§ Mr. C. DUNCANasked the President of the Local Government Board whether the calves that are used for providing lymph for vaccination purposes are afterwards sold as veal; if so, whether he can see his way to putting an end to such a practice; and, if not, what becomes of these animals after they are no longer used for lymph?
§ Mr. BURNSAfter slaughter each calf is carefully examined by a veterinary surgeon, and the veal from those animals which are found to be free from disease is sold. There is no reason to doubt that such veal is perfectly wholesome.
§ Mr. C. DUNCANWhat proportion of the calves were not used for human food?
§ Mr. C. DUNCANasked the President of the Local Government Board whether, since the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis have reported that bovine tuberculosis is communicable to human beings as well as animals, he will say whether any, and, if any, what, precautions are taken to prevent the danger that cancer and consumption may be spread by vaccination with calf-lymph, seeing that the calves used are inoculated from other calves, and anyone in the series may therefore transmit the germs of tuberculosis?
§ Mr. BURNSEach calf, after vaccination and abstraction of the lymph from the vesicles, is sent to be slaughtered, and is then carefully examined by a veterinary surgeon. The lymph is not issued for use unless the veterinary surgeon certifies that the calf was free from disease. In addition to this primary precaution, there is the further fact that the lymph is glycerinated; and it has been proved by the experimental addition of tubercle bacilli to vaccine lymph that the glycerine destroys such tubercle bacilli. Before issue all lymph is bacteriologically examined and tested. There is no evidence whatever pointing to the possibility that cancer—a disease chiefly of late adult life—can be spread by vaccination.
§ Mr. HUDSONasked the President of the Local Government Board if his attention has been called to the rapidly chang- 570 ing conditions of vaccination officers by reason of the increase in exemptions from vaccination of children; and whether he will consider the whole question of payment, with a view of recommending the same payments to such officers for completing exemption returns as paid for vaccination returns?
§ Mr. BURNSI am aware of the increase in the number of exemptions from vaccination, and I have in various cases considered the effect which this has had upon the remuneration of vaccintion officers in respect of exemption certifi-officers, but I have not at present seen my way to authorise a fee being paid to vaccination officers in respect of exemption certificates.
§ Mr. HUDSONArising out of the answer of the right hon. Gentleman, is he aware that the income of these vaccination officers is rapidly diminishing? Is it the intention of the Department to bring pressure through these officers upon the people to get vaccination as against exemptions?