§ 12. Mr. OSWALD LEWISasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to the paragraph in the statistical report of the health of the Navy for 1927, in which the medical officer of His Majesty's Ship "Lupin," commenting upon the fact that only teetotalers succumbed to an outbreak of beri-beri in the Persian Gulf, infers that the drinking of beer enabled the others to resist this disease; and whether he will take steps to see that ample facilities are provided for all ranks to obtain this remedy when on tropical stations in future?
Mr. ALEXANDERThe number of cases in the outbreak referred to was so small that it is not legitimate to draw any far-reaching conclusions from them. Every endeavour is made to provide naval personnel serving on tropical stations with a diet containing a sufficiency of those food factors which protect against beri-beri and similar diseases.
Dr. VERNON DAVIESIn view of the fact that on this particular ship they were not able to procure this particular food and found the local beer an excellent substitute, will the right hon. Gentleman see that arrangements are made for the provision of this substitute?