Vaccination : is it worthy of national support? Verbatim report of a public discussion in South Place Chapel, Finsbury, London, on ... 28th May, 1878. George Wylde, ..., and asserting the affirmative, and Alexander Wheeler maintaining the negative, under the presidency of Sir Thomas Chambers.

  • Wyld, George, 1821-1906.
Date:
1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Vaccination : is it worthy of national support? Verbatim report of a public discussion in South Place Chapel, Finsbury, London, on ... 28th May, 1878. George Wylde, ..., and asserting the affirmative, and Alexander Wheeler maintaining the negative, under the presidency of Sir Thomas Chambers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    DISCUSSION ON VACCINATION. .>o>ei<x On Tuesday evening, 28th May, 1878, a Discussion on the ques- tion, Is Vaccination worthy of National Support? took place in South Place Chapel, Finsbury, London. The Right Hon. Sir Thomas Chambers, M.P., Recorder of the City of London, pre- sided; and Dr. George Wyld, of Great Cumberland Place, Hyde Park, supported the affirmative; whilst Mr. Alexander Wheeler, a member of the Society of Friends, of Darlington, maintained the negative. Amongst the audience, and on the platform, were observed many prominent Anti-Vaccinators from various parts of the kingdom, including Mr. William Tebb, of London, the origi- nator of the discussion; Dr. Collins; Dr. Pearce; Dr. Haughton; Dr. T. L. Nichols ; Dr. Pratt, of Durham ; Dr. Pearce, of Sunder- land; Mr. Thos. Baker, barrister; Col. Clinton, of Royston ; Mr, Charles Gillett, of Banbury; Alderman Rees, J.P., of Dover; Mr. Lucas, of Brighton ; Mr. Lewis, of Ipswich; Mr. Thurlow, of Sudbury; Mr. Martin, of Lewes; Mr. Henry Pitman ; Mr. William Young, Mr. William White, and Miss Chandos Leigh Hunt. The Chairman, in his opening remarks, expressed the pleasure which it gave him to preside, although he did so at some incon- venience. The subject for discussion was a very important one, and it had been frequently discussed in Parliament. It touched the public health, for there had been serious epidemics of small- pox. He would not go into the question ; it had two sides. The occurrence of small-pox after vaccination required to be accounted for. There were strong temptations to say that those who died were either unvaccinated or imperfectly vaccinated. To say that a person who died of small-pox after vaccination was imperfectly vaccinated, was to give up the argument, or to suppose that the listener was ignorant of the subject. These discrepancies in tlie evidence required to be explained. Hence the value oi such discussions in enlightening the public mind. Mr. Wheeler he met for the first time; Dr. Wyld he had known for many years.