Record

RefNoNLB/28/256
AltRefNoNLB/28 p143
LevelItem
TitleCopy letter from Robert William Frederick Harrison, to the Editors, The Lancet
Date5 February 1904
DescriptionHarrison responds to their letter to Sir William Huggins, stating that he does not wish to become involved in controversy, but that their description of the situation as an 'accident' wrongly identifies the Royal Society as at fault, when it was the British Medical Journal who published the paper in contravention of clearly outlined conditions.

He questions the ethical standards of a Journal who would publish a Paper in spite of a notice on each page of the proof, intended purely for the meeting of the Society, explicitly stating that it is not to be communicated for publication, and states that an explanation of has been officially requested.

Harrison clarifies a couple of disputed matters. Firstly, the member of Royal Society staff to whom they spoke on the telephone was correct in saying there was no objection to the Lancet re-publishing the Paper but he did state that it could not be that week, a fact confirmed rather than contradicted in Harrison's letter sent the same day. He reiterates that the British Medical Journal published the Paper without permission.

He also corrects a misapprehension, stating that Press representatives are only admitted with special permission and on the condition that their discussions are not reported, and further that they cannot take proofs supplied for the convenience of the Fellows. Any others admitted to their meetings are introduced by Fellows and entered in the Visitors' book, and if any of those took advantage of the situation for 'journalistic enterprise' it would be considered an abuse of hospitality; likewise, if any stranger came univinted for the same purpose.
Extent1p
FormatCarbon
PhysicalDescriptionTypescript
AccessStatusOpen
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