th at York. They will now, however, be recalled to Colchester.