13. Mr. CHANCELLORasked the, Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the case of a twice-inoculated soldier suffering from trench fever, whose case was diagnosed as pyrexia; whether, in the case of inoculated men, trench fever will in future be given that name instead of typhoid; and whether careful records will be kept of all such cases and made available after the War?
§ Mr. TENNANTI have seen a newspaper cutting which was forwarded to me by my hon. Friend, but the cutting was useless as a basis for any investigation as it contained no details by which the soldier in question could be identified. On the general question I can assure my hon. 302 Friend that careful records of all cases of trench fever are being preserved, but I must repudiate the suggestion that men suffering from typhoid will be diagnosed as suffering from trench fever. The Army medical authorities, who desire scientific accuracy as much as my hon. Friend does, will not diagnose cases as trench fever unless the results of the bacteriological examination justify such a diagnosis. The subject of trench fever is being investigated at the present time.
14. Mr. CHANCELLORasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that, on 25th August, Private Gillies, Territorial, was awarded 21 days' confinement for refusing to be vaccinated; whether this punishment for the exercise of a legal right is authorised; if not, whether the officer commanding the Second Western General Hospital, Manchester, who awarded it, has been reprimanded; and what steps will be taken to recompense this soldier for the wrong he has suffered, and to protect other soldiers from similar conduct at the hands of their officers?
§ Mr. TENNANTMy hon. Friend has, I fear, been imperfectly informed. Private Gillies' offence for which he was awarded twenty-one days' confinement to barracks was not refusing to be vaccinated, but refusing to obey a military order to parade and inciting other men to refuse to parade or to be vaccinated. I do not think there is any ground for interference with the action taken in this case, nor does any claim for compensation arise.