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Sanger gave this Introduction at a birth control meeting held at Carnegie Hall in New York City. See her opening remarks and her introductions of James F. Cooper, I. N. Thurman, and Charles Francis Potter .
For additional draft versions see Margaret Sanger Papers Microfilm, Library of Congress, LCM 131:55A and 58B.
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I am sure that I am speaking for everyone here in thanking Dr. Cooper for his inspiring and generous cooperation with our movement of by speaking here tonight, and for throwing so much light on phases of birth control that are unfamiliar to most laymen.
There is still another phase of the problem which is often neglected. Most of us know that there> are laws throughout the country forbidding the dissemination of contraceptive information. If physicians and scientists passively accept those laws the whole community suffers. There is no way to find out the scope of such laws except by challenging them and thus testing their vitality--or rather their deadliness. The New York State Law was challenged as far back as 1916. It was a costly experiment but the benefits and the knowledge we have gained by that challenge have enabled the medical profession and scientists to widen the scope of their investigation and research. The case was carried to the Supreme Court and a decision was handed down stating that for the cure or prevention of disease physicians might advocate contraceptive measures.
Upon that decision it was imperative to establish a precedent and after thorough preparation, support and advice we succeeded in establishing a bureau for clinical research.
This bureau has now been in operation for nearly two years.
It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you its medical director who will tell you some of the results of her patient labors, Dr. Dorothy Bocker.