Lily Loat (21 January 1880 – 16 August 1958) was a British anti-vaccination activist. She was the Secretary of the

National Anti-Vaccination League The National Anti-Vaccination League (NAVL) was a British anti-vaccination organization that was formed in 1896 from earlier smaller organizations. Historically, the League had opposed compulsory vaccination, particularly against smallpox. It was ...

for nearly 50 years.

Life

Loat was born in

Battersea Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park. History Batter ...

in about 1880 and her father was John Loat. She was head pupil at Tiffin Girls' School in Kingston-on-Thames. After leaving school, she took shorthand lessons and gained her a position at the

. She worked for the league's secretary answering correspondence and during this time she became a strong supporter of the league. When the secretary resigned she was soon confirmed as the replacement secretary at the beginning of 1909. During 1920s and 1930s, she was on occasion invited to speak internationally. The League's journal ''The Vaccination Inquirer and Health Review'' had been published since 1880. Lote took on the editorship of the journal in 1932. In 1951, Loat published ''The Truth about Vaccination and Immunization''. This was a small book that itemised the arguments against vaccination.. Loat was also opposed to vivisection. Loat died in Kingswood in Surrey in 1958. She was working for the National Anti-Vaccination League whilst in hospital during her final illness.

Selected publications

* 1939, ''Pasteurization of Milk: The Case Against Compulsion'' * 1951, ''The Truth About Vaccination and Immunization''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loat, Lily 1880 births 1958 deaths Anti-vivisectionists British anti-vaccination activists People from Battersea