§ SIR W. J. COLLINS (St. Pancras, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the death of Frederick Henry Geall, aged 19, who recently joined the Coldstream Guards at Caterham; whether he is aware that the cause of death was certified to be septic poisoning; to what cause the fatal disease was attributable; and whether any other recruits have been similarly infected.
§ MR. HALDANEPrivate Geall, Coldstream Guards, died of septicæmia following ulcerated sore throat at Caterham on the 13th ultimo. On the 21st November, Private A. Morris, of the same regiment, was admitted to the hospital with malignant scarlet fever and died on the 24th, the local medical officer of health agreeing in the diagnosis. The similarity of the throat symptoms in these two cases point to the probability of Private Geall's death being due to scarlet fever, although the actual symptoms at the time of death did not justify such a diagnosis. Although it has not been possible to trace the origin of the disease in either case, it is thought that Morris derived his infection from Geall or at least from the same source. There have been several recent cases of scarlet fever in the neighbourhood of the barracks, some occurring in the street immediately behind them. The room in which these men died has been thoroughly disinfected and all the other prescribed measures 1545 have been taken. No further cases of scarlet fever have occurred up to the present.
§ MR. LUPTON (Lincolnshire, Sleaford)Is it not the fact that this was a healthy young man who, vaccinated with lymph from a diseased calf, died a few days after from blood poisoning?
§ MR. HALDANEThe diagnosis points to a very different conclusion.
§ MR. LUPTONBut was not septicæmia —blood poisoning—the cause of death?
§ MR. HALDANEI have told the hon. Member the view of the doctor.