§ 91. Mr. W. THORNEasked the President of the Local Government Board whether the reports of the medical inspectors of the Board who investigated the outbreaks of cow-pox at Frome in 1909, Sudbury in 1909, Oundle in 1911, and Ash-ton in 1911, have been published; if not, will he explain why this has not been done; whether the inspectors traced the cause of any of the outbreaks; if so, what was such cause; whether any experimental investigations were carried out for the purpose of ascertaining if any of the cows had been infected by milkers suffering 43 from syphilis; and whether the outbreaks were taken advantage of to add to the strains of vaccine lymph manufactured by the Board?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELOf the outbreaks referred to in the question only one (namely, that at Frome) was investigated by an inspector of the Local Government Board. The origin of this outbreak of cow-pox could not definitely be ascertained, and it was not considered necessary to publish the report. There is no basis for the suggestion that the cows had been infected by the milkers, and I may mention that the affected cowmen were attacked subsequently to the cows on which they attended. No fresh strains of vaccine lymph were obtained in connection with the outbreak.