§ Sir ALFRED YEO (by Private Notice)asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been called to a very serious state of affairs in connection with the ex-Government stores being dumped at Bell Wharf, Bromley-by-Bow, E., and the reported death of one woman working in the wharf and the isolation of five other persons from the same place, one of whom is in the service of the Medical Officer of Health of the Poplar Council, and what steps he proposes to take, if any, to rid the neighbourhood of the cause of the outbreak, as the matter is causing much alarm to the inhabitants?
§ The MINISTER of HEALTH (Dr. Addison)Yes, Sir. I am aware of this case, and the Ministry in conjunction with the sanitary authorities has been taking active steps for some time past in endeavouring to check the spread of infection from the different centres to which it has been traced from the source indicated amongst, I regret to say, a population largely unvaccinated.
§ Sir A. YEOWill the right hon. Gentleman take steps to have this dump burned, in order that the disease may be stamped out? Otherwise, there will be more outbreaks, and more serious trouble for the Health Department?
§ Dr. ADDISONThe value of the stores dumped is about a quarter of a million. The small-pox has now spread to various other places in the district, so that burning the dump would not remove the danger.
§ Sir A. YEOIs not the life of this poor woman worth more than a quarter of a million pounds?
§ Dr. ADDISONIt would not restore the woman to life to burn the dump.
§ Sir A. YEOBut it would save others from being buried.