§ MR. BAYLEY (Derbyshire, Chesterfield)I beg to ask the Under Secretary 729 of State for War whether his attention has been called to the death of Joseph Donovan, a private in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, who, according to the findings of a coroner's inquest at Derby on 3rd March, died on 11th February from pneumonia, secondary to pemphigus following vaccination; whether, in view of the fact that another soldier at Pontefract suffered during the same month from this rare disease supervening on vaccination, he will cause a strict investigation to be made into the source of the lymph used, in accordance with the recommendation of the jury; and whether he will advise that compensation be paid to the deceased's widowed mother on account of the loss of her son.
*MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMS (for Mr. Wyndham)Yes, Sir. There were three cases in all, two of which proved fatal. A careful inquiry is being made into these cases. The lymph used was from three different calves, and from these same calves lymph was used in the vaccination of over 16,000 cases without any other unfavourable reports. No award from Army funds can be granted as compensation; but if the man's mother was dependent on him for support, the Patriotic Fund will be able to help her.