§ Mr. GROVESasked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many cases of spotted fever or other illness have occurred in H.M.S. "Furious"; and whether any of the patients had been vaccinated or inoculated and, if so, on what dates during their period of service?
Lord STANLEYDuring 1933, 227 officers and men were treated on the sick list in His Majesty's Ship "Furious" for a variety of injuries and diseases, chiefly catarrh, of which there were 74 cases. No case of spotted fever occurred during that year, but there was one case in January, 1934, the rating affected being landed at the Isolation Hospital, Gibraltar. I regret that I have not yet any information as to whether he had been vaccinated or inoculated. Unless they object on conscientious grounds, all officers and men are re-vaccinated at intervals of five years, and are also inoculated against the typhoid group before a ship proceeds abroad and at intervals during the period of foreign service. It is not the custom to inoculate against spotted fever.