WCP5209

Frith Hill, Godalming

June 14^th 1884

Dear Sir

I informed Mr. Tebb¹ when sending him my paper that the reason I did not wish to put my name to my little paper on the Vaccination question² was, that the facts, which are the essence of it, were taken from others at second hand & that I have no means of verifying them without an amount of labour & loss of time which I cannot give I merely thought that the striking facts given by many of your best writers were too much overlaid with collateral matter & argumentative discussion & that thousands of busy men w[oul]^d. not give the time & attention necessary [2] to read & understand them. I thought that a brief & condensed statement of the essential facts which demonstrate the weaknesses of vaccination & its horrible risks, might be more widely read, & startle many into further enquiry. I believe my paper will do this without my name,— but, I am quite willing to put my name to it if you will first enable me to verify the facts & figures from the original authorities. No doubt you have these in your possession & if you will look them out, mark the pages, & have them in order so that in an hour at your office I can [3] myself verify the figures & statistics, I will then agree to put my name to the paper if the Society wish to publish it. Some later Army & Navy ^Medical statistics are also needed which Mr. Tebb said he w[oul]^d. try to get.

Believe me | Yours faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

Mr. Young Esq.³