HC Deb 17 August 1893 vol 16 cc410-1
SIR H. ROSCOE (Manchester, S.)

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been called to a resolution passed at the Public Medicine Section of the British Medical Association meeting at Newcastle, on 2nd August, in which they recommend that it lie referred to the Parliamentary Bills Committee to take such steps as may be desirable to approach the British and Foreign Governments with a view to obtain their intervention in securing measures for the suppression of cholera at the Hurdwar and other Indian fairs, and at the Mecca pilgrimage, and that for this purpose also due submission of the facts be made to His Majesty the Sultan; and whether ho will be willing to give the assistance requested in promoting efforts to chock the extension of cholera at and from these religious festivals, and to co-operate with other European Governments and His Majesty the Sultan in providing measures for arresting the extension of cholera by inspection of pilgrims at the respective Indian ports of exit prior to embarking on the pilgrimages, and of obtaining the assent and assistance of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan of Turkey towards taking corresponding steps at Mecca in respect both to the sanitation of that holy place during the periods of pilgrimage, and the due inspection and sanitation of the laud stations of caravans passing overland as well as at Jeddah and El Tor?

*MR. G. RUSSELL

The Secretary of State for India has not yet seen the resolution mentioned in my hon. Friend's question; but ho has seen abstract reports of some of the proceedings and addresses at the meeting. The Government of India has for some years past made effort to prevent the occurrence of epidemic cholera at, and its spread from, the great fairs and religious gatherings by instituting strict sanitary control at and around such fairs and gatherings. He is glad to say that the great fair at Hurdwar in the present year passed off without spreading cholera. These efforts will be continued by all authorities in India. Regarding the cholera at the Moslem holy places, the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has recently given answers in this House. So far as the assistance of the Government of India can second the arrangements of the Porte for preventing the occurrence of cholera at Mecca, Medina, and the Red Sea ports, such assistance will be readily given.