May 9: Eugenics Paper Published

On this date in History ... May 9, 1882:

A Richmond, Indiana (my hometown) physician, Dr. Joseph Lutzi, has his paper published & presented at the 32^nd Annual Session of the Indianapolis State Medical Society in Indianapolis . The paper, entitled “Heredity and Its Relation to Disease”, argues that insanity, tuberculosis, and syphilis, among other diseases, are predominantly inherited. 

This paper becomes part of the argument for sterilization of “imbeciles and idiots” to prevent further “breeding of undesirables”.  This would eventually lead Indiana to be the first state to pass a eugenics law in 1907 making sterilization of “undesirables” legal.