HC Deb 17 December 1906 vol 167 cc1014-6
MR. LUPTON (Lincolnshire, Sleaford)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that Frederick Henry Geall, of Eastbourne, a new recruit, joined the Coldstream Guards at Caterham, Surrey; that a few clays after joining the Army he died on 13th November, 1906; and that the death certificate gave the causes of death as septicæmia (three days), heart failure and septic tonsilitis; will he say if this recruit had been examined and found healthy and fit for service, and if upon joining he was vaccinated; if so, will he say who performed the operation and from where the vaccine matter was obtained; if any cause for the septicæmia has been ascertained, other than vaccination; and if the vaccine used in this case was matter derived from a diseased calf, and such as often contains flesh-destroying cocci.

I beg also to ask the Secretary of State for War if his attention has been called to the death of Private Alfred Percy Morriss, at Caterham, on the 23rd November, who was a fine healthy man only just enlisted in the Guards, who was vaccinated and died shortly afterwards, with symptoms similar to those of Private Geall, who was certified to have died of blood poisoning; and will he investigate this case, and ascertain the source of the matter used for vaccination.

MR. HALDANE

I would refer my hon. friend to the Answers I gave to the hon. Member for West St. Pancras on Monday and Tuesday last,†which embodied full medical reports on the deaths of these two recruits. All men on enlistment undergo a most searching medical examination, and are not accepted unless they pass it. The vaccination was performed by an officer of the Royal Army Medical Corps at Caterham; and the vaccine was obtained from the Army Vaccine Institute, Aldershot. The lymph at this institute is always preserved in glycerine, and is not issued until the calf has been found healthy on post mortem examination, and the lymph shown to be clean by plate culture. The other vaccinations made from lymph taken from the two calves used for vaccinating privates Geall and Morriss have proved quite satisfactory.

MR. LUPTON

Where is this lymph obtained? Is there any systematic examination of it? Mr. HALDANE: At Aldershot we have an Army Vaccine Institute, which makes a scientific investigation of the lymph before it is used. The lymph is kept in glycerine.

MR. LUPTON

Where is it obtained?

MR. HALDANE

From the calf.

MR. LUPTON

Have they calves at Aldershot or some other place?

MR. HALDANE

Yes, we have proper and sufficient calves.

MR. LUPTON

Could the right hon. Gentleman discover any other cause for blood poisoning in these cases than vaccination?

MR. HALDANE

Judging from the fact that many other soldiers have been successfully vaccinated, we gather that the deaths were due to something else than the vaccine.

MR. LUPTON

What was it produced the blood poisoning?

MR. SPEAKER

How can the right hon. Gentleman answer that?