§ DR. CLARK (Caithness)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board (1) whether his attention has been called to the Report on sanitary measures in India for 1894–5, as to the use of lymph preserved with glycerine, in which it is stated that in the Madras Presidency preserved lymph 526 is largely used, no fewer than 642,296 persons were vaccinated with lymph preserved with glycerine; that it is therefore no matter of surprise that of these only 89.2 per cent. proved successful cases of vaccination; and that the use of vaccine lymph mixed with glycerine is evidently not only an expensive procedure but disappointing in its results; (2) whether after a fair trial glycerinated lymph has been entirely discontinued in the Calcutta and Darjeeling depôts, the principal reason assigned by the Sanitary Commissioner of Bengal being that glycerine is a nutritive medium for the growth of putrefactive and other germs; (3) whether Sir George Buchanan also held a similar view regarding lymph preserved in glycerine; and (4) whether anything has been done to carry out the suggestion of the Royal Commission that there should be further investigation of this matter; if so, with what results?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. CHAPLIN,) Lincolnshire, SleafordIn reply to the last paragraph of the Question, I stated in detail in the House nearly two months ago the steps which had been taken to carry out the recommendations of the Royal Commission with regard to the further investigation of this matter, and also the results. Those results were eminently satisfactory, and there is really nothing I think which I could add to what I said then. A Report on the preparation and storage of glycerinated calf lymph with a full account of that investigation has also been laid upon the able. With regard to the memorandum referred to in the first paragraph of the Question (relating to India in 1894–95) it does not appear how far the statements are based on reports, which are described as being in many cases absolutely untrustworthy, or under what conditions of laboratory precautions or otherwise the vaccine lymph at that date was mixed with glycerine. I do not understand whether the 89.2 per cent. successes referred to were insertion successes, but, even if they were, they are in striking contrast with the successes reaching 97, 98, and 99 per cent. recorded in the Report I have already referred to, when the material was prepared under conditions of laboratory precautions such as are now being 527 adopted. I am not aware that the use of glycerinated calf lymph has been discontinued on the ground stated in the districts in India which are mentioned, and I am advised that it is not the fact that Sir George Buchanan held the views suggested in the Question.