§ SIR W. WEDDERBURN (Banffshire)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, whether, between July 1898 and March 1899, 33 soldiers have been sent from India to the Pasteur Institute at Paris to be treated for hydrophobia; and, if so, at what cost to the State and with what result; and whether he will obtain the figures showing how many cases of death from hydrophobia have been reported in the Indian Army during the last ten years previous to these dates?
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIAThe reply to the first part of the honourable Member's Question is "Yes." The payments in this country on this account were about £10 a man, and the results have been, so far as I am aware, very satisfactory. I have no information as to the total payments in India. In the 10 years from 1888 to 1897 there were 23 deaths of British soldiers in India from hydrophobia.
§ SIR W. WEDDERBURNI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that Buisson baths have been established at various centres in India for the sudorific treatment of persons bitten by dogs supposed to be suffering from rabies; and whether a trial has been given to these baths by the Indian medical authorities; if so, with what result?
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIAI am aware that Buisson baths 710 have been established in India; but the opinions of the Indian medical authorities, so far as they have been received, are not favourable as to the efficacy of this form of treatment of hydrophobia.