73. Mr. CHANCELLORasked what was the average death-rate, from typhoid per 1,000 strength in the Indian Army in the years 1895 to 1900 and in the year 1903?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe average death-rate from typhoid per 1,000 strength among the British troops in India for the years mentioned are as follows:
1895 … 5.61 per 1,000 strength. 1896 … 6.31 per 1,000 strength. 1897 … 8.62 per 1,000 strength. 1898 … 10.04 per 1,000 strength. 1899 … 5.14 per 1,000 strength. 1900 … 4.77 per 1,000 strength. 1903 … 4.19 per 1,000 strength.
74. Mr. CHANCELLORasked at what date inoculation or vaccination against typhoid fever was introduced into the Indian Army?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe earliest known inoculation against typhoid fever in the British Army in India was in 1898. This was an initial attempt which was discontinued after the South African war, and it was reintroduced in 1905.
75. Mr. CHANCELLORasked how many of the 1,508 cases of pneumonia and sixty-two cases of cerebro-spinal meningitis which have occurred since 1st August, 1914, among the British troops in the United Kingdom were preceded by anti-typhoid inoculation or vaccination?
§ Mr. TENNANTAs the compilation of these statistics would entail a considerable amount of labour, I regret that in the present pressure of work I do not feel justified in placing this additional strain upon the medical officers of my Department.
76. Mr. CHANCELLORasked how many cases of and how many deaths from typhoid per 1,000 strength occurred in the American Army in the years 1898 and 1900 respectively; and to what cause or causes he assigns the difference?
§ Mr. TENNANTI regret I am unable to give the information asked for by my hon. Friend, as the American text book available does not mention the figures for the years named.
77. Mr. CHANCELLORasked how many were inoculated and uninoculated, respectively, of the 262 cases and 47 deaths from typhoid among British troops in the United Kingdom from 1st August, 1914, to 31st January, 1915?
§ Mr. TENNANTOf the 262 cases twenty-five were inoculated and 237 uninoculated. Of the forty-seven deaths two were inoculated and forty-five uninoculated.
78. Mr. CHANCELLORasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will instruct military sanitary officers, in recording all future cases of typhoid fever in the Army, whether at home or abroad, to report not only on the one factor, inoculation, but on all important factors, particularly the condition as to purity or pollution of food and water consumed by the patient before the attack, and the state of sanitation, so that scientific statistics of this disease may be compiled from which the truth can be learned?
§ Mr. TENNANTYes, Sir; this is already carried out.
§ 89. Mr. GEORGE GREENWOODasked the Under-Secretary for War whether he is aware that the forty-seven deaths from typhoid fever in 262 cases amongst the British troops in the United Kingdom from 1st August, 1914, to 31st January, 1915, represent a case fatality rate of 17.9 per cent., whereas the forty-nine deaths in 625 cases amongst the Expeditionary Force from 1st August, 1914, to 11th February, 1915, only represent a case fatality rate of 7.8 per cent.; and can he explain why the case fatality rate at Home is more than double that at the seat of war, seeing the better conditions which prevail in the United Kingdom and the better facilities for the performance of inoculation?
§ Mr. TENNANTI regret I am unable to explain this apparent anomaly.