§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health what were the ages of the nine persons on whose death certificates the word vaccination, or vaccinia, appeared as the cause or one of the causes of death in 1925 and in 1926; and what were the ages of the eases in 1925 and 1926 in which such certification as the cause of death was subsequently withdrawn?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe ages of the persons referred to in the first part of400W the question were, respectively, 5½ months; 8½ months; 3 months; 5 months; 5 months; 9 weeks; 17 days; 1 month, 6 months. The ages of the persons referred to in the second part were, respectively, 4 months; 4 months; 7 weeks; 1 month.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health whether, in the case in 1925 and the three cases in 1926 in which certification of vaccination, or vaccinia, as the cause of death was subsequently withdrawn by the certifying practitioner, such withdrawal was the, outcome of correspondence with a representative of Somerset House or an official of his Department; and how long after vaccination death took place in these four cases?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, but I should make it clear that the correspondence undertaken by the Registrar-General in these cases consisted solely of a routine inquiry addressed to the certifying practitioner as to whether he was of opinion that the cause of death was in any way associated with vaccination. This is in accordance with the practice which has been followed for many years of addressing inquiries to certifying practitioners respecting any indefinitely certified causes of death. As regards the second part of the question, the period between vaccination and death was seven days in two of the cases, and nine and 17 days, respectively, in the other two.
§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health what were the ages of the 19 persons whose deaths were registered in 1926 as due to small-pox or to small-pox and some other complication; in what districts were they registered; in how many of them was the word small-pox the only cause of death shown on the certificate; and what were the other diseases mentioned on the certificates of those whose deaths were wholly, or mainly, or partly caused by such other diseases although occurring at or shortly following discharge from a small-pox hospital?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIn accordance with the usual practice, detailed information relating to the deaths registered in 1926, in respect of which small-pox was entered on the death certificates by the 401W certifying practitioners, will be given in the forthcoming Annual Report for the year 1926 of the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry.