§ Mr. BENTHAMasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether a record is kept of the condition as regards inoculation of every soldier; if not, how are the statistics compiled showing the condition as regards inoculation of men who contract typhoid fever; and if such record is kept why is not information concerning the condition of soldiers as regards inoculation available when they develop diseases which are certified as other than typhoid fever?
§ Mr. TENNANTInstructions have been given for these records to be kept, but as the compilation of these statistics would entail a considerable amount of labour, I regret that in the present pressure of work I do not feel justified in placing this additional strain upon the medical officers of my Department.
§ Mr. ROWLANDSasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether any vaccine or other inoculatory process is employed with a view to protect the troops from typhus fever or cholera, or whether reliance is placed upon the ordinary sanitary precautions against those diseases?
§ Mr. TENNANTNothing is known at the War Office of inoculation against typhus, but as regards cholera vaccine treatment is regularly carried out in India in face of epidemics, and in the event of an outbreak of cholera the War Office has ample supplies of the vaccine ready for immediate use.
§ Mr. BARNESasked the Under-Secretary of State for War how many of the sixty-two cases of, and twenty-six deaths from, cerebro-meningitis amongst the British troops in the United Kingdom from 1st August, 1914, to 31st January, 1915, had been inoculated with antityphoid vaccine, and the length of time that elapsed from the last inoculation to the development of spotted fever?
§ Mr. TENNANTTo obtain the information asked for by the hon. Member would entail a very considerable amount of work to the hospital staffs, who are already580W working at high pressure, and I trust that in the circumstances the hon. Member will not press the question.