§ Sir CLEMENT K1NLOCH-COOKE (by Private Notice)asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the serious outbreak at Cambridge of cerebro-spinal meningitis among the young naval officers; whether several deaths have occurred at the military hospital, and whether he can make any statement on the subject?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)I regret to say that there has been an outbreak of cerebro-spinal fever among the young naval officers at Cambridge. The facts are as follow:
Naval officers went to Cambridge on the 31st January. On the 5th February there were sixty cases amongst them of influenza, of whom fifty-four were treated in one ward in No. 1Eastern General Hospital. These were all making a good recovery until on the 13th and 14th February eight developed cerebro-spinal fever. At this time there was no cerebro-spinal fever in Cambridge and the disease was apparently contracted from a "carrier." Two other cases developed cerebro-spinal fever, and the infection of one was traced to a previous case of this disease; the other was contracted outside Cambridge. It will thus be seen that nine cases out of the ten contracted the disease whilst in No. 1 Eastern General Hospital. Of these ten cases, I am sorry to say, five have died.
All these cases have been isolated and nursed in the Military Hospital at Cambridge, and Colonel Griffiths, A.M.S., allowed them to be treated in that hospital and not sent to the usual hospital at Tring, thus saving a long journey by ambulance.
1923 The military authorities placed the services of Captain E. H. Shaw, R.A.M.C., military specialist in cerebro-spinal fever, at the disposal of Colonel Griffiths for the treatment, and Surgeon Rear-Admiral Sir Humphrey Rolleston was sent up by our medical authorities on receiving the first report from Cambridge, and has made frequent visits since. The Medical Research Committee have supplied the special serum used in the treatment.
I am advised that the epidemic is considered to be well in hand, and everything possible has been done for the patients. The last case was notified on 24th February at Cambridge, and there have been no fresh cases since the 7th March, and that was one which was infected outside Cambridge.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKECan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Admiralty have been successful in tracing the carrier?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI should like to ask the Medical Director-General that question. I saw him this morning.