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Periodical: The Alpha

Summary:  From Pat Deveney's database:

Alpha, The.
A Monthly Journal Devoted to the Cause of Woman and Reform / Human Rights before all Laws and Constitution. The Divine Right of Every Child to be Born Well.
1875--1888? Monthly
Washington, D.C.. Publisher: Moral Education Society of Washington. Editor: Caroline B. Winslow, M.D.
Corporate author: Moral Education Society of Washington, D.C.1/1, September 1875-August 1888(?) The preserved copies of the journal start in 1877, but the journal existed as early as the fall of 1875, when it was advertised in The Spiritual Scientist. This was the organ of the Moral Education Society of Washington, D.C., whose works on "Pre-Natal Culture" and women generally were noted in The Banner of Light and Religio-Philosophical Journal in the 1880s. Peter Davidson in The Occult Magazine also noted the journal, sent him by Josephine Cables in Rochester (see the note on her under The Occult Word), and says the society was devoted to moral purity and progressive reform. More generally, it was devoted to "all questions on human development, Physiology, Hygiene, Heredity, Pre-Natal Culture, Marriage, Education and all questions that will elevate the race and elevate vice." Winslow (1822-1896) was a pioneering woman physician (a graduate of J.R. Buchanan's Eclectic Medical College in Cincinnati), reformer, and suffragist. Her bust, along with those of Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony, was exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The general topics of the journal aroused the suspicions of the Reverend William Alexander Ayton, who, like Davidson and Cables was then active in the H.B. of L:

    "I have lately seen copies of some American journals. One of these the Alpha touches very plainly on the Sexual subject, & I daresay will open many people's eyes to what has been a frightful abuse. However, I think I perceive that P.B.R.'s [Paschal Beverly Randolph's] works have inspired the writer in this journal." Letter to American head of H.B. of L., May 19, 1885.

In actuality, the Alphaites or Alphites were far more concerned with total sexual abstinence, eugenics, and the possibility of women conceiving without the assistance of living men--ideas which had their role in the New Thought occult amalgam. LOC microfilm; National Library of Medicine; Library Company of Philadelphia.

Issues:Alpha V7 N1 Sep 1 1881
Alpha V7 N2 Oct 1 1881
Alpha V7 N3 Nov 1 1881
Alpha V7 N4 Dec 1 1881
Alpha V7 N5 Jan 1 1882
Alpha V7 N6 Feb 1 1882 Partial
Alpha V7 N7 Mar 1 1882 Partial
Alpha V7 N8 Apr 1 1882
Alpha V7 N9 May 1 1882
Alpha V7 N10 Jun 1 1882
Alpha V7 N11 Jul 1 1882
Alpha V7 N12 Aug 1 1882
Alpha V8 N1 Sep 1 1882
Alpha V8 N2 Oct 1 1882
Alpha V8 N3 Nov 1 1882
Alpha V8 N4 Dec 1 1882
Alpha V8 N5 Jan 1 1883
Alpha V8 N6 Feb 1 1883
Alpha V8 N7 Mar 1 1883
Alpha V8 N8 Apr 1 1883
Alpha V8 N9 May 1 1883
Alpha V8 N10 Jun 1 1883
Alpha V8 N11 Jul 1 1883
Alpha V8 N12 Aug 1 1883
Alpha V9 N1 Sep 1 1883
Alpha V9 N2 Oct 1 1883
Alpha V9 N3 Nov 1 1883
Alpha V9 N4 Dec 1 1883
Alpha V9 N5 Jan 1 1884
Alpha V9 N6 Feb 1 1884
Alpha V9 N7 Mar 1 1884
Alpha V9 N8 Apr 1 1884
Alpha V9 N9 May 1 1884
Alpha V9 N10 Jun 1 1884
Alpha V9 N11 Jul 1 1884
Alpha V9 N12 Aug 1 1884
Alpha V10 N1 Sep 1 1884
Alpha V10 N2 Oct 1 1884
Alpha V10 N3 Nov 1 1884
Alpha V10 N4 Dec 1 1884
Alpha V10 N5 Jan 1 1885
Alpha V10 N6 Feb 1 1885 Partial
Alpha V10 N7 Mar 1 1885
Alpha V10 N8 Apr 1 1885
Alpha V10 N9 May 1 1885 Partial
Alpha V10 N10 Jun 1 1885
Alpha V10 N11 Jul 1 1885
Alpha V10 N12 Aug 1 1885
Alpha V11 N1 Sep 1 1885
Alpha V11 N2 Oct 1 1885
Alpha V11 N3 Nov 1 1885
Alpha V11 N4 Dec 1 1885
Alpha V11 N5 Jan 1 1886
Alpha V11 N6 Feb 1 1886
Alpha V11 N7 Mar 1 1886
Alpha V11 N8 Apr 1 1886
Alpha V11 N9 May 1 1886
Alpha V11 N10 Jun 1 1886
Alpha V11 N11 Jul 1 1886
Alpha V11 N12 Aug 1 1886
Alpha V12 N1 Sep 1 1886
Alpha V12 N2 Oct 1 1886
Alpha V12 N3 Nov 1 1886
Alpha V12 N4 Dec 1 1886 Partial
Alpha V12 N5 Jan 1 1887
Alpha V12 N6 Feb 1 1887
Alpha V12 N7 Mar 1 1887
Alpha V12 N8 Apr 1 1887
Alpha V12 N9 May 1 1887 Partial
Alpha V12 N10 Jun 1 1887
Alpha V12 N11 Jul 1 1887
Alpha V12 N12 Aug 1 1887
Alpha V13 N1 Sep 1 1887
Alpha V13 N2 Oct 1 1887
Alpha V13 N3 Nov 1 1887
Alpha V13 N4 Dec 1 1887
Alpha V13 N5 Jan 1 1888
Alpha V13 N6 Feb 1 1888
Alpha V13 N7 Mar 1 1888
Alpha V13 N8 Apr 1 1888
Alpha V13 N9 May 1 1888
Alpha V13 N10 Jun 1 1888
Alpha V13 N11 Jul 1 1888
Alpha V13 N12 Aug 1 1888

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