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Russel Wallace : Alfred Russell Wallace (sic)
Sirs,--I thank you for the notice of my pamphlet, "Vaccination a Delusion," in your issue of March 12th, at page 734, and especially for pointing out a verbal error in the introductory passage which, however, has no bearing on the main argument. It shall be corrected in future issues and your notice of it leads me to hope that there are few such errors in the more important parts of the work. I also thank you for giving what purports to be a quotation, being duly enclosed in inverted commas, but which is not what I have said and has a different meaning (see p. 13 at top). It is really a compliment to be thus misquoted by an opponent, because it implies such a plentiful lack of fact or argument against the author's real statements or contentions. Besides, it furnishes me with another example, to add to those I have given, of the inaccuracies of the medical profession when dealing with this question. Equally complimentary is it that immediately after commenting upon your own misquotation you run away from my book to quote some quite unimportant portions of my examination before the Royal Commission eight years ago. I tendered evidence on the statistical side of the subject only, but the Commissioners insisted upon questioning me on medical and other matters as to which I knew little or nothing and of which ignorance--not claiming omniscience--I am not in the least ashamed. Again thanking you for your unintentional, but none the less acceptable, testimony as to the unanswerable character of the facts and arguments in my book. I am, Sirs, yours truly,
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