A Letter to Gresham College from Professor Malcolm Hooper

[Guest guest]

From Malcolm Hooper Ph.D.,B.Pharm.,C.Chem.,MRIC

Emeritus Professor of Medicinal Chemistry

School of Sciences

Fleming Building

Wharncliffe Street

University of Sunderland

SUNDERLAND SR2 3SD

Phone 0

FAX 0

Public Relations Office 0

Chief Scientific Adviser to the Gulf Veterans' Association

web site http://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism

26 January 2006

Dear Sir,

I attended the lecture on Gulf War Syndrome by Professor Simon Wessely on Jan

25th at 6.00 pm.

I write to express my extreme disquiet about the proceedings surrounding the

lecture which led to many, including myself being totally misled about whether

the lecture would be cancelled or not. Repeatedly, I phoned 3 times, I was told

categorically by your office staff that the lecture had been cancelled and had

been withdrawn from the College web site. Several others were similarly

informed, including one member of the House of Lords.

When Professor Wessely was contacted directly he gave a clear assurance that the

lecture would proceed to one person, but indicated to me that he " had not yet

decided " about whether he would proceed with the lecture. The whole thing became

a farce with disturbing overtones of deception and obfuscation. Wittingly or

unwittingly your staff were drawn into all this. These activities reflect very

badly on the College and particularly since no apology for all the confusion was

offered to those attending the lecture. The College prides itself on providing

public lectures in honour of its Founder. To be faced with such dissimulation is

not in accord with the ethos behind the lectures and besmirches the honour of

Sir Gresham.

I have written elsewhere about the contents of the lecture and will forward a

copy to you. To do this important subject justice it is important that you

invite a response from someone who can present a more up to date and hopeful

picture of the truth about Gulf War Syndrome that comprehensively covers the

peer reviewed literature particularly that which shows the extent of sickness

among veterans and the failure of Government to care for all the sick veterans.

I would be willing to give such a lecture if invited.

Yours sincerely

Malcolm Hooper