§ MR. MALLET (Plymouth)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the public service rendered by a Commission of the Royal Society, at the request of the War Office and the Admiralty, in discovering the cause of Malta fever, from which many hundreds annually of our soldiers and sailors on that island till recently suffered; and whether, in view of the importance of this discovery in the annals of preventive medicine, inasmuch as at the present moment the disease has been entirely stamped out, he will consider the desirability
§ tively, of the Royal Engineers serving with the colours on the 1st October, 1905, and the 1st January, 1908.
§ MR. HALDANEThe figures are as follow—
§ of giving the thanks of the Government to the Royal Society for this instance of the successful application of British scientific research.
§ MR. HALDANEI am aware of the great service rendered by the Commission in question. The Commission's investigations and the adoption of preventive measures as the outcome of its recommendations have been followed by the practical disappearance of Malta fever from the garrison of the Island. I think that the Royal Society is well aware how genuine is the appreciation of the Government. We owe much to 425 the Royal Society's Commission for the successful issue of this remarkable investigation, and for the excellent results which have followed. These results illustrate the enormous importance of bringing science into our business of government.