HC Deb 10 February 1902 vol 102 cc855-7
MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, whether, seeing the importance of all persons being vaccinated and re-vaccinated with vaccine lymph of guaranteed quality made in this country, and not obtained from abroad or from other sources which are not so guaranteed, he will take steps to provide with the least possible delay an adequate supply of Goverment lymph, so that every qualified medical practitioner shall be able to purchase such Government lymph in such quantities as he may require, and at a price just sufficient to pay the cost of its production.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. WALTER LONG,) Bristol, S.

Having regard to the interest felt in all matters connected with smallpox at the present time, perhaps I may be allowed to make a short statement in answer to this question. The duty undertaken by the Government in 1898 was to provide lymph for primary vaccination by Public Vaccinators, and this duty I may say has been completely fulfilled. It has also been the desire of the Government, as far as possible, to provide Public Vaccinators with lymph for re-vaccinations, and this has been done to the utmost extent practicable. In ordinary times it has been found sufficient to issue from 8,000 to 10,000 charges of lymph weekly. Since, however, the epidemic of smallpox began, this output has been largely increased, and the establishment is now producing some 50,000 charges a week. I may explain that there are several difficulties in connection with the manufacture of glycerinated lymph. In the first place it is not possible to store it to any large extent because the period for which it will keep is uncertain, and I may state that when the demand, in consequence of the outbreak of smallpox, began to increase, there was in reserve the full amount which it was thought practicable to retain. Further, the lymph takes some weeks to mature, especially as it is of importance that all practicable means should be used to test its efficiency and purity before it is issued. Moreover there is great fluctuation in the demand, owing to the habit of so many persons to defer vaccination until smallpox is imminent. Thus in a single fortnight recently the applications for lymph from Public Vaccinators, which had previously risen to four times the normal demand, suddenly more than doubled. From the inquiries which I have caused to be made, I understand that an ample supply of glycerinated calf lymyh can be obtained from unofficial sources, and that there is no reason to doubt that it is satisfactory in quality. It would, I think, be unfortunate at this moment to enter into competition with private enterprise in this matter. Looking to the considerations I have mentioned, I do not see my way at the present time to accede to the suggestion of my hon. friend.

MR. BARTLEY

Is there any guarantee of the unofficial lymph, that it is really efficient?

MR. WALTER LONG

There is no guarantee either of the official or of the unofficial lymph. Two years ago there was an independent inquiry by the Lancet of the lymph generally supplied, and they found considerable fault with the lymph supplied by the Local Government Board, and placed it fifth on the list. It is impossible to guarantee lymph. What the Local Government Board does is to secure that the utmost care is taken in its preparation, in the hope that it will prove efficacious. The lymph provided privately for commercial purposes is of excellent quality, and is at present as good as much of that supplied by ourselves.

MR. JOSEPH A. PEASE (Essex, Saffron Walden)

asked whether it was the fact that a large quantity of lymph had recently been obtained from the French Government owing to an insufficient supply being obtainable from His Majesty's Government.

MR. WALTER LONG

No, Sir, certainly not. I am not aware that any lymph was supplied by the French Government. There is a considerable manufacture of lymph in France, and so far as we know it is of a very satisfactory character; but the supply of lymph from France through merchants in this country has nothing to do with the Government having a home supply.