Correspondence

The file comprises:

Letter (16 August, 1896), 10 Devonshire Street, Portland Place, T J Bokenham to Burroughs Wellcome & Co, informing that "the Secretary of State for the Home Department...has decided NOT to register 40 Charlotte Street as a place where experiments may be performed under the 'Cruelty to Animals' Act." Bokenham argues that "a policy of civility" is unrewarding in contact with the Home Office, and "the best chance of obtaining any concession" is "by claiming as a right" and "NOT by asking for it as a privilege!" Provides the text of his reply to the Home Office, which has already been sent. The letter has annotations in pencil in the hand of Henry Wellcome. Also, a typed copy of the letter.

Copy letter (21 August, 1896), Burroughs Wellcome & Co to Bokenham, asking if, for the present, tests can be continued at 10 Devonshire Street. "Do you think that if the matter is presented to the Home Office as a transfer from 10 Devonshire Street to 40 Charlotte Street there will be the slightest difficulty?"

Letter (21 August, 1896), 10 Devonshire Street, Portland Place, T J Bokenham to Burroughs Wellcome & Co, in reply to theirs of same date, informing that 10 Devonshire Place is also not registered. He has, however, not infringed the Act since, in his judgement, "none of the inoculations...were attended by pain." Meanwhile, he has "enlisted the sympathies of Professor Victor Horsley". Also, a typed copy of the letter.

Brief note in pencil (and also pencil note verso) referring to Victor Horsley. (See letter above.)

Letter (28 August, 1896), 10 Devonshire Street, Portland Place, T J Bokenham to Burroughs Wellcome & Co. "I have secured so much professional sympathy that I have little doubt as to ultimately triumphing [in obtaining registration]: but in the mean time I am left no alternative - as far as the testing operations are concerned - but to entirely ignore the bearings of the Act upon them. This the Home Office well knows, & it will probably shut its eyes to my irregularities!" The letter continues with a progress report on the fitting-out of the laboratory. [Ts, 3 sheets, with shorthand script verso the first sheet.]

Letter fragment, beginning "C. LICENSE FOR VIVISECTION." With pencil annotations in the hand of Henry Wellcome, providing the date of 18 December, 1896, and a note (to Collett Smith) to "Consult Mr C[hune] F[letcher]".

Notes (without date) in Chune Fletcher's hand (The Charterhouse letter-head) listing fundamental questions about registration refusal [1 sheet].

Brief notes in Henry Wellcome's hand referring to Dr Dow[son] - various dates, August to October 1899.

Copy letter (3 February, 1900), University College, Gower Street, G D Thane ("Inspector under the Vivisection Act") to Dr Walter Dowson [WPRL]. "The attention of the Secretary of State has been called to Extracts from an article in 'The Chemist and Druggist' of November 11, 1899, in which it is stated that the testing of antitoxin on animals is carried out on a large scale in the Physiological Research Laboratories at Brockwell Hall, Herne Hill." Requests informal visit.

"Wellcome Physiological-research Laboratories," The Chemist and Druggist 11 November, 1899, pp. 780-781 [as 2 sheets from the journal]. Provides detailed description of premises and resources. "Dr Dowson was good enough to conduct us over the place and explain the work that is done..." (p.780).

Typed note (7 February, 1900) prepared by Dowson (though not identified) of visit by Professor G D Thane [3 sheets].

Copy letter (12 February, 1900), The Athenaeum, Pall Mall, [Sir] Dyce Duckworth to Dowson. "My own private opinion is that the Home Secretary will not sanction your request [for registration], and that manufacturing chemists will have to be content with employing the services of those already licensed in the few schools to make the necessary researches."

Letter (14 February, 1900), Dowson to Sir Dyce Duckworth. As holograph draft, and as two ts copies. Refers to petition progress.

Petition of Henry S Wellcome, with covering letter (copy), 15 February, 1900. With Henry Wellcome signature.

Copy letter (23 July, 1900), Burroughs Wellcome & Co to Dr F B Power (at Paris address), requesting Power write "a confirmatory enlargement of our original petition."

Copy letter (24 July, 1900), Burroughs Wellcome & Co to J Fletcher Moulton, referring to "the interview which has been fixed for Thursday next at 5.30 at the House of Commons".

Text entirely in shorthand (with date 26 July, 1900), on House of Commons embossed paper [1 sheet].

Letter (27 July, 1900), 46 Alleyn Road, West Dulwich, Dowson to Henry Wellcome, referring to meeting with Professor Thane. With typed memorandum of same date providing notes on his meeting.

Letter (28 July, 1900), WPRL, Dowson to [Collett] Smith, briefly informing him of his meeting with Thane.

Copy letter (30 July, 1900), [Henry Wellcome] to Secretary of State for Home Affairs, requesting leave to "supplement my Petition by further details and considerations".

Letter (3 August, 1900), Whitehall, Secretary of State Home Department, to Henry Wellcome, granting "a reasonable time in which to supplement your application by further details and considerations."

Copy letter (18 August, 1900), Burroughs Wellcome & Co to Dowson, informing on behalf of Mr Wellcome that Dowson should prepare a pamphlet on the WPRL. "A special point should be made of the fact that while the Research Laboratory does work for our business this is practically the exception...."

Letter (11 September, 1900), Royal Hotel, Cardiff, Mr H Harris to Burroughs Wellcome & Co, referring to the anti-vivisection movement, enclosing a copy (in file) of The Abolitionist, 1:17 (1900). Leading article "Ethical Pharmacy" highlighted. With copy of brief reply from Burroughs Wellcome & Co.

Letter (19 September, 1900), WPRL, Dowson to Henry Wellcome, forwarding WPRL pamphlet draft (not present).

Galley proofs to WPRL pamphlet (dated 3 December, 1900).

Copy letter (draft), Dowson to Sir Kenelm Digby, Home Office, requesting interview concerning objections raised by the Laboratories Committee of the RCPS.

Typed notes (copy): "Notes of interview with Mr Fletcher Moulton, QC, this date [20 December, 1900]. Present Mr Chune Fletcher and Mr Smith".

Copy letter (24 December, 1900), Burroughs Wellcome & Co to J Fletcher Moulton, QC, MP, enclosing a "draft of Mr Wellcome's further petition" together with cuttings from The Lancet, BMJ and The Chemist and Druggist. Draft and cuttings present in file.

Copy letter (31 December, 1900), [J Fletcher Moulton] to Dr Norman Moore and Mr Willett, requesting an interview.

Letter report (11 January, 1901) from Burroughs Wellcome & Co to Henry Wellcome. With Henry Wellcome's annotations in black ink.

Letter (14 January, 1901), 57 Onslow Square, J Fletcher Moulton to Burroughs Wellcome & Co, advising withdrawing application for registration until the Councils of the RCP and RCS can be convinced that "it is to the interest of the public health and the medical profession that your project should be carried out." With brief letter of acknowledgement in reply (15 January, 1901).

"Condensed report of interviews between Dr Dowson and various members of the mediacl profession...." Holograph, Dowson to Burroughs Wellcome & Co, 25 January, 1901.

Copy letter (29 January, 1901), Burroughs Wellcome & Co to J Fletcher Moulton, requesting meeting in relation to notes from Dowson (notes present).

Notes following "Interview with Mr Fletcher Moulton today" (30 January, 1901).

Copy text of petition in its final form, as submitted to the Home Office, from Snow Hill Buildings, London, dated 25 February, 1901. Ts, 12 numbered sheets.

Letter (1 March, 1901, with envelope), Home Office to Burroughs Wellcome & Co, acknowledging "receipt of you Letter of the 25th Feb".

Letter (21 March, 1901), Kenelm E Digby, Home Office, to Burroughs Wellcome & Co, requesting further information on "precise nature and number of the experiments requiring a Licence" and "arrangements which you contemplate for planning, performing, and assisting at, the experiments proposed".

Copy letter (25 March, 1901), Henry Wellcome to Home Office, acknowledging receipt of their letter of 21 March, 1901.

Letter (24 April, 1901), 11 Kings Bench Walk, Temple, J Fletcher Moulton to Burroughs Wellcome & Co, advising on draft response to Home Office letter of 21 March. Draft present in file.

Copy letter (21 May, 1901), Henry Wellcome to Home Office, providing details requested in their letter of 21 March, with covering letter to Henry Wellcome who was in Florence at the time the letter was sent on his behalf - see Henry Wellcome's annotation from Hotel Savoy, Florence: "I fully approve". In addition to Walter Dowson, John Mellanby is named as the second person proposed to conduct the experiments.

Letter (22 May, 1901, with envelope), Home Office to H S Wellcome, acknowledging "receipt of your letter of the 21st inst."

Copy letter (5 September, 1901), Home Office to [Henry Wellcome], granting registration. After "careful consideration to the application forwarded by you on the 21st May and to the assurances and the Plan of Work set out therein ... the Wellcome Physiological Research Laboratories, Brockwell Hall, Herne Hill, London S E, have been registered as a place at which experiments on living animals may be performed." (NB The original letter from the Home Office is not present in the file.)

Copy letter (9 September, 1901), Henry Wellcome's Private Secretary to the Home Office, noting that their letter of 5 September has been opened "in the absence of Mr Wellcome, who is abroad" and that it will be placed "before Mr Wellcome at the earliest possible moment."

1896-1901

1 file in 2 parts Split into 2 parts, earliest material first.

Copyright assigned to the Wellcome Trust