Ɛpsilon

WCP3056

Letter (WCP3056.3024)

[1]1

GARFIELD

WORKINGTON

Cumberland

Mar. 10 /98

Dear Sir,

I saw it stated some weeks ago in the Review of reviews that you were on the point of publishing a pamphlet2 on the Vaccination question. And as I was much interested, and informed too, by a previous pamphlet3 of yours — now many years ago — on the same subject. I made a note to ask you some day when publication is likely to occur: & this accordingly I now take the liberty of doing.

I have long been most bitterly opposed to this compulsory Vacc: Law; Ever since reading — (and I believe [2] even previous to that) the late venerable F. W. Newman’s4 pamphlet on the subject. It seems horrible that in A.D. 1898, — & in England too — a man or woman shd. actually be sent to gaol for insisting on keeping his hitherto healthy child in good, pure, cleanly condition as long as possible!

I often wish I were as rich as I am poor: — and I wd. (on the quiet) pay all fines in such cases: & "agitate, agitate, agitate" at the same time for the repeal of the act of Parlt.

I am, Dr. Sir, | yours very respectfully | D. Harkness5 [signature]

1
In ARW’s handwriting, "Answd." The letter has not been found.
2
Wallace, A. R. 1898. Mr. A. R. Wallace and vaccination. Lancet, vol. 1, nos. 3891(26 March), p. 894.
3
Wallace, A. R. 1898. Vaccination a Delusion; Its Penal Enforcement a Crime: Proved by the Official Evidence in the Reports of the Royal Commission (18 Feb.), p. 353. Swan Sonnenschein & Co., Ltd., London. (According to My Life (Vol. 2, p. 353), "brought out" as a booklet for distribution in Jan. 1898); pp. (1)-96; 12 fold-out diagrams. (Smith).
4
Newman, Francis William (1805-1897). British writer and anti-vaccinationist.
5
Harkness has not been identified.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3056.3024)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by O'Dell, Sandra [2015-02-27] Transcription checked by Benny, Ruth [2015-02-27] Transcription checked by Sherwood, Danni [2020-08-10] Transcription checked by Chua, Christine [2026-04-18]

Please cite as “WCP3056,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3056