THE SWEDISH RACE.BIOLOGICAL INSTITUTE 



51 



sities. And is it not unsound economy to willingly sacrifice large sums to support 

 the evil, but not a penny to forestall the same, when we have the means at hand? 



In Sweden this problem could be more easily solved than in most other coun« 

 tries for a certain reason: that is to say, we have the immense advantage of pos« 

 sessing a Swedish race^biologist, who as regards his researches, is admitted to be 

 one of the foremost, namely Docent Herman Lundborg, whose pioneering res* 

 earches I have referred to above. He has bestowed an incredible amount of pains* 

 taking labour in solving problems which are the most important in Race»biology, 

 and has achieved great success. Would it not be a simple token of gratitude, and 

 a deserving reward, for a sacrificial and disinterested life-work, to give him the 

 opportunity, under more favourable conditions than obtains now, to continue the 

 researches, which are of such great importance for the future welfare of our people? 



Two Swedish women in prominent positions, namely Ellen Key the autho* 

 ress, and Baroness Ebba Palmstierna have, on several occasions, with emphasis and 

 enthusiasm, given expression to their faith in the feasibility of eugenic ideas, and 

 have spoken in favour of the Swedish Race«biological Institute as a first step in 

 the right direction. 



This question came very much to the fore, when the Rector of the Karolinska 

 Institutet (The High School of Medicine in Stockholm) Professor F. Lennmalm, 

 one of the most prominent physicians in Sweden, in a long report to the Nobel 

 Committee of the Institute in December 1918, advanced the idea of the establish* 

 ment of a medical Nobel Institute for Race*biology. From his expert and thor* 

 ough explication, the following may be quoted: 



»There has, for a long time in this country, been a desire to establish a Race* 

 biological Institute, and several biologists, physicians, and national economists have 

 given expression to this in print. Now that there is a possibility of establishing 

 a medical Nobel Institute, I, for my part do not know of any branch of medical 

 research which, for its development requires so much support as race*biology, 

 noir^o I know of any branch of medical research which, on account of its sig* 

 nificance, is more worthy of such support. The »Karolinska Institutet» would 

 prove to be an excellent guardian of Alfred Nobel's testament, and the Institute 

 would also be very benificial to Medical Science through the establishment of a 

 medical Nobel Institute for Race*biology and Heredity research. The »Karolinska 

 Institutet» would hereby also embody the new science: a High^chool of Medicine 

 which would retain its position as the most prominent in the country, must endeav* 

 our to support the new branches of Medical Sciences which are working their 

 way up, and can easily be stifled if not duly sustained.* 



The Committee agreed unanimously to the suggestion, which for essentially 

 formal reasons, was not accepted by the Board of the »Karolinska Institutet». 



At a later conference of the »Karolinska Institutet», Professors Lennmalm and 

 Gadelius, strongly emphasized the significance of the Race*biological Institute, in 

 the following words: 



»During the discussion regarding a Race*biological Institute it has been sta* 

 ted, that the whole question can be settled by appointing Docent Lundborg in 

 Uppsa la, to a professorship. In the meanwhile this would be a solution which 

 is by no means compati^Te with the real weight and significance of the problem. 



