§ Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, in November, 1926, the medical officer of health for Mexborough ordered the removal to hospital of Mrs. Roberts, who had been confined six days previously, stating that she was suffering from smallpox; that Mrs. Roberts was fully recovered three weeks later; that it was suggested that a home should be found for the six-days-old baby whilst its mother was in hospital, but at the urgent request of the mother it was taken to hospital with her and vaccinated two days later; is he aware that it died at the age of two months and will he state to what the hospital, doctor certified the death to be due?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI understand that the facts are generally as stated in the question. The death of the child was certified as due to (1) small-pox (2) cellulitis of right leg.
§ Mr. WINDSORasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the medical officer of health for Sheffield has stated that, in spite of the utmost precaution on the part of the vaccinators, vaccination during the recent small-pox, scare produced severe reaction, causing temporary illness and a good deal of swelling and pain; whether similar reactions have followed vaccination in other towns; and whether he will stop the issue of vaccine lymph which may cause illness of this kind?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs regards the first two parts of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answers, given on this subject to the hon. Members for Stratford (Mr. Groves) and Middlesbrough West (Mr. T. Thomson) 579W on the 24th February. As regards the last part, I am advised that the results obtained from the use in Sheffield of the vaccine lymph issued by the Government Lymph Establishment have been uniformly successful, and among the many thousands of vaccinations performed with this lymph no case has been reported to my Department in which a severe reaction has been attributed to the lymph. I have no control at present over proprietary lymphs, but regulations for the standardisation of all vaccine lymphs used in this country will come into force when the Therapeutic Substances Act, 1925, becomes operative.
§ Colonel DAYasked the Minister of Health the number of small-pox cases that have been notified in Great Britain for the three months ended to the last convenient date?
DEATHS FROM INFLUENZA—ENGLAND AND WALKS.—PROVISIONAL FIGURES. Towns of over 200,000 population. During the four weeks ended— Total. 25th December, 1926. 22nd January, 1927. 19th February, 1927. 105 Great Towns … … 249 1,055 3,292 4,596 London … … 61 423 754 1,238 Birmingham … … 9 20 42 71 Liverpool … … 9 16 39 64 Manchester … … 11 22 36 69 Sheffield … … 5 15 21 41 Leeds … … 8 10 23 41 Bristol … … 8 15 146 169 West Ham … … 3 12 60 75 Hull … … 1 5 27 33 Bradford … … 2 3 31 36 Newcastle-on-Tyne … … 3 5 7 15 Stoke-upon-Trent … … 1 2 19 22 Nottingham … … 1 1 91 93 Salford … … 1 6 16 23 Leicester … … — 4 46 50 Portsmouth … … 3 5 24 32 Cardiff … … 9 22 52 76