270 HEREDITY IN RELATION TO EUGENICS 



by state boundaries. There is need, consequently, of a 

 central clearing house for data concerning family traits in 

 America. This will serve not only as a headquarters for 

 investigation but also for education. 



It will be interesting to trace the history of institutions 

 of this sort in America. One was planned in 1881 or 1882 

 by Mr. Loring Moody of Boston. In his booklet entitled 

 "Heredity: its relations to human development. Corre- 

 spondence between Elizabeth Thompson and Loring Moody/' 

 he tells how he had hoped for aid from a philanthropist. 

 He adds ''in the earnest hope and expectation that such 

 persons will soon appear ready for their work, as a colaborer 

 therein and as preliminary steps toward the formation of an 



Institute of Heredity 

 which shall found a Ubrary, establish lectureships with 

 schools of instruction and take in hand the diffusion of 

 knowledge on the subject of improving our race by the laws 

 of physiology, I propose, with the aid of such as may volun- 

 teer their patronage and support, to open a school and lec- 

 ture room in Boston with the nucleus of a Ubrary for such 

 conversations, consultations and illustrated lectures as may 

 awaken interest and lead toward a realization of these 

 great and beneficent ends." This plan failed because of 

 the early death of its projector. 



About 1887 or 1888 Dr. Alexander Graham Bell founded 

 at Washington, D. C, the Volta Fund which has grown to 

 over $100,000. Out of this was established the Volta Bureau, 

 which collects all valuable information that can be obtained 

 with reference not only to deaf mutes as a class but to deaf 

 mutes individually. In this bureau can be found the names 

 of over twenty thousand deaf and the particulars respecting 

 their history. They are so systematically arranged that 

 without a moment's delay the facts with reference to any 

 of them can be turned to. These valuable manuscripts 



