Government prosecutions for medical heresy : a verbatim report of the case, "Regina versus Tebb." Dedicated to the Board of St. Pancras Guardians, London, with an introduction and appendix of illustrative matter / [William Tebb].

  • William Tebb
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Government prosecutions for medical heresy : a verbatim report of the case, "Regina versus Tebb." Dedicated to the Board of St. Pancras Guardians, London, with an introduction and appendix of illustrative matter / [William Tebb]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Malvern. I received that summons, and came 140 miles to stand before Mr. Newton to answer it, and to state my plea against the injustice and the wrong done to me, and sought to be done to my child. Mr. Newton would listen to no plea whatever, but told me that a thief might as reasonably object to the laws against felony as I to the law on vaccination. This last summons to which I am now appearing, was served at my house when I was staying at Brighton under medical advice; but I am here to protest against the cruelty, the tyranny, and the injustice of these repeated prosecutions which the Guardians are now, for some reason or other best known to themselves, carrying on against me. I have been trying to ascertain how it is that 1 only am made the subject of these repeated prosecutions. I have looked through the list of the Guardians to see if there was any one who might be supposed to have any personal animus against me, but I do not know a single name on the roll. The first name on the list of Guardians is Miss Collett, a most intelligent lady, interested in education and every good work, and I am certain she would not be a party to this oppression. I have made inquiries in the locality to see whether I could get any information that could elucidate the matter. Yesterday I saw a ratepayer who had formerly been a vestryman, and had lived in the Parish of St. Pan- eras 25 years; thinking that he might know something about it, he said,—“Well, Mr. Tebb, they know you can afford to pay not only fines but lawyers’ costs, and as long as you can afford the luxury, they will issue these summonses against you.” That, I think, your worship will admit, is not a satisfactory explanation. I object to this summons on the ground of its unfairness. I am made a victim. I find that other people in the parish are not prosecuted in this way. And what is the reason? TBere is a neighbour of mine. Dr. Collins, with five children, all born in the parish, and all unvaccinated, and no proceedings have been taken against him, though the fact that he has five children unvaccinated is well known to the Guardians. Dr. Collins was formerly a member of the Vestry, and it is just possible that one set of officials may not like to prosecute their quondam brother ofiicials. That is all the explanation I can get on that head. There has been a good deal of newspaper correspondence and agitation about the matter in the borough, and the Guardians have had the opportunity of seeing how wide-spread is the oppo¬ sition to their relentless persecution. Well, in consequence of the
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