Human Sexuality - Forgotten Books

HUMAN SE X UALITY

M EDICO- LITERARY TREATISE

ON

Laws, Anomalies, and Relations ofSex

W ITH BSPBCXAL REFERENCE TO

CONTRARY SEX UAL DESIRE

J . RICHARDSON PARKE, Sc.B . , Ph .G. , M .D.

(Late Acting Alli-

{ti nt Surgeon, U . 8. Amy)

persuade“ toujoun .

"—I.A Rocnmvu uw.

“A subject of study oug ht not to be aban

doned because it is beset with difieulties, nor

beca use,for the time being , it n ay elicit prq'

sdia

or encounter contenpt."—Bn ums.

PROFESSIONAL PU BLISH ING COM PANY

P H ILA D E L P H IA

1 9 0 6

A?

Entered according to Act ofCongress in the year 1906

By Peonmomu. Punu smuo Comma ?In the Oflice of themin i

-inn ofCongru et W ashington, D. C. , U . S . A .

" lu b t lmll . P. U . C. l .

Pfl O't OOIO NAI. N OLIOHINO CO I PANV

tun-u out on cor " new

PUBLISHER’

S PREFACE

Both the need and purpose ofthe present bookwill be readily apparentto the intelligent reader. The work is ably, graphically, entertainingly,and scientifically written ; and presents a wealth of scholarship , literary as well as medical , rarely found in our professional text-books. In

vidions comparisons are discarded, as both odious and distasteful . The

treatise, however, may be very fairly said to be exhaustive of the entiresubject ; and, if intrinsicmerit , clear reasoning, completeness and erudition,

count for anything, it ought to find a permanent place in every well-orderedlibrary . We give it to the Professionwith a considerable, and, we bel ieve,pardonable degree ofpride.

PROFESSIONAL PUB LISHING Co .

CONTENTS

Atrmon’a PearsonFaults andMerits ofWriters on Sex Themes . Fai th in American Intelligence. Health the Foundation ofHappinem. Luxury Conducive toLust . IgnoranceofPhysiologicalh ws. PenaltiesofSexualPrecocity .

Sexual Life ofMan . The WomamMovement in America . Causes and

Efiects ofSexual Vice . Causes ofProstitution . Diflicultiea Attending this Kind ofWriting . HowthePubhc isAttracted. Present State

CHAPTER ONE

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

ProcreationaDivinePurpoee. Seanality theBaais ofSociety . Thelmportance ofits Cultivation. Woman s Posi tion in theEast InfluenceofSexuality on Religious Beliefs. An OrientalDandy. Sexuality oi

Heathen Gods . Its Influence on the Savage Mind . Christianity theSavior ofWoman . Woman not Oreated in God

’s Image. Sexual

Abuaca Fosteredby theEarly Church . Refinement oflntelleetnotRefina ncnt oi Morals . NoQuarlelwith the Church . Revulsion Againat

Contrary Sexual Habi ts . Evils ofExaggeration . Sexuality in the

Home . Aa aCauaeofNationalDecay . As the Baais ofTrueLove . An

Attempt toDefine Love. Modeety aaa Phenomenon oi Sex . Modestyin the Philipph cs . Varying Standards ofModesty. Association of

ulation. A Miraculous Impregnation . Marriage Outside the Clan or

ofWoman. Early Position ofthe Wife. Adulte ry a Simple Debt inAfrica . Infiumce ofChristianity on the Sexual Life . The Law oi

Female Purity. A Suppositioua Hell . One Law for Both Sexes .

ManMore SenaualthanWoman . HelativeVanityofthe Sexes . Originand Development of Human Modesty . Rudiments ofDress . The

Dance. Sexual Immorality in Guise oi’ Religion. Sexual Depravityin Early Home . Concluding Though ts on Modesty . Nakedness .

Mutilations ct Savages . Painting the Penis . Tattooing . Phallic andLingamWorship . W cance ofthe Tattoo . Polynesian Origin of

.

the

Tattoo . (flothing as a Meana ofAttraction . Dancing as a Love-lure.

OtherPractices inCourtship. Tubori “Dress .

" Nakedneas inEurope.

V

13- 51

52—87

vi Contents .

PAC I

asAasociatedwith Sexual Susceptibi li ty. Relation ofthe Face to theSexual Organs . Immodesty ofCivilization Accounted For. Lovelurm of Civilization. Other Conditions which Influence SexualChoice . Woman Loves Above Herself. Strength in MenAdmiredbyWomen . A Severe Love-tern. Physical Beauty. Types ofPhysical

Female Obesity as a Charm. Caucasian StandardofBeauty . Sinhalese Beauty . Artificial Beauty . Case oi Madame Grisi . EvilEflects

ofCosmetics . The Desire for Beauty . OtherAids to Physical Beauty.

Causes Influencing Stature . Dwarfs andGiants . Influence ofClimateon Man . Influence ofHeredity and Environment on Man . What isBeauty? How Influenced by Civilisa tion . Love . Condi tions ofa

HappyMarriage . Love inMostCases Simply Sexual Dedra. Love ofSavages . Marriage Wi thout Love . i ugalUnity . Sympathy an

Element ofLove .

Barnornan,maniac s , Drvoncr: 88- 152

Concept ofWoman’s Use . Power ofFather Over Child . Parenta lPower Among the Jews and Egyptians . Among Greelts and Romans.

AmongTeutons andRussians . Compulsory Marriage ofChildrm. In

Greece andHome . In Feudal andPresent Times . Origin ofMarriage .

Parental Support oi Children . Curious African Custom. Marriage De

creed by the State . Among Hebrews . Among Savages . Marriage in

the Philippines . Taxing Bachelors . Decline ofMarriage ia e zlts

Savages . Stupid Men Most Sexual . Future ofMarriage in America .

Obstacles toMarriage . Physicallncompatibility . The “NewWoman"

Marriages . Punishments for Incest in Various Countries . Results of

Incestuous Marriage . Endogamy and Exogamy. Influence ofSocialCaste on Marriage . Barrenness . Marriage by Capture . Marriageby

ImmaculateConceptions . Chastity and Religion . Origin ofthe “ Best

Man .

” Marriage s Sacrament . Marriage an lnstinct . Polygyny and

Concubinage Orientals andSavages SexuallyWeak . Causes'

l‘

ending

to Monogamy . Polyandry . Numerical Parity of the Sexes . Argu

Short Lived . Causes ofUnfaithfulness in Husbands . The Desire for

SexualChange . Man'sLove ofProgeny . Polygyny andDomstic Dis

of the Polygynous Instinct . Concluding Reflections on Marriage .

Divorce . Marriage notAlways a LifeContract . Divorce Among Savages . Divorce Easy in Savage Life. Children a Factor in Divorce .

Savage Limitations ofDivorce. Divorce in China . In Japan. In'

h ir

key . In India . In Spain andItaly . In Early Rome. Protestantim

0 .Contents . vu

FAQ.

and Divorce. Divorce in Europe . In South America . Among theJews . Among Hindus , Teutons.etc. Causes ofDivorce . MutualDe

ceptions a Factor . Apparent Antagonismofthe Sexm. Other CausesofDivorce. Disease.

0

CHAPTER FOURW arren, Aaomorv. Imm ora l: 153—178

The Sexual MechanismUnder Brain Control. Duration ofErection.

Smell as a Sexual Stimulant. Castigation as a Sexual Stimulant.Rubbing and Sucking the Female B reasts . The tEsthetic Factor

in Sexuali ty. Organs ofGeneration. The Sperma, or Seed. Insemionation. Pleamre ofthe Copulative Act . Compara tive Sizes ofMen'sPenises. Orgasmand Ejacula tion. The Melancholy Lover. The

Physiology ofFecundation . Impregnation and its Prevention. Abortion. Chief Cause ofAbortion in the United States and England.

When Justiflable. Its Prevalence. Criminality of Infanticide. De

crease in Native-born Population. Abortion Largely Due to Igno

rance. Legal Definition of the Crime. Biahop Coxe on Abortion.

Prevention ofl kinception. Onanism. The Cundum. An“Accident. ”

The Womb-veil. Selection of Time for the Copulative Act. The

Suckling Period. The Cold Water- Douche. Other Methods ofPre

CHAPTER FIVE179 - 243

Instinct Best Considered in Animals. The “Evacuation Theory.

The Sexual Mechanism. Original Unity of Sex. Castration Con

sideredwi th Reference to the Sex-impulse. Sexual Power ofSpadones.

Castration ofBoys. Religious Eunuchs . Eunuchs not always Efleminate. SexualFeeling ofEunucha. Castration as a Rape Resnedy. Cas

Sexual Anesthesia. w leness of Sexual Life. Causation. SexualFrigidity. Sexual Anesthesia inWomen . EarlyManifesta tions ofSexuality. SexualCuriosity ofGir

-ls. SexualKnowledge ofStreetGir-la. Se

duction ofMen. A Shrewd Magistrate. Inconstancy ofthe SexualAppetite. Intermittent Satyriasis. Sexuali ty in Plant-life. In Birds and

Quadrupeds. TheWalta. Force the Strongest Factor ia Sexual Selection. Sexual Manifestations in Molluscs . In the Octopus . AraucanLove-making . The Balloon Fly. Dancing as a Sexual Stimulant . The

Dance in Australia. The Sexual Dance Most Favored. In Tahi ti .Mendaflan Wedding Dance. Minnetarees Love Dance. Kamr LoveDances. Dancing Among the Zulus. In SenegaL Ivory Coast

Dances. Causes Influencing Savage Sexuality. Status of SavageSexuality. Repulsiveness ofthe Female Genitalia. Sexuality ofthe

Andamanese and Fuegians. Chastity oi Savages. Sexuality ofNo

gross . The Pepper-cure for Girls. Sexuality and Civilization. Psy

chology ofthe SexualFunction. The Bladder as Aasociatedwith Sexual Feeling. Ancient Views as to Sexuality. Conflicting Opinions ofits Nature. Stages ofthe Sexual Impulse. Its First Manifes tations.

Contents.

The Sexunl Lit‘

e ot Wornen. Religion and the Sex Impulss. Their

ment ot Sexuality by '

I‘

ickling. Instances ot SexualPrecocity. In a

Boy. In a Girl. SexualityArousedbyWhipping. By the Proverbial

Nurse-girl. Case of Boy Seduction. Sexual Awaltening Earlier inGirls than in Boya. Experiences ot a Phyaician.

“ Studying ior thema istryn’éaExperience oi a

“Pretty Boy.

" “A Perilous Moment.”A “ Bad

CHAPTER SIX

The Basis ot‘

Inversion. Inversion as a Theme ofRomance. As a

Scientific Study. In France. Elsewhere . Cri tical Study otlnversion.

Views ofWriters Compared. Intellectual Status ofInverts. Inver»sion in Relation to Religion and Morality . Diderentiation oi Sex.

First SexualAwakening . Th e Lawot Nature. Spurious Homosu uality. InversionAmong Savages. Inversion as Conditioned by Luxury.

Boy Prostitution in China. The “ Bots”and “ Schupan.

” The “80

lcetra”and“Sar-imbavy.

”AsexualInverta. Pointot

‘

Deflection inSex.

Factors Entering into the Sexual C‘haracter. Idealismas a Cause of

ual Vices of the Early Clu-istian Church. Pederasty in the Early

Church. SexualDiveraions ot Pope Alexander. Philip ofOrleans and

Henry VIII. Suggestcd“Zone

”ofHomosu uality. Causation ofln

version Considered. Its Morphology and Psychoiogy. Theoriu and

luaionalMasculinity. Dr. Mary Walker. A ClaasicalVir-ago. Lee

ser'

l‘

ypss oflnverts. Nonnal Sexual Love Incomprehenaible to the

Congenital Homosexuality. Was Man Originally Bisexual? Plato 's

Myth. Mantegassa’

s Theory. Views of Kran't-Ebing. Heredityh irther amaidered. A Caee in Point. Instances oi Aasumed Congenital Inversion. Reversed Standards oi Beauty. A Snbject

's Own

Beliei as to Congenitality . A Sanctimonimu Seducer. A SchoolSab

danapalus. Homosexuality Defended. Inverdon with Sadistic Impulses. W infiuence ol oolors. Inversion ot Dementia. Geo

Acquired Homosexuality. Venereal Epidemics. HowSpu d. Dis

tribution oi the Contagium. Among the Eari ebms. Another

Scientiiie Hobby Considesed. Q u oi tbe Enariana.

“ Instinctive

m and nandr-y. Normal Male Homoaexuality . Caae I. Re

markaonfh ae l. Casoli . Ch asm. NormalFesnale Homoaexuality.

A Cmrpla oI Fastidious IAdiea. E sthetic M nement as a Cause oi

PA“

Contents. ix

u s.

ing to Female Homosexuality. Jealousy in Female Homosexuality.

Relations Between Girls Frequently Vague Rather than Vicious.

The “ Freda Ward" Case. The “ Tillier Sisters .

" “ Cutpurse MollEllis

’sCase. Women Sometimes Unconsciously Homosexual . Female

Reticence on the Subject. low of Sapphismin America . Its

Prevalence Among Prostitutes. Probable Causes of Sapphism.

Heredity Nearly Always Involved. Physical Masculinity ofFemale

Inversion.

CHAPTER SEVEN324—365

Causation o! the t m. The “ Palang. The “Hedge-hog.

The “Frilled Cundum.

” Judgment the Foe oi Impulsc. Ellis’s View.

SachenMasoch and De Sade. Countess Bathory and Gilles de Rais.

Schal'er’e Theory Critically Examined. The “Meneedou Case.

”

Alton’s Caae. Verseni

’

s Casc. Sadismin Women. Strange Sexual

Appliance. Fetichism. Defini tion of. Variations of Impulse in.

tion. Remarkable Case.

“Apron”and “Wet-Skirt” Fetiches. Shoem therme of Fetich An Od d The Sexo impulse in

Imbecility. In Dmentia. The Value of Expos-isms Illustrated.

Sexual Phaeee ot Epilepsy. Sexuality in Mania. Satyriasis and

Nymphoman e’ Sexual Aspects of Hystena.

’ Paranoia Erotica .

in Rape. Violation. Bestiali ty. Incest . Necrophilia. Negrophilia

in the United States. Is the Fault that oi the Negro or ofthe WhiteWoman?

CHAPTER EIGHTSM S

Masturbation. Among Animals. Its History and Antiquity. In the

FloralGames. Viewedwith lndulgcnce by Certain Writcrs. Circumtanme under which it was Permi tted by the Chrietian Church. Its

Growth in Medin val Times . Apologists oi Masturbation. Its Frcvs~laws in Modern Society. Conclusions Respecting Masturbation. Its

Pathology. As a Cause of Neurasthenia . Emotional InstinctDwarfed by Masturbation. Instances Among Illustrious Men. As

Associated with the Criminal Instinct. Masturbation and thc“Quacks.

” Masturba tion in a Girl . Peculiar FormofMasturbation.

Pitiable Case ot a Young Girl. As to Io ss oi Semen. Complexityofthe Male Sexual Mechanism. Efiect oi Masturbation on the Gen

eral Health. Views ofMedical Writers. Its Relation to Epilepsy andInsanity. Artificial Erotism in Japan. The B in~no—tama . The“Daikon .

” The Artificial Penis and Cunnus . Other InstrumentsEmfioyed. Varieties of Artificial Erotism. Horse-riding and the

Sewing-machine. Thigh-friction. Psychic Erotism.

“Day-dream

Contents.

PM .

ing.

" Jove Himself Sometimes Node. Hysterical Erotism. Re

ligious E rotism. Woman the Type ofFertility. Both Love and Re

ligion Based in Sacrifice. HowSexuality has Helped Religion. A

CHAPTER NINESeaman Carma . 396 -447

Instinct as a Factor in SexualCrime. Heredity Considercd. Theoriesoi Darwin and He ckel. Schools oi Criminology . Sexual Criminalsby Instinct. Penology ol SexualCrime. Partwhich Medicine should

Bear in Fixing Punishment. Ultimate Purpose ot‘

all Criminology .

FewCriminals Mentally Sound. Obstacles to Prosecution for SexualOfiences. Case ol

‘

the Sadist Br-uce. Legal Status ot tichistic Acts.

Oi Masochisrn. Lust -murder. In ve and Anger as Motives oi Crirne.

Bases oi Sexual Crime. The “ Social Evil.” Mental Status ot the

Criminal. Sexual and Religious Exaltation. Impotence and Sexual

Acts Indicating Mental Disease. Early Sex Manifesta tions not Necessarily Almormal. SmmlCrimes oi tlre Aged and Decrepit. SexualActs oi Alcoholic Drunkards. Further Examination oi Sadistic Acts.

Prevalence ofthe Vice. Its Legal Sta tus. Contrary Atti tudes ofLaw

in Alcoholism. Alcoholinn and Rape. MedicalExamination in Rapeand Lust-murder. Sexual Anthropophagy. Other Manifestations of

Propoeed Gloaeary ot SexualTer-ms. Vagueness oi LegalDefinitions.

Libido Nemia in Sexual Ofiences. Heredity and Suggestion. Influ

ence ofEducation. Sexual Malformation. Sexual Recidivists. RivalTheories ofCriminology. Legal Status ofHw ality Continued.Superficial Treatment ofSexual Ofi‘ences by Jurists. Further Points

ology. Aid to Preliminary Icgal Diagnosis . Further Guides to the

istics. Origin and Grcwth oi Law. Application oi Lawin Cases ot’

Attitude Toward the Invert. Influence oi Moral Teaching . Conclusion ofthe Whole Subject.

AUTHOR’

S PREFACE

HE question of human sexuality has always been regarded,moreor less , as something to be handled only with literary tongs . Evenprofessional ly, although the taboo has been measurably liftedwithin recent years, the subject is st ill looked at askance ; and it

would not be difficult to find, to-day, both in England and America ,physi

cianswho could notbe induced to touch it for ei ther love ormoney .

Before the publ ication of Moll ’s, Ulrichs’and Tillier’s able treatises first

called attention to the fact that the sexual fieldwas practically termincognitotomedical science, the writer who felt called on to invade it, even casually,was always careful to provide himself with a portentous array of Frenchand Latin phrases , dashes and asterisks ; which , while both vulgarly sug

gestivo, and ridiculously irrational , seemed , nevertheless,marvelously soothing to his professional prudery .

It need not he remarked that such ultra-refined dilettantismwas bothsilly and unscientific ; and, in electing to dissectmy subject without eitherkid gloves or lavender salts , neither courting nor avoiding, but using,wherever needful , those virile Anglo-Saxonisms which , it requires only a

superficial knowledge of any science to convince us, are commonly thestrongest and readiest vehicles ofsense, I have done so with the convictionthat the language which Chaucer and Shakespeare wrote in, and which is

As to the theme itself, I amon surer ground. That which constitutes

of sexual law— is in itself sufficient guarantee that any attempt , howeverfeeble , to define , analyze , or illuminate that law,must , in the very nature ofthings ,meet with a considerable degree ofhuman interest .The sex-problemappea ls to all. To the physician , professionally ; to

the moral ist , ethically ; to the anthropologist , sociologically ; and, to no

small part ofthe human race , purely sensually . Therefore , if there be foundany lack of interest in the following pages the writer should be, and is, fullyprepared to assume the blame .

But. as the work will necessarily fal l into the hands ofmany non-

pro

Author’s Preface

fessional readers , teachers, lay-students , and advanced thinkers generally,bothmale and female, some of whommay not yet be entirely emancipatedfromthe fetters of early conventions , a little further comment onmy policyofcalling a spade a spademay not be out ofplace.

“The physician,”remarks that philosophical old thinker, Tardieu , in

that he emall things ought to be permitted to say all things " ; But

society is , unfortunately , not founded in philosophy . It has certain petprejudices, fads and conventions,which the writer, if he cannot respect , isat least bound in somemeasure to observe ; just as we humor an hystericalwoman ; but this is precisely whatmakes both difficult and delicate luvsstigations like this present, in which freedom, strength , and accuracy ofthought , just as the diamond loses weight by toomuch polishing and cutting,are fmquently, indeed as a rule, hampered by an enforced deference to cer

tain literary forms andmoral susceptibilities, which might be found, onc loser examination, little worthy of such consideration.

But this too fastidious prudery 18 only one ofthe quirks , foibles andmconsistencies cl our dear humanity ; inconsistencies which would bemore

As an instance : since the Creator’s first invocation to light the.

parrot-cryof humanity has never ceased imitating Him.

“Let there be light ,more

light !” But God help the light-bringer ! Christ and Paul , and Socratesand Galileo , could tell something of howthe world has used him. Butweneed not go back to them; modern instances are plentiful . Luther sawthelight , and Religion hounded himthrough Europe. Savonarola sawit, andwas burned on the bridge ofFlorence . Columbus caught its gleamfromtheWestern waters, and wore the fette rs ofBobadilla as tokens of his nation'

s

gratitude . Kossuth sawit in Hungary , and had to See for his l ife ; and

Father Gapon and MaximGorky , trying to transmit its rays to benightedRussia , are shot down and trampled by Cossacks in the streets ofLodz andMoscow. Oh , yes ; light-bringing has proved a grand and profitable business in the past , and promises to be equally so in the future !Only a short time ago, ” good a man as the present writer, surely

a better scholar, was put into jail in England for writing a far less

“Auctmemisere physique enmorale , aucune plaie ,quelque corrompuequ’elle soi t,os doit efirayer celui qui s'est voué a la science de l'homme ct ls ministers sacre dumedecin, en l

’obligeant s tout voir.lui permet aussi dc tout dire .

” Des orientate our

Rectal surgery is not an inviting nor a savory subject ; neither ismidwifery, norcancer. nor vencrealdisease; but whatwould be thought ofthe physicianwhowoulddecline to discuss either on the ground ofmodesty? Such a sticklcr for conventionality

would equalthemanwho, about to be opera ted upon for appendicitis, imisted thet aminister be sent for. eo that he could be “

0penedwith prayer.

”

Author’s Preface 3

pla inly spoken book than this , on the same subject ; a book since adoptedbymany ofour best colleges ; and if the first part ofthat author’s fatefor I dare not hope the second—~shall befall unworthyme at the hands ofmy appreciative countrymen,

I can only consolemyself with the reflectionthat “ I amofhis brethren the prophets ,

”and equally prepared to “

sufferhardness ” for the faith that is inme ; for, though the heavens fall , I amresolved to speakmymind plainly and fearlessly on thismatter beforeme .

The physician who hesitates in the performance ofwhat he conceivesto he a professional duty, through fear ei ther ofadverse criticismor publicmisapprehension , is not only a sorry citizen, and stil l sorrier Christian, but

unworthy to take that vowwhich Juhel-René y tel ls us every young physician once took before the statue ofH ippocratesfan oath which bound himirrevocably to truth

, and which made prebity, honesty and fearlessness,the very shibboleth of his cal ling.

Much has been written,good

, bad and indifferent, on the diversematterswhich enter into the laws and relations ofsex . Part

Faults and Merits is the product of unlearned quacks, whosemotives andofWri ters on qualifications I do not care to scrutinize at present ;Sex Theme-s pm,

that of certaindry-as -dust cl inicians,whose facts,

when they give us any, are utterly devoid of the

faintest charmof literary expression ; but a goodly portion , fortunately,in recent years particularly

,ofgenuine l iterary and psychological reasoners,

whosework I cannot hope to improve ; except by a , perhaps,more systematicand rationalmethod of class ification and treatment .In this connection I wouldmention first the splendid treatise of Krafft

Ebing,

’as only too severely techni cal for the average reader ; that ofHave

lock Ellis,

’as lacking grievously in orderly arrangement ; both, however,

being veritablemines of scientific information ; that ofUlrichs,‘ as an argument

, pro demo, in favor of homosexuali ty ; that of Moll ,‘while the best ofallon sexual inversion

,as too exclusi vely psychological ; that of Chevalier}

as lacking somewhat in critica l perception ; though in thema in copious andcorrect ; and that of Fé ré ,’ which I regard as

,in the ground covered , the

completest andmost satisfactorv work on the subject yetwritten .

Whether the faults enumerated are corrected, or the undoubted greatmerits ofthese writers even approached , in the following work, the readermust determine. It ismy hope, however, whi le retaining all that ismostwVie Pro fessionals a Devoirs du Medé ciné ," Paris , 1878.

PsychOpsthia Sexualis .

" " ‘8tudies in the PsychOW OfBex.

“L'Inversion Semi

4 Author’s Preface

valuable in the. authors named,to present the facts in such continuity of

formas to rendermy work amore readily accessiblemediumof professionalreference ; and, in collating fromvarious other sources whatever additiona linformationmore re cent inquirymay have brought to light, together withthe results ofpersona l observation

,andthepass ing reflectionswhich theymay

suggest, and by the exclusion, as far as possible, of scientific technicali ties ,to make my work more easi ly intelligible to the lay

-reader who maydesire—as all should— to enlighten himself

,or herself, on the immutable

systemof laws which not only underlies this l ife, but upon the rational

observance of which depend , more largely, perhaps , than commonly sup

posed, our hopes and expectations ofa fuller and nobler one herea fter .

And it is a pleasure to reflect , notwithstanding theFai th in Ameri human inconsistencies I began by noting, that in thiscan Intelligence country, at least , with its predominant intel ligence,

and liberty ofthought , no writer who comes with a.

memage of possible good to humanity , even though thatmessage tear thepaintedmask fromthe face ofConventionality , need fear that he will bedenied an audience through themiserable pseudo-modesty which prevailedin the past ; the superstitious reverencefor which has ruined somany noble,promis ing lives, and inflictedmore pangs upon innocent womanhood thana hundred years ofhell could atonefor.

The golden inscription on the gate ofDelphi— KNOW Te resa — neverpromised amore perfect realization than in the present ceaseless and indefatigable inquiry into thosemysteriousmorphologica l and psychical scienceswhich hold the hitherto unguessed secrets ofboth spiritual andmaterialexistence ; and whilewe justly glory in the beauties of the flower

,and the

star, and the forest and the sea , is it rational , is it proper, that we shouldblush to contemplate the attributes and power ofthe Deity

,as expremed

in thatmost wonderful and elaborate ofallHis works- MAN ?“Health

,

”says Solomon, “ is a faithful ambassa

Health the dor. Its voicemust be heard before allothers . The

Foundation of Greeks deified happiness,making it the supreme good ;Happiness but disregarded those laws ofhealth upon which per

fect happiness can only be founded ; and there ismore true wisdomin the words ofthe “godlike Athenian to his favorite

,

Euthydemus,‘ and in his last sacrifice to Esculapius, than in allthe oracles

‘rc w e : Know thyself. Said by Juvenal (xx- 27) to he a saying descended

fromheaven , and called by Cicero (Tuse. Disp. , r- 22)

“a precept ofApollo.

” Itwasprobably flmt used by Pythsgom,mmy ofwhme philmophicslmsximswmemhodiedin theworks ofthemythicalGreek

Author’s Preface 5

Anthony sought happiness in his lust ; Brutus in his ambition ; Aristotlein the holy oracles ofmeditation ; Napoleon in conquest ; Milton in poetry ;Paul in religion , and Juliet in love. We allhave our ideals of happiness ;to attain which , in the ful lestmeasure, was the dreamof the ages . And

the desire is laudable, reasonable ; and, so far as we know,entirely con

sistent with the wil l and purpose of the Creator . But it always carries withit the implication that no creative lawbe infringed o r contravenedmitsaccomplishment ; to insure which there is the so: Dei within, answeringto the var humane without prudence ever parleying with passion,

conscience

Paulunderstood this dual property of our nature when he spoke ofthe“lawof the spiri t,

” warring with “the lawof hismembers,” one unto life

and the other unto death ; and I strongly agree with the distinguished authorof“The Simple Life,” that the high-wrought nervous tension and luxuryof the times, with the sexual and other vices which are their direct outgrowth , are only to bemet and remedied by a return to primitive sourcesof pleasure and habits of life.

Pratensis held that the bodies ofpersons who feed gluttonously, live at

ease, and indulge themselves with wine, “are full ofLuxury Conducive bad spirits and devilish and Hierome advises

to Lust us, if our horse be“ too lusty, to take away some of

his provender.

”

It is seldomthat you see an hired servant , as our quaint friend Burtonremarks ,’ one who is kept constantly at work , “ troubled verymuch withthe fires oflust ;

”but noble virgins , ni ce gentlewomen, who live lives of

pleasure andme, are its peculiar victims . On the same principle be ac

cmmts for the sexua l vices of convents andmrmasteries , where the youngpriests , fullblooded , well fed,

andnot overburdened with labor, have becomefamous for “ their rapes , incests , adulteries , mastuprations, sodomies and

buggeries ;”

and there is little doubt that the luxury and enlightenmentof the present day hear an almost equal part in the production of thosesexual vices with whichwe are at present concerned .

There is something in the character ofmodern enl ightenment, notwithstanding what has already been said, which awakens too grand a hope forthe future to be readily relinquished . One ofits greatest achievements is

sfls irs oflife in his famous aphorism: mamwaffl e— knowyour opportunity .

Demonitus refer-ts aunt corpora nostrs , illorumpra cipue qui delicatis vescuntureduliis , advolitant, et corporibus inhamnt, etc .

“ Anatomy ofMelancholy,” pp. 273, 274.

6 Author’s Preface

the educated faculty of discriminating between what is deliberately obscenein literature, and that which, while scientifically frank and bold

,is never

theless born ofa pure purpombetween that which populari zes,for instance,

themysterious phenomena of sexual life, and that whichministers simplyand solely to a depraved and prurient public curiosityMen and women everywhere are becoming better and better acquainted

with the laws,physical and psychical , which underlie their being ; thus pre

paring themselves, not only for a better andmore intelligent fatherhoodandmotherhood , by instil ling the seeds oftheir own knowledge into theminds of their children, but preparing humanity for the NewEarth bylifting it up to a knowledge ofitself, its hopes, perils, capacities and environments, and finding

,in release fromthe broken trammels and pre judice of

the past, not only immunity fromthe vices of the presmi t, but grander andnobler vistas of the future.

Is it not lamentable that for lack of only a little knowledge somuchmisery

,deformity, suflering and disease should exist

Ignorance of in the common fami ly of humani ty? Is it not andPhysi ologicalLaws that a man, born and endowed to enjoy to the full

that supremest of allphysical pleasures, sexual unionwith the woman he loves, “ thatmagnetmost divine,” which , “ as the verycentre of the earth

,draweth all things to it, and to stand in the pride

of hismanhood , as the father ofhis children and perpetuator ofhis nameand race, should be cut off fromboth forever? Condemned

,by the in

aidions , but not the less fatal , grasp ofa habit, perhaps, against which theuntaught minds ofhis own parents were incapable ofwarning him,

to a

whole life ofmiserable longing and desire,without the power to gratify

them? Is it not unutterably sad that themiddle years of life, which oughtto be years of glorious ambition and splendid achievements , should be, toa great proportion of both sexes, only bleak, barren days ofhopeless uh

fruitfulness—grsy and leaden as the pailof autumn— in which physical decay, and

“ the wormthat dieth not,” complete the wreck which the very

exuberance of youth, and love, and healthmost probably began?And this is no overdrawn picture, as the body of

Pena l ties of the work will only too sorrowfully prove. Well doesSexual Precocity Flourens exclaim— “man does not die—be kills him

self l ” The soil ofyouth , unplanted with the seedsof knowledge, begets the flower of pre cocity, whombloomis speedily destroyed by the wormof lust . Boys, ins ofthe healthful exercise emo

tial to the season of physiological development, enter at once into the eroticsexual indulgences designed for later years ; into masturbation, tobaccousing, beer and spirit drinking, the cigarette habit, and other forms of

8 Author’s Preface

perversions of the sexual instinct— rape,masturbation

,pederasty , etc .

are not only always possible but extremely probable. Indeed I think itwould not be diflicult to trace— as I shal l attempt to do under its properheading— the Negro ’s passion for child-rape and lust-murder to a sexualdegeneracy rwulting rather fromthe vicious practices bequeathed by hisCaucasianmasters, during the days of slavery, than to any racial inheritanceofvice; or, as is popularly believed, an abnormally strong virility and sexualpower.

The Negro is notstrong sexually ; nor is he, in a state ofnature, especiallyaddicted to those revolting vices which seemto be rather the pets of civilization.

“ In Central Africa ,

”as Havelock Ellis informs us, “pederasty ap

pears to be extremely rare ; although some case of cfiemz’

natio, and passivepederasty, have been reported fromUnyamwezi and Uganda . But amongthe negro populations of Zanzibar

,forms of homosexuality

,which are be

lieved to be congenitalas wellas acquired, are said to be fairly common ;and I think it will be fairly shown later on in this work that the sexualityofthe negro is orie ofdisploy rather than ofrealpowcr.

The present tendency in this country to the apotheTheWoman-Move ons of woman ,

with her ao—called “rights” and “

ad

ment in America venced thought ,” in plain reversal of the scriptural

and traditional decree offemale subordination to thestronger sex

,is undoubtedly erotic in its origin . Not that I would condemn

it,by anymeans , anymore than I would any of the other forms andmani

festations ofinnate chivalry on the part ofmen ; but the wholesale invasionof the prerogatives of the lattm'

, inmart , factory and profession, precludingin great measure even amascul ine thought ofmatrimony, and producingamong women themelves a growing indiflerence to the sexual bond , isengendering psychological results in society too apt to escape very gena al

oh ervation .

There is a tendency,more andmore, toward cel ibacy and sexual isolationamong both sexm; and since the sexual instinct is not only the earliest butthemost dominant impulse ofhumanity, insusceptible of subjection , wholly ,to any power ei ther of will or conscience, it follows as a corollary that thmewill be, ultimately , a return on the part ofbothmen and women to thosegrosser forms ofartificial erotism,

homosexuality or open prostitution,which

take the place of the natural re lation. In point of fact this appears to bethe actual present condition

,as I shall attempt to show under appropriate

heads in this work .

In one respect does the prwentwriter take decided issue with an anomalystrangely obtrusive in the learned treatise of Mr. Ellis,’ as well as in the

Lac. cit , xx, 11. Lac cit , r, 110- 204.

Author’s Preface 9

works of various Continental and Ameri can psychologists,‘ that , as masturbation appears to be almost universal among the higher animals,we are not justified in regarding it so much as a vice as a apontc

ncous and instinctive act ofnature. Mr. Ellis’ statement that, “While thepractice ofmasturbationmay be harmful in its consequences, it is also , inthe absence of normal sexual relationships, frequently not without goodresults,

” I place side by side with that of the erudite , careful and observantKraflt-Ebing, ofVienna ; and shal lmake itmy business , later, to entermoreful ly into the relative positions ofboth . Nothing is so prone to contaminate ,

”says the learned Austrian,

“under certain circumstances even toexhaust , the source ofallnoble and ideal sentiments

,which arise froma

normally developed sexual instinct,as the practice ofmasturbation in early

years . It despoils the unfolding bud of perfume and beauty,and leaves

behind only the coarse. animal desire for sexual gratification. If an individual

,spoiled in this manner, reach an age ofmaturity, there is always

wanting in himthatmsthefic, ideal , pure and free impulse, which draws onetowards the opposite sex . This defect influences the morale, character,fancy , feeling and instinct of the youthfulmasturbator,male or female, inan unfavorable way, and al lows the desire for the opposite sex to sink tonil; so thatmasturbation is prd erred to the naturalmode ofsatisfaction .

"

It will be observed that in the statements quoted, pro and con

,there

is no reference to the efl'

ect ofthe practice on physicalhealth . This, beingamere matter ofclinica l observation

,within the purview ofevery practi

tioner ofmedicine , need not long engage our attention ,nor remain amatter

of doubt . Indeed,Dr. Edward Carpenter

,of Manchester

,in his pri vately

printed pamphlet onHomogenic Love,1899 , sets , I think, the seal ofmodern

scientific thought upon the whole question . At least I amcontent to leaveit for the present to his able summing up ; only to return to it , however,more ful ly in the section on Artificial Erotism

,under which head it , and

its kindred vices,will bemore appropriately and explicitly reviewed .

“Purity,after all(in the sense of continence), is ofthe first importance

to boyhood . To prolong the period of continence , in a boy’s life,is to pro

long the period ofgrowth. This is a simple physiological law,and a very

obvious one ; and whatever other thingsmay be said in favor of puri ty , itremains, perhaps, themost weighty. To introduce sensualandsexual habits

See Tillier, “L'

Instinct Sexual, Paris , 1889 , as a striking example .

’ Loc. cian , 19 1.‘The concurrent sta tements ofboth Ellis andMoll tha tmas turbation is onlyharmful

whenwr isd to a csss , are plainly illogical, for the simple reason that what is harmfulin excessmust be proportionate ly harmful inmoderation . In other words, what isharmful at allmust be harmfulin any given degree.

xc Author’s Preface

— and one oftheworst ofthemis self-abuse—at an early age, is to arrest

growth, both physical andmental ; and, what is evenmore, itmeans toarrest the capacity for afiection. Allexperience shows that the early outlettowards sex cheapens andweakens afiectionalcapacity) ”

“Theman who does not work ,” says President Roosevelt,

“ cannot behappy .

” “The woman who does not labor,” remarksCauses andEfiects Acton, I think , in his History ofProstitution

,

“rich

of Sexua l Vice and honored though she be, bears upon her head theinevitable curse ofheaven .

” It would be a safe wagerthat Helen Gould reapsmore genuine and rational happiness fromherworksofbenevolence than Queen Alexandra fromall the trappings of her rank .

We need not go back to the concubines and thrushes of Lucul lus ; to theboy-harems ofthe Caliphs , where a special tutor at an enormous salarywas employed by the Court to teach the royal scions the “fine arts” ofsexual indulgence ; to the “

strange woman ,

” dropping honey fromher lipsin the streets of Babylon,

or Nineveh nor point to the gigantic wrecksof empire scattered along the shores of time , to showthe inevitable con

motion between the growth of luxury, perversion of the sexual instinct , andnational ruin.

And shallwe judge the future by the past? Are the same causes operative in society to -day as

, under the splendid reigns of Henry III and LouisX IV , sanctioned the abduction of little boys fromthe streets ofParis to

satisfy the abominable exigences of the king’s royal baths?‘ Are not the

vast accumulations of wea lth , in our own “simple democracy ,” with their

inseparable concomitants of luxury and highly stimulated erotism,directly

responsible for the secret vices and prostitution which avowedly characterisethe times?There are practically only two causes for prostitution among women

wealth and want . Innate modesty, and her normal

feebleness of sexual desire , compared with that ofman,

may, under ordinary conditions , always be relied on

to prevent her enteri ng those paths that “ take holdupon hell . Of course life is precious to her ; even the insult , contumelyand degradation of professional harlotry are preferable, onmerely humangrounds , to the pangs ofstarvation ; but ordinarily the danger and temptstion are far greater to the woman who “ lives high ,

”amid scenes of fashion

For instances ofthese statements , rid. Kran‘t-Ebing, Text-Book ofLegal Psycho

Author’s Preface rr

able luxury and dissipation, exposed on allsides to the lust-excited solicitations of idle l ibertines , drugged constantly with wine, and very frequentlywith aphrodisiacs , to whose refined taste the atmosphere of the publicbrothel would be intolerably ofiennve. She it is who usually falls into thatpitiable condition of neurotic exhaustion whichmakes her an

“ interestinginvalid " to her lady friends, the pet ofthe fami ly doctor, and fromwhichthe transition to artificial erotism— the hair-pin or the rubber penis— or tosecret prostitution, is both easy and natural . These are the women whomSeneca had inmind when he remarked that they were “more solicitous oftheir head-tire than their health , spending their time between the comb andthe glass , farmore desirous ofbeing accounted beautiful than virtuous,

”x

damning their own souls,allin a breath .

In concluding these prefatory remarks itmay not be amiss to say that,whilewe are surrounded on all sides by physiological

Difi culties Attend sex-manifestations, they are , fromthe very nature ofing this Kind such things, as difiicult to comc at as they are ofstrict

of Wri ting scientific definition . If the physician announce hisintention of writing a brochure on typhoid fever

,or

diphtheria, he is at once approached by a host of patients , anxious to immrtinformation ; but if he ask one of themost ofiicious of these how manytimes he has intercourse with his wife every week, whether she is alwayswilling or reluctant, how they are sexual lymated as to size and desire , orany other ofa dozen such questions, no clamat high tide could shut uptighter, nor lookmore virtuously indignant .

’

Therefore it is, as Mr. Ellis,possibly with a simi lar sad experience fresh

in his memory,ruefully remarks

,that “

any serious and precise study ofthe sexual instinct will bemet with popular disapproval ; and

,

among those for whomhe is chiefly working,the author will find indif

ference .

The public will be attracted by gross pictures of sexual perversity— thegrosser the better— furnished by asylum-reports ,

Howthe Public patent nostrumvendors,brothels

,professional oh

is Attracted scenity mongers, or would-be writers, destitute oflearning

,decency and ethics

,whose conceptions of

science, literature and religion,begin and end with the amount ofcoin each

“ ‘So[licitiores de capitis sui decore quamde salute, etc .

’ As an instance ofthe difficulty experienced in collecting data for a work ofthis

character, a very intelligent lady whomI approached, as tactfully as I knewhow,

with certain questions ofa sexual nature.was deeply insulted, and has not spoken tome since. IfIwrite anotherbook like this I shallnot have a friendleft in theworld.

1 2 Author ’s Preface

is capable of producing ; while the serious and educated inquires, who examines phenomena in their proper perspective , weighing themwith a

results , will too often only have his labor for his pa ins .

Imake no apology for writing this book . I thinkPresent State of it wi ll satisfy , in somemeasure at least, a profemionalthe Sex Problemneed . If not, if it contain no little grain of thought

worthy of perpetuation ,no ray ofknowledge to help

brighten that dawn of reason with which , some profess to believe, the hilltops are already aglow, let its extinction vindicate the Darwinian law. In

one respect at least— the grouping and classification ofmy subjects— I hopetomeet the approval ofmy professional brethren , and,

entering upon thediscussion of themes which writers at the beginning of the past centurybarely rescued fromthemisty domain ofpoetry and romance , but whichwere somewhat better amplified and analysed by others of the Ploss-Bartelsschool , I do so with the earnest assurance that in the following pages , whilestartling facts shal l be dealt with in very plain language, whilemy preaching— like that of Nathan to King David—wil l be very concise , and to the

point,I shall endeavor to show that

,until the lawlearn to recognise and

discriminate between conscious crime and physical disease , between deliberate violation oi statutory enactments and those irresponsible, paranoiacacts which are but the evolution

,or involution,

ofthe psychologically perverted organism,

the need of themedico- legal writer willnot cease to exist ;and in doing this , I beg at the very outset to acknowledgemy indebtednmto those authors

,ancient andmodern, whomI have so freely used , with

proper credit in each case ; as well as to the professional friends , ofbothsexes

,who have somaterially and kindly aidedme in investigations which

were not only tediously technical , but, as I have intimated , unusuallydelicate in their nature.

J . Rwaaansos PARKE .

CHAPTER ONE

MORAL AND SOC IAL ASPECTS OF THE

SEX UAL RELATION

HEN the Creator told Adamthat it was not good for himto be alone

,andmade woman for his companion, the in

ference is sufficiently obvious that the newbeing had beencreated not only with a need and capacity for human fel

lowship, but, that celibacy, eithermale or female,formed no part in the

primitive scheme ofcreation .

‘

Religious cenobitismwas,and is

,but one of thosemorbid , unnatural

and sexually subversive -customs with which , amongProcreation a

O

heathen races particularly, ethical thought has alwaysDivine Purpose delighted to invest the sacred or prophetic character.

The same motive which made Isaiah , for instance,walk naked through the streets of Jerusalemto show that the Lord intendedto strip the latter

,andmake her bare.

’ Whichmade Cardan remark , ofsuch “ prophets ,

” that if they went to church through the day they couldsleep with prostitutes at night— introrsumtut-pea, specrbsi polls decora.

Which made Ezekiel cut 03 his hair and beard , weigh them,and divide

theminto three parts, one of which was to be burned with fire, one out

with the knife, and one scattered to the four winds.

‘ Which made himMatter his breadwith his own excrement

,and eat it publicly, in token ofGentile

defilement .

‘ Which made Jeremiah wear a wooden yoke, as a sign that

scription of what, there can be no question ofdoubt, God specifically ordained.

M o d a ultiplicamr’

n‘was His command to the children ofNoah , when they left

the ark; and the counter-cornmandofthe church , could it have been enforced, wouldhave speedily brought an end to humanity in the world. But God fortified this , aswell as every othcr ofHis commands, with such na tural laws and conditions as to

speedily nullify every formofhuman antagonism; making the sexual instinct farstronger than any mere legal enactment; and proving , in the sexualabuses of the

conventa. thoee preparatory schoola oferotic hysterimas wellas in the masturbation ,

rapes and adultery ofthe priesthood,the pitiable incompetency ofhumanwisdomto

‘Eaek rv. 12.

1 4 Human Sexualitythe Jews should go into captivity whichmade Hosea cohabi t with a prostitute for three years, to indicate that the tribes were guilty ofwantonnemand of idol-worship? and with anotherman’s wife, to signify the ao-calledadultery of his nation with the gods of the heathm.

’

The Jewish prophet,speaking like an angel and acting like a beast ,was

an extraordinary being ; but notmore extraordinary than many of thecloistered cenobites and nuns of themiddle ages ; if indeed the characterof the latter bemateri ally improved in the present day. Among these, aswe are credibly informed by El Ktab

,a Mohammedan writer, whose book ,

“Traduction de Paul de Regla,”was published in Paris in 1893, the sexualvices— Lesbian love

,masturbation

,etc — grew so common that they came

to be regarded as peculiarly Christian institutions by the theologians ofIslam. The Mohammedan religion

,while openly tolerating and even eh

couraging the sexual relationship, stil l placed such restri ctions upon the

practice ofself-abuse that itwas only allowed to devout Mussulmans whenalone

, on a journey; for the sin of the seminal emission during sleep, whichwas the subject ofsuch long and heated controversy by the fathers ofthe

early Christian Church , and which provided the nccmsary relief to thephysical function

,the pious Mussulman consoling himself with the con

venient ejaculation that Allah ismerciful l’“Leaving the consideration of these themes , how

Sexuali ty the ever , for a more appropriate place, and continuingBasis of Soc iety our inquiry into themoral and socia l aspects of the

sexual relation , I consider Maudsley’s statement

,that

the sexual feeling is the rightful foundation ofthe social feeling, as indisputably true.

“Wereman to be robbed of the instinct of procreation,and

‘Jer., xxvm,

10.‘Hosea, r, 2, 3.

‘Hosea ,m, 1 .

‘A carefrfl reading of the mords -ofancientmedicine wfll speedily convinoe us

ofthe perfect consistency ofthe early Church's attitude towards certain sexualmatterswhich later intelligence enabled it tounqualifiedly condemn. Thus, even Galen taughtthat long retention of the semen produced insanity. Hieronymus Mercuri alis at

tributed to the same cause that , andmany other maladies ; and Oribasius (Med.

Coll . 6 , c. 37) says that those who do not use carnal copulation suffer continuallywith heaviness and headache . Felix Plater , in his “Observations," tells ofan old

manwhomarried a young wife, and, being unable to pay his just debts ,” the lattertook on a

“kind ofmadness " (not unknown even today), in which “she desired

every man tha t came to see her, by looks , words and gestures , to have to do withher .

” The Church , “ knowing the Father ’s will but doing it not,” dared notm y

itself againstmedica l science, with its physica l fulminations; and.being then farmoretimorous in this respect than at present , tacitly, at least,moved with the current ithad not power to stem; going to sucb an extreme in the opposite direcn

'

on that wefind Jacchinus rela ting (in 9 Ellen

'

s. 16) the case ofa patient, a young priest , whohad so exhausted himselfwith “

chambawork” that he becamemad, andwas only

1 6 Human Sexualityindirectly, is always the product ofsexuality, depending on the latter forallits vividness of purpose and ardency offeeling .

Shakespeare might have studied whole librari es on the philosophy ofthe pamions without being able to conceive , had he not experienced withinhimself something of both

,either the jea lousy ofan Othello or the love of

a Juliet ; and when the soldier dies on the battlefield,wemay trace his

devotion,not somuch to love ofcountry , or liberty, as to his little cottage

home,where sleep thewoman he loves and the offspring of his smmalpassion .

But while the sexual life leads to the very highestThe Importance manifestations ofvirtue, religion and patriotism, itof Its Cul tivation cannot be denied , andmust always be borne inmind ,

that it a lso lies behind the worst dangers whichthreaten society and the State. Sexual love, as a blind , unbridled passion,

is l ike a cyclone that destroys everything in its path ; but, ruled and heldin leash by the gentle restraints ofreligion,

society and civilization, is capableof leading us on to the grandest andmost beneficcnt ends.

It is true that the culture ofsexualmorality becomes equally importantwith its recognition as a primitively inherent force. This culture will depend ,as to its direction

,on the ethical view-point ofthe country in which it oh

tains. Thus a Japanese woman is only eligible to wifehood after she has

lived at least a year in a house ofprostitution ; and she can,and does

,thus

satisfy her sexual passion,daily

,without detracting either fromher virtue

as a woman or hermarket value as a wife ; proving that among this remarkable people

h more remarkable through the astounding developments of

the presentwar — woman possesses rather a procreative, and physical, thanethical value. And we must not hastily condemn

,in these sons ofDai

Nippon,institutions and customs which are the heritage of As iatic ancestors

,

and the growth ofages .

In allOriental countries woman has always been regarded as a chattel ,a plaything

,themere toy ofman’

s lust ; and yet theWoman’s Posi tion facts of history are lacking to prove that shewasmorein the East unhappy

,in the greatmajority of instances at least ,

as an odalisque,or concubine, than her Western sister

as a wife. Islamkept women—as indeed did allthe polygynous countriesof the East— fromactive participation in social and public life, thus placinga bar upon hermental andmoral development ; but, on the other hand ,was equally careful to surround her with every luxury and comfort whichthe fine lady bestows today upon her pet kitten ,

or poodle. Whether thisdwarfing of intel lectuality

,womanhood

,and the moral nature , was ade

quately chest by the, no doubt , heightened pleasures of her sexual andRusso-JapaneseWar, 1904- 5.

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation 1 7

minus] existence,or whether the greater liberty , and necessarily coarser

contacts,ofwestern civilisation are preferable, we leave the facile judgment

ofthe sex to determine.

But it seems an anomaly ofsequence that , while Mohammad himselfwas undoubtedly actuated by amoral desire to raise woman fromher primitive r61e , as amere instrument ofsensual gratification , to a higher social andma trimonial plane, in no country in the world— not even China— has thesensual and sexual idea so largely prevailed in regard to woman , both in

society and religion , as in the Mohammedan .

The Christian , with the exception of a dimand not well defined idea of

sexual reunion with the woman he loves after death , pictures his heaven as

a place ofspiritual , rather than sensual del ight ; while the Mohammedan,

though denying woman a soul, by one ofthose adroit sinuosities ofmind sopeculiar to the East , fil ls his paradise with dark-eyed houris and the sensuous pleasures ofthe harem.

The rel igions ofthe East— and after allthatmeansInfluence of Sex the rel igions ofthe world— began and ended in sexua l

pleasure. The prophet , or priest , married his girl

Religious Beliefs wives in droves , not singly ; stimulated himself withaphrodisiacs , for his tremendous task , as , I have heard ,

breeders sometimes do a fancy stallion ; and, when exhausted nature sankunder the delightful burden , themost glorious purpose of his renewed youthwas to tacklemanfully the bewitching bevy of beauties awaiting his adventin the better land .

It was largely so in Nineveh , Babylon , and by the Nile ; where the

Hogarths ofthe period painted the young dandy beingAn Oriental Dandy carried home by his footmen , wigless and hatlcss ,

while the lady for whomhe had possibly paid an enormous sum, awaited his arrival amid evidences of the same reckless disorder.

Thema r pa inted their faces and pencilled their eyebrows ; wore braceletsand collars ofgold and jewels ; dined on a variety of delicate entrees , tasting and nibbling a little here and there ; drank deeply ofthe

“ liquid sun

shine ” of Damascus, or Shiraz ; yawned or wallowed half the day in theirharems ; had valas de ckambre to help themin and out ofbed; had

“actions

like wate r and words like wind ,”and spent fabulous sums yearly for epi

dermatica to swell the size oftheir testicles .

What a field the sexual life of the ancients would have been for themodern American patentmedicine vendor, the “beauty-doctor ” and pro

fmional“ bust -developer ! ”

The idea recalls a laughable story ofthemanwho, suffering with toothache ,madea liberal applica tion ofa

“ liniment ” he found in his wife’s clwet. To his horror a

18 Human SexualityThe religions ofGreece and Rome deifiedwoman ;

Sexua l i ty of and if you run through the records of rationalmytholHeathen Gods ogy , you will find the sexual life its vital element .

Jupiter, the father of allthe gods , along with being thehusband ofsevenwives, became a very Proteus to gratify his sexual passion ;and his children were numerous as hismistresses. He was the Ammon of

the Africans, the Belus of Babylon, the Osiris of Egypt ; and only a littleliterarym h is needed to showthat themethod he took to appease the

marital jealousy ofDemeter, by castrating himself in the formofa ram,

was entirely consistent with his character, and only one of thosemany littletricks with which not only the gods amused themselves at human expense ,

but which , in allages of the world , have been resorted to to throw too in

quisitivc husbands 06 the track .

In ancient language, words expressed not abstractIts Influence on ideas but concrete substances. Thus the terms day,

the Savage Mind night , earth , spring , dawn , not only possessed terminations ofgender, but carriedwith themthe corre

sponding idea ofsex ; so that they became possessedofnot only an individualbut a sexua l character. In themythopoaic age, therefore , if a poet spoke ofthe shining one pursuing the burning one

"—meaning the sun followingthe dawn— it was only natural for the primitive reader to formamentalpicture of amale following a female , both inflamed with sexual passion ;or aman pursuing a woman— in all ages, ifthe fair ones will pardon theungal lant comparison, the hunted beast ofhistory .

Apollo was an amorous young god , chasing a lovely, but too reluctantDaphne ; who , to evade her pursuer, changed herself into the flower whichat present bears her name.

‘ Apia, the great god ofEgyptian Memphis,wasa bull in every sense of the term, and is nowgenerally conceded by scholarsto have been , on account ofhis fertilizing and procreative powers, a type orsymbol ofthe river Nile. The Vedic hymns , which ascribe to Indra, Mitra ,

and the other Aryan deities of India , such lofty attributes ofmoral virtue,will be found , on a little closer examination, to be scarcely more than a

divine chrom'

que scandalou s ofsexuality ; and wherever we turn , in the

mythological records of the world , Scandinavian, Austral ian, African , NorthAmerican or Oriental,we find thc same erotic thread nmning through it all,large, soft tumor developed in the afl

'

ected part, themiraculous and peculiar growthofwhichwas only explained when his wife, with equal horror. informed himthat thesupposed

“ liniment” he had beenmingwas nothingmore nor less thanher “ newpatent

Max Muller—“Selected Essays ," r.398, et seq.

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation 19

and exercising the same profound influence upon the religions and society ofthe timesThe love ofKhadija inspired , largely , the sums of Mohammed ; that of

Hoovi , the Zend Avesta of Zoroaster ; and from“0i Manitou the

mighty ," of the American Indian , to the miserable insect-god of the Australian Bushman , the first great lawof human passion and procreation,

bequeathed to Adamin the garden ofEden , is perpetuated .

It remained for Christianity to be the savior ofChristiani ty the woman. But it took even Christianity , with all its

Savior of Woman sexually uplifting precepts, and ennobling principles,nearly two thousand years to accomplish the divine

task. It found her “amovable ware, a thing of lust , an object of barter

her , by processeswhichare as inscrutable as that writing of the Savior ’s finger in the sands of Olivet ,’

into a being who, while preserving all that glory and beauty ofbody withwhich she first came fromthe hand ofthe Creator, has added to both thosequalities ofheart ,mind and soul , which not only fit her to be the equalpartner.and life companion, but inmany instances the guide andmonitor,ofman. But this transformation has not been effected easily , nor withouteHort. Themoral elevation ofthe sexual factor, which refined and spiritualized the bond oflove betweenman andwoman ,making it a religio-moralins titution, andmarriage a divine sacrament ,was opposed at its very inception by that traditionary history of Genesis, whichmadewoman not onlythe author of the primitive curse— a curse which became the very cornerstone ofthe whole structure ofearly ecclesiastical teaching—but imposedupon ha a secondary part in creation , and the specific command— “ thy willshal l be to thy husband .

”

Indeed it was not until the Council ofTrent , in the middle of the six

teenth century , that the church , by definite decree, took steps to raise

Nor is this to be wondered at. The Gospels,with the possible exception ofthe text forbidding the putting away of a wife , saving for the crime of fornication,

” contain absolutely nothing favoring the social or legal recognitionofwoman. The Savior’s tenderness to the repentant Magdalene , alreadyalluded to , conveyed Ima desire on His part to establish a question of right ,than to teach a lmon ofmercy ; while the Epistles ofPaul explicitly taughtthat therewas nothing in the NewDispensation to alter in the sl ightest thestatus of woman as laid down in the Old .

’

Paychopathia Sexualis, p. 2

John's Gospel , vur, 6 .

1Timothy, n , 12. Ephesians , v, 33. Colossians , 1 Peter,m, 1.

so Human SexualityThe Canonical Lawofthe primitive church ex

Woman not pressly declares onlymanwas created in the imageCreated in God’s ofGod , not woman ; therefore woman should serve

Image man, and be hisma id ; ” while the Provincial Councilof Macon ,

in the sixth century , debated seriously thequestion whether woman has a soul. Furthermore, polygyny , which is one

ofthemost clearly recognized institutions ofthe Old Testament , is nowheredefinitely interdicted in the New, to any, at least, except bishops of thechurch ; while in the writings of the early Fathersmany passagesmay bepointed out, illustrating the prejudice existing in theirminds againstwoman,through the original guilt ofEve.

‘

As a consequence ofthese ideas in the peoples who had embraced Christianity, among the Germans , according to Folke, (Die Riacrliche Gasellechalt,p . theweregeld, or purchase price of a wife,wasmaterially rim ;

the Merovingian kings ofFrance lived in open polygyny, to which the Churchmade little opposition, (Weinhold, Die Deutschen Frauen in Mitte lal ter,n , and divorces far easier ofprocurement than in the later , andpresent , administrations of the Church ofHome As to the re lative valuesof the sexes among the Jews, the reader is referred to the twenty-sixthchapter of Leviticus .

But with the growth andM netion ofChristianity , strange as itmayseem, came an insidious , but not the less real , ten

SexualAbuses deney to sexual perversion . While among the GreeksFostered by the and early Romans , as well as the Babylonians and

Ear ly Church Ninevites , very shocking Obscenities were indulgedin , notably during the festivals in honor of Bacchus

and Priapus , in which ,we are told , naked girls danced in half drunken frenzyin the Dionysian and Floral processions , around an immense artificial penis,carried on the end ofa pole, departures fromthe naturalmethod of sexualgratification were extremely rare.

“Woman, thou shouldst go forever in sorrow and rags , thy eyes 6M wi th teerstThouhast broughtman to the ground.

”— Tertullian.

“Woman is a door for the devil , a way to evil , the sting ofthe scorpion.

"—8 t.

I t were well,” remarked Jason to Medea ,

“ that the female race should not exist.Then therewould nothave been any evil amongmen.

”(Eurip .

,

“Medea ,

”

Milton voices the m e sentiment (Par . Lost, x, and Moncure D. Conway,BLA. , emphasizes it C‘Dunonology ,

”n , 412, a seq.) by his legend of Noah’s wife

having smuggled the devil into the ark, in addition to Eve's original sin. GuyPatin also, notwithstanding that he was a polite Frenchman, has his ungallant fling at

woman in the following words : “Ce serpent, dans la Genese, etoit quelque JeuneDameret qui donna la vex-ole a Eve, et voilele peché original de nos Maines.

”

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation zr

Lechery was the rule, lasciviousness a fine art , and intercourse betweenthe sexes as open and common as , nay far commoner than, betweenbrutes in a free state ofnature ; but itwas only when Christianity began toplace its restrictions upon sexual indulgence , solemn izing andmaking sacredthe institution ofmarriage , that the unnatural secret vices of later timesbegan to flourish , and self abuse and homwexuality—offering the readiestoutlet to sexual passion— took the place , largely , ofthe legitimate congress .

Thus , itwas only when philosophy had refined the intellectual life ofGreece,that Diogenes the Cynic , whomZella calls themost typical figure ofancientGreece , as Plutarch tel ls us ,was praised by Chrysippus for publiclymasturbating in themarket place .

The indifference and lack of opprobriumwith whichRefinement of both Greeks and Romans , as well as some ofthe earlierInte llect not nations , treated this formof autogenous vice , prove ,Refinement of very clearly , that refinement of intellect is one thingMorals and refinement ofmorals quite another ; that how

ever high a nationmay rise in the scale of intellectualand social cul ture , there can be neither solidity nor decorumin any societynot founded on ethical principles , the pures t present exponent ofwhich is,undoubtedly , the Christian rel igion.

If the genius ofpr imitive Christianity strongly proscribed all 98q

relationships not conforming to certa in specified laws , and conditions , andif the bann of the Church failed to fall equally heavily upon the secret sinswhich , as I have intimated , lay at the weakest line ofhuman defence, itwasnot the fault ofthe Church , pa as, somuch as that , in damming back theturbulent waters of sexua l passion, it failed at the outset to adequatelyappreciate the ementialand inherent viciousness ofwhat it had to contendwith— human nature . Hence itwas quite natural that , as in the case of theFather Mathew temp ranos crusade in Ireland , when intoxication by other

tool: the place ofintoxication by alcohol ; and as in the samemovement inAmerica , the drug habit grew in exact proportion to the diminution ofthe

drink habit,there should result that increase of homosexual and auto-e rotic

vice among re l igious devotees , which , however, rapidly began to disappearas soon as Christian ideals became better established andmore intelligentlyapprehended .

In order that Imay not be accused ofbeing a priest devourer, or of

making assertions , touching their impure practices ,No Quarre l with which cannot be substantiated , (for I have too sincerethe Church a regard for the Church , and too firma faith in her

ultimatemission, as well as divine ordination , to belightly led intomaking such), Imay quote fromMigne’s “ Bamy on Pollu

2 2 Human Sexualitytron ,

” that under certain circumstances the Catholic theologians have permitted amarried woman to masturbate . Gury , the deeply learned Jesui ttheologian , declares explicitly that the wife commits no sin qumse ipsamtactih us excitat ad seminationemstatimpost copulamin qua vir solusseminavit ; but itmust , however, in common justice to the Church , beexplained that thismodified permission to the wife to masturbate , restson the then prevalent false idea of fecundation , even among physicians .

This taught that “ seminal ejaculation ” by the womanwas quite as neces

sary as by theman, to ensure impregnation ; and if the former fai led in this ,

during coitus , as the Catholic Church had, and has , always discountenancedsexual intercoursewithout fecundation, it was plainly the woman ’

s duty tocomflete the act by artificialmeans.

According to the samewriter,’ the belief that the emission of vag inalmucus , under the influence of sexual excitement in women, corresponds tospermatic emission in themale, has led to the practice ofmasturbation on

hygienic grounds. Garnier , indeed ,mentions‘ that Mesué , in the eighteenthcentury , invented a specialpessary to take the plsce ofthe penis, and, as hestates,

“sheet the due expulsion of the feminine sperm.

” This , of course,after coitus .

It was not until the beginning of the eighteenth century , when the

publication in London of a book ofmost alarmingRevulsion Against nature“ first cal led attention to the , sn orted , evilContrary Sexual consequences ofthe vice , thatmasturbation , hitherto

Habits treated with such easy indifference by both societyand the Church ,was openly and vigorously denounced .

Tissot , with his Traits de L’

Onanisme ,” followed ; and behind himcamea host of quasi-scientific writers— Voltaire , Lallemand and others— whomore thanmade up, by their wild and fanciful pictures of the ruin and

miseryconsequent upon the practice , for all the previous apathy ofsociety

concerning it .The well meaning but highly exaggerated statements of these writers, while directing popular attention to an undoubted evil , worked , nevertheless , agreat degree ofunnem ry social suffering ; and put

into the hands ofunscrupulous quacks a lever, themore pernicious that itpomessed the sanction of then re cognized medical authority , which has

occasioned unspeakable dread,misery and remorse to thousands ofignorantand misled youth , of both sexes. So prol ific and profitable a fie ld of

1 “05am de Theologie Morale .

“Compend. Theolog . Mon , n , 417.

Gury, Conrpend. Theolog . Mora,”Vol. u, 417 .

‘Loe. cit , p. 255 .

‘Vid.

“ Onania, etc loc cit.

24 Human SexualityWest against the polygyny ofthe Esst, was not the idle thing the greatCastilian painted it . Itwas an il lustrious phase in the evolution ofsociety ,to whose knightly customs and courtlymannerswe trace the pedigree of

themodern lady and gentleman .

The latter was at first a page. He learned to handle his chargerwith grace and skill, to use crossbowand sword, towind the notes ofveneryon his horn, to tread the statelymeasures oftheminuet, to tilt against arival , or the quintaine ,with lance in rest , and to shout M a Dame at M on

Dieul as he entered the combat , with his lady ’s glove on his lance ; even as

the Moslemknightmingled the name of hismistress with his Allah Akbar !her embroidered scarf speaking to him,

in the smoke of battle, of his lovedreamby themoonlit X enil, or the Zambra.

Itwas his duty to wait upon the ladies, who took care to tutor his youthfulmind in othermatters than the chase and battle. Hewas taught elegance ; trained in allthemysteries ofcourtship, love andmarriage ; made toselect a mistra s fromamong the demoiselles , and to adore and serve herwith a patience and fidelity which , if history err not, seldomfailed of itslegitimate reward at last.But vice ceases to be vicewhen it is only reached through a long discipline

in virtue. Afterward , he became an esquire ; attended his patron on all

hismi litary adventures , and at the age of twenty-one— l ike the Germanwhoat the same age was solemnly invested with spear and shield— he re ceivedthemuch coveted accolade of knighthood . Thus arose the sentiment ofhonor—the institution ofchivalry— which made women chaste andmenbrave ; teaching each to aspire only to possms those qualities which theother loved and approved .

Women admire above all things courage, truth , constancy , in men .

Thereforemen N came courageous , true, constant . Men admire above all

thingsmodesty , virtue , refinement , in women. Therefore women becamevirtuous ,modest , refined . It allgrew out of sex. Re ligion hadmuch todo with purifyingmen ’

smorals ; but it was the Queen of Beauty and ofLove , the splintering oflances and the about orthe herald— “Stand forth ,gallant knights ! Fair eyes look upon your deeds ! ” thatmade themspringto the “

Lamallay” with flashing eyes and throbbing hearts . It was

this sentiment of chivalry which demanded , and ultimately established,not only a higher standard of social propriety , but ofsexual purity . Thatwhich had once been a harmless amusement became a vice ; and unchastity,once regarded as the private wrong ofa husband, was stigmatized as a

Plato held that the love ofVenusmade Mars brave ; that Ariadne's lovemadeTheseus adventurous; that the beauty ofMedeamade Jason victorious; and his tory

Moral and Social Aspects of the Sexual Relation 25

There will always he remarked an exact relation between the sexuall ife and themoral hea lth or decadence ofa people.

As a Cause of Effeminacy and sensua lity are sure concomitantsNational Decay of that social luxury which always precedes

national decay . The petite créese, or spindle-leggeddandies of Paris , who cohabited with and called each otherman crew, and

ma chore B elle, as we ll as the pale girls of the Faubourgs , with wax penisesand dildos in their pockets, were weeds that grewquite naturally in the

shadow of «the king’s gui llotine. Greece , Rome , Babylon , and Franceunder Henry III and Louis X IV, present striking instances ofthe luxuryand licentiousness which always mark the beginning ofnational decay ;‘

and it is not difficult to trace the latter, in each case, to those psychopathological , or acute -pathological , conditions which , perverting sexuality ,robbed the people ofthe physical and moral qualities necessary to its

The sexual , more than any other physi cal element , corresponds to theBrunonian theory oflife. It lies at the bottomof

As the Bas is of society’smthetic feelings. A hidden world of idealsTrue Love reveals itself in every gradation ofsexual develop

ment. There may be seductions , rape, fierce tragedies oi human passion,

but the love ofyouth for youth is ever romantic ,vivifying , idealistic , uplifting. So-called platonic love is an impossibility .

Such a passion , or rather profemion, becomes a simple friendship as soon

as the sexual element is eliminated . But, on the other hand , an over-senmal, or purely sensual , love can neither be true nor lasting. Only thatafiection whichmts on a twofold foundation ofsexual desire and respect ,on recogni tion of the social ,moral , intel lectual and psychical , as well asphysical , charms of its object , can ever rise to the purity and strength of

for the sake of its beloved object .The Greeks represented love under two characters—one a love for the

good and beautiful , in the abstract ; the other a sexual passion pure and

simple . Erosmeant pamion, lust , desire— the purely physical craving of

sex for sex; andAgapte signified non-sexual love , friendship, affection , and

tells us that S ir Walter Manny, in Edward III’s time, while stuck full ofladies’ favors ,tought lilac a very devil ." Castilio thinks that Ferdinand ofSpain would never haveconquered Grenada had not Isabella and her Court been present at the siege ; and

not ns r nor Alexander could wcomplish gmater triumphs tt ir IA ncelot or

fir Tn’

str-am; nor Hector nor Achilles put on a more mart ial front than the braveSir Blandimor and Paridel, the fairy knights , fighting for the love ofFlorimel.

Comp. Grote, Friedh nder, Suetonius, Moreau. Guiaot, Lecky.

26 Human Sexualitysimple kindlinemoffeeling ; but there can be no doubt that themost perfect type ofthe pas icn is that inwhich both sentiments are present.

Love hu been the theme ofths ages. Fromths vilh ge laumte to theblind bard, who “ hymned in canticles ofdeathless fire

"the first pamion

ofour fomparents in the garden ofEden. Fm Sappho to Shelley , and

frmn Solomon to Suckling ; fromPindar to Petrarch , and 80phocles to

Novelists have depicted it, and dramatists portrayed it, and maidmsdreamed abont it, and actors declaimed it, andministers preached on it,

and cynics ridiculed it, and philosophers analysed it, and cuckolds cursed

it, andwomen andmen have died for it ; andyet it stands as the inspiration

and the least understood.

Guianerius attributed love to the hot temper ofthe testicles, pureand simfle.

‘ Fecandus , to“such as are veiy sper

An Attmpt toDefine Love fiercest love tomonks , friars and religious persons,

chiefly ,who live snlitary , fare daintily and do nothing ;

and Chaucer accounts for erotic love,mainly, through the“stimulating

influmce ofliquor,"making hisWife of Bath exclaim— “a liquon

’

sh tongue

must have a liquoriah tail."Giraldus sought to prove that love is born

in the eyes ;' Plato calls it a pamion for the beauty ofnature—matwa

gauda iti'

s opus , and Diogenes ,“a tyranny which tyranniaes over the

tyrant.” But, leaving the poets and philosopha '

s, whose interpretationsand definitions ofthe divine passionwouldfifl ten volumes like the piesent,I think Science has spproached the subject ii i the only correct and philo

sophic way , regarding what we call love as the iesultant oftwo very dif

este em, thus imparting an elema i t ofboth stiength and permanency toth e otherwise transientebullition ofsexualpas ion. ThusMr. Ellis , ignming,very properly , every element ofvague and intangible romancmdiscumes

“Qui calidumtesticuiorumcrasin habes t ,” etc.

Erotique Mel ,

” Par is , 1624.

" ‘Amoris primumgradumvim-habet , ut aspiciat remamatan .

”

It h very doubth ih indeed, whether themost wute , lwmd, scimtificaflymetaphyliealattempt to define love. aceording to the laws ofmodern logic , willbe found,

of early Medicine

whichmade it an “aflection ofthe forepart ofthe head, fmmwant ofmoisture z

”ob

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation 27

love under the only formmwhich it can appeal to the scientist—sexualinstinct, or impulse ; andKrafit-Ebing , under that of sexual psychology ;both writers giving it further attention only as it relates to, or touches ,some other physical or psychical attribute through which itmay be manifasted , such as pain, courage ormodesty ; and it is thus that I purpose to

The latter emotion,modesty , seems to be so gen

Modesty as a erally difiused amongst all races , so common to bothPhenomenon of sexes , and so early amanifestation in the sexual life

that we are fairly justified in regarding it as con

genital . Centering , as a rule , around the sexual

procemes , it forms one ofthe component elements ofwoman on the psy

ehieal side , and as suchwillbe treatedwhen l come to take up the natureand analysis of the sexual instinct.That

‘

it forms “the beginning ofmorality in the sexual life , however,

as stated by Krafit-Ehing, I take the liberty of doubting. It is within theexperience at least ofmany who have associated largely with prostitutes ,

themost readily , and hangs her head in shame at the slightest indiscreetword , ofi

'

ers, it is fairly well known , usual ly the least resistance when you

get herbehind the door.

While acting as surgeon with the 11th U . 8 . Cav

l odesty in the airy in the Philippines , I have been, on the otherPhilippines hand , amazed to find such an utter lack ofmodesty

ment, I found to be perfectly virtuous . It is no uncommon thing to see

the young Filipino dandy, while talking to his lady- love, turn his back toher and urinate ; and, on the railroad fromManila to Dagupan , dur ing thedetmi tion oftrains at stations , both rnale and female passengers may be

in a similar, or evenmore offensive ,way.

And yet the females who do these things are, tomy certain knowledge ,among themost virtuous women on earth . So virtuous that l sawa girl,

United States , and with a different complexion, would be extm ly apt

to yield to such a glowing temptation, offered fifty dollars in gold by a

handsome young oficer for her dusky favor, andyet carry away her virtue

It has bwomy experience , remarks H . Crawford Angus , writing of

Central Africa , that themore naked the people and themore, to us , shamelmand obscene theirmanners and customs, the more moral and strict

28 Human Sexualitythey are in thematter ofsexual intercomae. He then gives a description

ofthe Chamm li , or initiation eeremony practised in intmducing a ymmggirlofAzimba Land to themodus opamdi oftbe smalact , and all the

secrets ofmarfiage,with eertamsongs anddances expiessive ofthe pleaanesand sensations attending it ; stating in conclusion that

“the whole thing

is lmked upon as amatter d cmmand not one to be ashamed of, or to

hide ; and being thus openly treated of, and no secrecymade about it, you

find that in this ti ibe thewomen aie very virtuouam

Stanley asmedical oflicer ofthe Emin Pasha Relid Expedition , says that

the women ofUpoto wear no clothee whatever, and came up to us inthemost unreservedmannm: An interesting gradation in the arrangment

offemale costume has been observed by us z as we ascended the oongo,

the higher up the river we found ouiselves , the higher the dress reaohed,till

Thequestion ofmodesty in the sexuallife iswholly

ofl odesty difl’

erent standards. The fashionable lady ofPekin ,

who blushes to expose herfeet , even to the physician,and the Themalian girls who, as described by Perseus, habitually dancednaked at the national banquets, and themaidens of Chins , spoken of byAtheneus as wrestling naked with the youths in the gymnasium,

’and

which , with a sexual enthusiasmquite pardonable, he calls “a beautiful

sight,”had each her own idea ofmodesty ; as has also our own Newport

the correctness of her city costume, in which only a passing gleamof

variegated hosiery, perhaps , is permitted to lighten themonotony ofour

The Roman damsel, shut up naked in her bath with an equally nude

Greek slave, can readily be pardoned for those frequent losses ofvirginitywhich history has taken care to record, and which so excited the pious

scandal ofClement ofAlexandria that hemade it the subject ofa very

Women will scarce strip naked before their husbands , he wri tes,affecting a plausible pre tense ofmodesty , but any otherswhowishmay

see themat home, shut up in their own baths , for they are not ashamedto strip before spectators, as if exposing their persons for sale. The bathsare opened promiscuously tomen and women ; and there they strip forlicentious indulgence, as if theirmodesty had been washed away in the

“ Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie," H . 6 , 479 , 1898.

Lac. cit , p. 6 1. Lac. cit , run , 20.

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation 29

bath. Those who have not become utterly destitute ofmodesty shut outstrangers ; but bathe with their own servants , strip naked before theirslaves, and are rubbed by them, giving to the crouching menial liberty tolust , by permitting fearless handling ; for those who are introduced beforetheir nakedmistresses , while in the bath , study to strip themselves in orderto show audacity in lust ; casting offall fear in consequence ofthe wickedcustom.

The early fathers foresaw the danger to society in this voluptuous in

termingling ofthe sexes, and strove to remedy it byAssociation of the ecclesias tical laws ofseparation , the spirit ofwhichSexes an Instinct was caught up by the primitive Puritans, and con

tinned almost to the present day. But the instinctof sa ualassociation, being a lawofnature, cannot be abrogated . Desire,afiection , family love , combination, gregariousness , clanship—even religionitself— are but parts ofthose complex emotions and sentiments which , asMr . Darwin points out, arise fromthe fact that one animal is dependenton another for the completion ofits wants.

The desire for offspring, or the good ofsociety , does not , primarily ,lie behindman’

s desire for sexua l intercourse. The latter is a simple wantof his nature , the same as defecation or micturition . But the Creatorplanted these animal desires , this “

hot temper ofthewsticles ,” inman’s

nature in order to guard against any possible evasion of the great planof propagation which He had devised , and to assist in working out thoseultimate social andmoral developments with which the sexual life is so

intimate ly related , and concerning which society itself is still so largelyignorantReproduction was once a part of growth , and is still . Therefore

animals desire to perpetuate their species froman

Origin of the innate tendency , inherited fromtheir hermaphroditeFamily and animalcule days.

’ Re ligion came in with its

laws of sexua l separation , and the instinct becameimpomible of fulfilment , except by a systemof co—operation on the partofthe sexes . Inm'der that propagationmay be ensured , two persons enterinto a partnership. That the result of this partnership-act— the ofispringmay be reared , the partnership must be continued for some time. Allhuman beings , if they are the product ofconjugal love , are the objects of

prolonged parenta l care ; there fore it is only natural that they should lovein return. Those who do not are anoma lies , perversions , and are blottedcut , in the development ofDarwin Ms law Then, that parents and children

Lee. at ,m,5 .

“MartyrdomofMan, p. 445 , a seq.

30 Human Sexualityshouid consort together is so naturai as to dismme with explanation so

tin t , bya simpie process ofnot diflicuit inductive reasoning , we have the

growth ofthe famiiy, the gamand nucieus ofsociety, as eociety itselfis

ofthe state.

In the primitive pei iod, maies contended during the courting sesson

for the most desirable females , jint as animais doEarly Courtsh ip today. Polygyny prevailed , and the strongest and

ofali the childra i . This was themirvivai ofthe fittwt ; a iawwhich prevailed untii , by the graduai growth of inteliigw0e, society began to see

that, imtead ofdestroying ali its sickiy and teebiemembeis , and makingsoup ofthe superannuated and aged, the iattermight bemade use ofto dothew -g and inwding for those whose physicalmpefiofity was ener

cised in the pursuits ofwar, hmbandry and the ch se. This was the beginning ofthe reign ofintellect ,

ciently deaitwith, as limiting the lawofevolution.

Promiscuous inteieourse on the part of the females was obeerved to

and strengthen the clan, or nation, pursuing bymere instinct the divineinjunction to the Jews to “multipiy and replenish the earth.

”All the

phenomena attmding the psocemofreproduction weie carefuiiy watched,andmade the basis oftribai reguiations. Cohabitation during the period

ofiactation , which iasted inmost cases three years , was found to impair

apartfromsexualintercourse as a hygienicmeasure.

Premature marriages, or sexuai unions amongInfibulation chi ldren were aiso forbiddw or , where it was

sisted in drawing the foreskin ofthemaie forward, over the head ofthe

penis , and paming a ring , or wire , through it, thus efiectually premting

the act ofcopuiation. The too amorously inclined young iadywas treatedin a somewbat snniiarmanner, the lips ofhermischief—maker being pieroedfromside to side, and firmly securedwith a ciasp, or lock.

making it a portion ofourmodern sacrament ofman'iage. Itmight to piovea source ofwonderfui comfort to the balous young husband to knowthatthe frisky organ, which he possesses a not unnaturaldesire to re tain ex

elusive control of, is securely locked, and the key in his vest pocket. Itmust at least prove an immense stimtflus to the locksmithing trade , both

32 Human Sexuatthe gods , were at first obeyed by the young through fear, and afterwardsthrough amentally ingrained tribal tradition.

And right here , in this brief survey ofthe rise andSexua l Sins Rare relations of society , and sexuality , we encounte r a

Among Savages remarkable fact. Themore brutal and savagemenare the fewer sins do they commi t against their con

sciences ; and in exact proportion as they become refined and civilised dothey become sinful . With the primi tive man, conscience is an instinct .The savage seldomdoes what he feels to be wrong ; the civilisedman doesso constantly . The former does not feel it to be wrong to commit insect ,or rape , ormurder, outside his own tribe ; to kil l a sickly child , or to eata grilled rib of his grandfather ; therefore he does it without violation ofconscience , and hence without sin. But the civilwedman, of cul tivatedintelligence , knowing the will of the Father but doing it not , passes no dayofhis l ife without committing offenses against conscience . He has to re

proach hiinselffor the hour he haswasted, for the unkindword, the impurethought , the opportunity neglected , the burning desires and propensitieswhich , being incident to his nature, as contrary to his conscience, cannotbe quelled . But let us not argue fromthis that barbarismis better thancivilization ; it is not. In the very consciousness of these ofi

‘

ensm, if weaccept rational guidance , l ies themeans of remedying them, and the surehighway to ultimate human perfection.

There is no evil ofsociety which does not contain a kernel of good .

Even war, which has occasioned somuchmisery and sufiering , and bloodshed and despair, is undoubtedly a divine institution for the bettermentofthe world ; carrying religion and civilization to benighted races, and, as

more germane to our subject , influencing society and the hme-iife in wayslittle dreamed ofby the casual observer.

As a passing instance , and directly in the line of

Primi tive Emanci our thought , woman, who, as I have said ,was at firstpation of Woman a cha ttel , a slave, common to all or exclusively for

one , a bondservant , a drudge , the hewer of wood and

drawer ofwater for her domineering lord , whenwar became an insti tution ,

and its captives were trained to slavery , wasmanumitted , the slave takingher place, and entered upon a life ofease. Before that time women werecoarse, hard- featured , ill- favored creatures oftoil . Wi th their new freedom, and comparative condition of physical luxury , they became soft,gentle , beautiful , rendered fit both to feel and inspire love.

The savage selected his wife for uti lity , the civilized man selects hisfor beauty . At first the hair ofwomen was no longer than that ofmen,possibly not so long. Long-haired women being universal ly desired , by a

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation 33

continued selection of these, the long flowing tresses of the sex have finallybeen produced in their ofispring. In the same way, as ethnologists veryclearly explain, the elegance, grace, rotundity of the female form, the

undulation of curve and bloomof complexion, are not less the creationofman than the symmetry and speed of the racehorse, the coloring oftherose, or the delicious flavor of the cultivated peach Even the reserved demeanor of the woman, her refined feelings, modesty, unselfishness, and

man , unwittingly, and often unwillingly , has bequeathed to her.

“At the first a wifewas simply a domestic animalEar ly Pos i tion of like the horse or dog. She could not be used without

the Wife the consent of the proprietor, but he was usuallywilling to let her outfor Indeed , amongmany

savage races , it was considered the duty ofthe host to lend his wife to a

guest , the first night ofthe latter’s visit , as amark ofconsideration? and

many embarrassing experiences in this line are re lated by Stanley , Spekeand others , in their accounts ofthe social customs ofCentral Africa , wherea declination of the loan is looked on as a personal insult to the husband .

With themadultery is simmy a question ofdebt ;Adul tery a but their lawof debt is terribly severe, as the bodySimple Debt in and life ofthe insolvent belong to the creditor. No

other sentiment enters into the transaction . The

injured husband is purely a creditor, always delightedthat the debt has been incurred , and both parties to the suitmay frequentlybe seen smoking a friendly pipe together after the case has been settledand the judgment paid .

With us it is difl'

erent, as the following incident willprove . A gentleman who surmised a neighbor flag

-rants delicto with his wife, when asked

if he had killed the intruder, responded quickly no, I didn’t kill him,

but I guess he knew by the way I slammed that door when I went outI wasn 't very well pieasedl

’i Antoni d

’hommes cutout d ’am’

s , you know.

’

Krsfl t-Ebing, lac. cit. ,p. 3. See alsoHospitable Prostitution , as indexed in thiswork.

‘Th’

n iecalie the two cases recorded by Harrington in his notes on Ariosto. Afeflowwho found that a certainman had done for himwhat fewmen hke to have doneby a deputy, drewhis dagger , and swore that ifthe oflender hadnot been his bmt friendhe wouid have killed him; md another, heafing that he had been simih fly ad sted

in his domestic duties, and having assurance made doubiy mmby the ffightened

confus ion of the cuiprit when charged with it, swore that the confession was ail iri

theworid that had saved him. Ifhe had denied it, hewould have kiiled himat sight .

Pha llus. with King Philip; and Amphitrio,with Jupiter; but themajority ofmen

3

34 Human SexualityMarriage, hallowed by the influence of religion,

Influence of becomes pure , sacred . Even the noblest principlesChristiani ty on and sublimest ethics of philosophy have failed to conthe Sexua l Life trol the impulses of sex ; but Christ taught , even

while forgiving the adulteress , that adultery is a

shame , a sin againstmanhood and womanhood , and against God . Underthe influence of that teaching , through a long course of severe but salutarysocial surveil lance , chastity has become the rule of female l ife , and the verytouchstone ofman’

s honor. As the humanmind becomes cultured and

refimd, through the grand mora lity ofthe Gospels , there rises within itthoughts, sentiments, impulses, never experienced before. It begins toconceive a contempt for pleasures which it shares in common with thebrute ; and, insulted by the reflection, strives , and strives nobly and usuallysuccemfully, to be pure. Themoral forcemust be strong which subduesan instinct pregnant and vitaiized by the accumulated power of innumerable centuries ; but religion does it.

One other triumph yet remains to it. TomakeThe Lawof society treat both male and female ofl

'

enders withFemale Purity equal severity . Of course we must recognize the

fact that the instinct of purity , the sense of moralduty , the fear of exposure , allconspire to create a lawwhich women oughtto, and do, enforce ; constituting themselves the rightful guardians oftheirown honor, and treating as a traitress to her sex the woman who betraysher trust.

But if she fail , if she violate once those laws ofhonor and virtue on

which society is founded ,must we have no compassion? nomercy? Shallthat socia l decree, as immutable as the laws ofthe Modes and Persiansgo on sinning, or starve— continue forever? Is it forbidden to receive her,to associate with her , to allude to her existence , to pronounce her veryname? Is she to be condemned without inquiry by the drumheadcourt-martial ofpublic opinion , as the soldier is who has shown cowardicebefore the foe? Are we to forget that the whole life ofwomankind is a

battlefield ; that she is constantly surrounded by foes , who assail the ci tadelof her honor without , as her own passions do within ; and that , even ifshe succeed in defending that citadel against assaults to which men are

immune , on one side at least , she does it with no weapon but virtue, and

no reward save her own peace ofmind and approval ofconscience? Itwould be well , inmy judgment , ifmenwere ruled by as severe a social code .

do not like it and find poorm in the advice ofHenry II to his jealous courtier.to think nothing about it it ammmte to very little ifyou know it, and nothing at all

ifyou don't .” Dale osmiumetM inds toa ti , ls Sophocles ’s counsel.

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation 35

The passions are always our foes,”but it is terrible when they become

our masters. It ismvid is with a vengeance— the fierce war cry of theconquering Gauls—when the wild beast of human passion, whichmen feed ,and pet, andmake a playmate of , turns upon themat last and reads them!Howmany splendid intellects are paralys

ed , howmany homes despoiled ,

hopes blighted , hearts broken , and promising young lives swept to death,

or broken on the rack of dim , by that unchained demon which destroyedBabylon andNineveh ,andhasmadewildernessesofthe fairest Edens ofearth !Some writers on eschatology have put forth the doctrine that the future

hell of the wicked will be the perpetuation , to all

A Suppositious eternity , of the evil pawions which brought aboutHell their condemnation. Should such prove the case , I

know of no greater punishment than would befall thevoluptuary. Even on earth he dreads to be alone, so foul amonster doeshe appear in his own eyes. His memories are fierce battlefields ofun

gratified temptation, ofmeans frenzy , of accusing conscience , ofmiserableremorse. As the beautiful mind of Mendelssohn caught a divine idea ofharmony fromthe whispers ofnature— the lullaby ofthe brook , the rustlingofthe leaf , the voice ofthe bird and the sigh ofthe wind— so , to the soulsteeped in sensua l ity , every sight , every sound , calls up an impure association. Hemay struggle , pray , resist ; but the links ofhabit , tempered inthe forge ofpassion, are stronger than steel ; and hismiserable life is spent

To stimulate his jaded senses , he enters those paths where stands theam] with his flaming sword , and following these acromthe borderlandof crime , eats the forbidden fruit , and is cast out forever fromthe fairEden of his hopes.

Thatman should be subjected , therefore, to the same laws and restric

tions which govern women is wise, for their own goodOne Lawfor aswell as the good ofsociety ; and although seeminglyBoth Sexes nowfar distant , I cannot but hope that such a day

will come , and that the future historian ofmoralswill record , with infinite surprise , that at the beginning of the twentiethcentury society tolerated conduct in men which , in women,

would have

It cannot well be denied , notwithstanding whatH an More Sensual has been said to the contrary , that inman the sexualthan Woman impulse ismuch stronger than in woman.

‘ He lovessensually , as a rule ; and his choice is influenced by

physica l beauty , voluptuousness ofperson , and those other traits of the

Psychopathia Sexualis , p. 13.

36 Human Sexualityfeminine character which go to make up the purely sensual ideal. Tothese ofcourse willbe added such mental andmoral accomplishments as

his varying degrees ofeducation and refinementmay suggest, but the loveof themajority ofmen is largely sensual . With woman it is the reverse.

herself to the sexual embrace, perhapsmost fmquently, either as ama tterofwifely duty or as a favor to the lover .

’ But while sexual desire , whichin theman is the ultimate culmination ofallafl

’

ection, is relatively sma ll ,she is a creature of love, in its highermoral and psychological sense. Itis

, as Byron says,“ her whole existence.

”She freights her golden argosy

ofromance with every treasure ofher heart ; and ifshipwreck come, berlowis total . In her choice of a life commnion,mental andmoral , ratherthan physical qualities prevail ; and when she has passed through the painsofmaternity, she always thinks of theman as the father ofher childfl atherthan as husband, the sensuallosing itselfin thematernalinstinct .Thus , woman’

s love being spiritual , rather than sensual , any woundto it is necemarily deeper andmore painful. To her, love is life ; toman,

the joy of life.

’

It is a psychological , as well as a society , question—can a woman lovetruly twice in her life? I aminclined to think the normal woman cannot .Either the disappointment or fulfilment of her romantic ideal inmarriagewill equally preclude a second venture ; and besides , woman ismonogamousby instinct, whileman is essentially polygynous . She may marry twicefor somebody else’s sake— for self-sacrifice is also her instinct—or for utilitarian ends ; but, as Mantegazza intimates, it will usually be found thatsupport , and protection for herself and her children , wi ll oftener underliethe act than the recrudescence oflove, or the gratification ofsexual pan ion.

Man is only stronger thanwoman as he shows himself stronger thanhis sexual passion. As soon as he submits to woman’

s seductions she

“ ‘Husbands have toldme ofbrideawho sobhed and trembledwith fright on thewedding night, the hysteria being aometimes alarming. E . , aged 25 , refused her

husband for arlr weska aftermarriage, exhibiting the greatest fear of hiz appreaeh.

”

imuwdfcnbdfa , est rabfa iuma— as l’lutarch describes it,may only bementibned to

prove the rule offemale chastity . It was not women’s hrst butmen ’

s that bmnghtruin upon 80domand Gomorr-a ; upon Rome and Sybaris ; and that prompted Paulto arraign the Romans on the filthy charge of“ leaving the natural use ofwomen ,

”

committing “ folly with beasts ” and “ burning with lust one toward another , manwithman,”working allaorta ofabomination. (Kon . r,

Krafl t-Ebing , lac. cit . p. 14, a uq.

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation 37

becomes stronger than he ; and the handicap which man carries in sucha contest lies , necessarily , in the greater strength of his sexua l passion.

Thus, it is not hard for a woman of charmto enervate and despoil thecharacter ofa man whose lust is stronger than his intellect . She needsimply yield to him, give himhis way, and his ruin is certain and easy.

The more neuropathic , weak and sensual he grows, the more dependenthe becomes upon her, themore servile in his devotion, themore amenableto her rule and direction. Hence arises the danger to the state , and

society , that bothmay be ruled by prostitutes and courtesans , as in the

days of Dubarry , Herodias and Messal ina , through sensually effeminatemen who become their tools and playthings. Indeed we have not to

go so far afield as Greece , Rome, or even France, for instances ofsuch

gymeocracy. To those acquainted with the present status of Washingtonsociety ,

“ federalmatronage ” will readily suggest itself as a farmore appropriate phrase than “ federal patronage ;

”and we do not have to read far in

the biographies ofstatesmen, both in ancient andmodern times , to find that,through their neuropathic condition, they were frequently the instrumentsof women who used their power in ways far fromconducive to the public

influence in those respects as bad. Marianne thus influenced Herod ; andSerena , Diocletian ; and Theodora, Theophilus ; and Thyra , Gurumunde ;in allfour cases , unl ike that ofX antippe andSocrates , the husband being theweak , bad, or vacil lating character.

“In all times and among allraces, says Krafit

Relative Vani ty Ebing, women show a desire to adorn themselves andofthe Sexes be charming .

“ This is quite true, although deniedby Westermarck? but it is equally true that man is

nature has usually endowed themalewith the greaterbeauty ; and I cannot ,in fact , at presentmcall a single type, with the possible , al though largely dispoted , exception of man , in which the reverse holds true. culture and

fashion, with the finer andmore gaudymaterials of dram, have given womenan advantage in enhancing their physical beauty ;but unadorned , it is quite

Itmust never be lost sight ofthat feminine dress exhibits a tendency

to exaggerate certain sexual pecul iarities—ha ir, bust , waist , hips—thebeauty cfwhich is entirely ofsexual origin , and which is lost to a great

‘Loo cflq p. 16.- 184.

38 Human Sexualityextent when the female is exhibited nude.

‘ Fromthis circumstancemostprobably arises thatmouliar neuropathic admiration, or passion , amongmen for certain articles of woman'

s drew— gloves, shoes , hair , etc — which ,under the head of Fetichism, will be alluded tomore fully later.

We are accustomed to little feminine varieties in dress ; and, so long as

they do not reach that all-absorbing condition to which the French applythe strangelymascul ine term, coquetry ,’ and in which all the serious pur

poses oflife are sunk in idle vanity anddisplay, rather like and encourage it.'

Many psychologists regard clothing as the causeOrigin and or beginning ofmodesty. Sergi, indeed, so taught

Development of until 1894, when fuller reflection led himto attr ibuteHuman Modesty it rather to the excreting functions of the body .

‘

Ellis also disputes it on the well ascertained groundthatmany races which go absolutely naked pomese a highly developed

sense ofmodesty .

” Such writers, it seems to me, however, lose sightwholly of themuchmore conclusive circumstance that , if we accept theB ible dwtfine d smdfl cmafion, the awakemng ofmodwtymEve , thmrgh

her sin , prompted the wearing of the fig- leaf ; while, if we prefer to pin ourfaith to the natural processes of evolution , as applied to man , we find ,

nevertheless , that“ psychologicalmodesty ,” as one writer terms it , is far

more primitive in the human race than anatomicalmodesty.

”

I cannot wholly dismiss a subject which bears such an important relation both to society andmorals as femalemodwty ; but as thematter hasbeen so ably and thoroughly discussed elsewherm—notably in the works ofProfessors James ,Westermarck , Grosse and Ribat , as well as of Darwin andSpencer— I purpose devoting to it only such space as a condensed re cordofthe results ofthese writers’ investigations , together withmy own passingreflections, demand .

The subject is complicated by the difficulty ofseparating it clearly anddefinite ly fromthose phenomena which , although pure instincts , ofvaryingsignificance and origin ,

are nevertheless so closely re lated to truemodesty‘Comp. Westermarck , op. cit , p . 205 , and Goethe’s Adventure in Geneva, in

Briefe aus der Schweiz.

"

Coqueterb to swagger or strut like a cock.

Sometimes these little exhibitions ofvanity on the part ofthe sex are renderedexceeding ly ludicrous by some peculiarity ofsurroundings or drm. Not long ago Ihad the pleasure ofsitting directly behind a young lady, in a street car, whose consequentialdepartment was somewhat at variance with the tag attached to her bonnetthe latter eviden tly quite new— reading reduced from

Dolore e Pincers ,

” pp. 209 , et seq.

H . Ellis . lac . al, , r, 6 .

40 Human Sexuality

seedings. Among the tribes ofTorres Straits , as Haddon observes, whilethemen go naked, thewomen decorate their sexualpartswith tufts ofgrass ,or pandanus leaves, which , passing between the thighs , are fastened to

brated beauty at a fashionable ball , that shewas beautifully attired witha pink ribbon round her waist .”

In the NewHebrides “the elosest secrecy is adopted in regard to the

penis ; notfromany sense ofdecency , but to avoid“Narak,

"the sight even

of that ofanother man being consideredmost dangerous. The natives

accordinglywrap the peniswith yards ofcalico,winding and folding it untila preposterous bundle, sometimes two feet long and a couple of inches in

diameter, is formed, which is then supported by a belt to the waist , thetesticles being left naked. (Somervi lle, JournalAnthropological Instincts,p . 368 ,

It is regretted that Dr. Somerville has neglected to te ll tu what “ Narak”is. Such a sight as that dwcribed is certainly enough to produce “ Narak,or even aworse disease, in anyman, not to speak ofawoman.

In the Pelew Islands , according to tradition, when the god , Irakaderugel,and his wife, were creating man and woman— he forming man and ahe

woman— the inquisitive god , reversing the proverbial order of things, asleedto have a look at his consort ’s handiwork. She was jealous , I suppose ;remarked , possibly , that he was “ too fresh , or words to that effect , and

pers istently concealed that part ofthe female organismin which he seemedso particularly interested. Therefore women ever since wear an apron os

’

pandanus leaves , whileman go nalced.

‘

In Rotuma , in Polynesia , where women are permitted a great degree offreedom, and where as amlemarried persons are faithful to each other ,“the language is not chaste , according to our ideas , and there is a great deal

ofliberty in speaking ofsexualvices . In this connection aman and his wife

woman , so that probably ,mtheirway, they havemuchmodesty , only wecannot appreciate it .

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation 4 1

M g the same part, is considered very offensive. At Tahiti , whichwasa center of Polynesian social culture, nakedness was almost a religiouscult. There was a funeral dance which was performed naked ; and the

wedding ceremony was also celebrated in the same interesting conditionon the part of both bride and groom, the dance taking place before thepublic .

‘

In Samoa the only requisite garment for ei therman or womanwas anapron of leaves, but they possessed so

“ delicate a

Dress a girdle ofleaves or some other covering around the

waist.’ The Indians of Central Brazil have no

private parts ; they are grievously public . Inmen, the little girdle, orstring , surrounding the lower part of the abdomen real ly hides nothing ;but it is always worn after puberty by themales , the penis being drawnup and heldby it, to lengthen that organ , the latterbeing themost importantpurpose. The women use a little strip ofbast, that pm down om the

Among some tribes— the Karibs , Tupis , Nu-Arwaks , etc.-a little

triangular , coquettishlymade pbce of bark bast comes just below the hairymomacne

-is , but conceals nothing except the entrance of the vulva . It isknown as the ulun

’

. Neither this nor the red thread of the Trumai , howevm', nor the variegated flag of the Bororo, can be called clothing, beingdwgned, it would seem,

rather to attract attention than repel it. Von den

Steinen found , however , that thema lesmanifested shame and embarrassment at the exposure ofthe penis .

Among some ofthe tribes ofthe Amazon the women are clothedwhiletheman go naked ; but the natives of Uaupas reverse the cueta n , themenwearing the loin-clout while the women go entirely nude. The feel ing ofmoda ty is strongly developed among the Fuegians , although they are

accustomed to live quite naked . Theymanifest it in their hearing, and theease of manner with which they show themselves in a state of nudity ,compared with the awkwardness and confusion both men and womenexhibit ifyou look too closely at their privates . Among themselves this isnever done except by husband and wife. The women wear a minute ,

tnangular garment ofskin , suspended over their privates, which is nevermoved day or night , and is lifted out ofthe way duringmicturition or

With the CrowIndians of Montana ,writes Dr. Holder, a sense of

‘Tsuts iu, L’Antlwopol, p. 546, 1896.

Turner, “Samoa a Hundred Years Ago, p. 121.

42 Human Sexualityphysician or layman. He

‘mentions the case of a vay fastidious youngwomanwho, in a dimcult confinement , repeatedly refused to allowhimtoexamine her. At last , however, she consented , but not until after she hadcarefuny preps-red herself, by covering her thighs and the lips ofthe vulva

with pieces ofquilt ; and this excess ofmodesty, youmay be sure, was notthe less amusing fromthe fact that shewas a common prostitute , as , indeed,are allthe women of this excruciatinglymodest nation .

“In every North American tribe , fromthem southern to themost

northern writes Otis T Mason, the shirt ofthewoman is longer than thatofthemen. In FAquimo-land , the parlaa ofdeerskin reaches to the knees ;

while the buckskin dress ofthe women of Central North America reaches

quite to the ankles. This difi'

erence in lengths suggests very clearly that

the instinct ofmodesty , and not another cause, underlay the original ideaof dress among those peoples ; while of the Naga women ofAmam, it is saidby Dalton , therewas notmuch clothing to see , but I doubt ifwe allcouldexcel themin true decency andmodesty .

“ They cover only their breasts ,declaring it absurd to hide in later life those parts ofthe body which everyone has been able to see fromtheirbirths ; but it is difi'erentwith the swhich , as they grow larger, require to be covered . They therefore covertha n religiously in the presence of strangers, caring very little what otherdusky charmsmay be revealed .

’

Mrs. French-Sheldon says that the Masai and other East African tribu ,

with regard tomenstruation , observe the greatest delicacy , and aremorethanmodest ;" but the same gifted lady , through some oversight , perhaps,forgets to record the farmore obtrusive fact that themales have enormouspenises , which they consider it the greatestmerit to display , and disreputable in the extreme to conceal .The African Dinka , according to Schweinfurth ,‘ are an exceedinglyclean and delicate race

”(l ) ,

“ justifying the good opinion by smearingthemselves with burnt cow’ s dung , and washing themselves daily withcow’s urine.

“ The ne ighboring tribes ofthe “red soil ,

” it is said , are ca lled“women ” by the Dinka , because among these tribes themen wear aprons ,while the women refuse to wear any clothes whatever.

‘ Lombroso and

Carrara , examin ing some Dinka negroes brought fromthe White Nile ,

remark as a psychological curiosity their exaggerated notions ofmodesty .

Klemm, Zeitsckn’

lt [at Elks 1898 , 5- 334. Johnston . loc. cit , pp . «LB - 19 .

‘Loc. cit , r, 152. 12.

'I desire here to acknowledgemy indebtedness to H . Ellis’s admirable treatise on

The Evolution ofModesty" tormany ofthese historical references, but to Wa ter

march formost .

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation 43

In not am’ngle case,” they state , would themen allow us to examinetheir genital organs , or the women their breasts , one woman, the tattoomarks ofwhose chestwe had examined, remaining sad and irritable for twodays afterward) "

The negro in a state ofnature , as l have before intimated, is very rarelyindecmt, or addicted to those habits of lubricity which seemto have grownup among the race so alarmingly in recent times, in America especially .

“In this land ofmodesty ,” writes Sir H . H . Johnston , which I have knownfor seven years, I do not remember once having seen an indecent gestureon the part ofeitherman orwoman , and only very rarely in the case ofthatmost shamelessmmber ofthe community— the little boy .

”

The native dances ofAfrica , unl ike those of almostThe Dance every other pagan country , are, with one exception ,

of a serious, a lmost religious character. This one

intended , originally , to represent the act of intercourse betweenaman and a woman, andwas necessarily ofa highly suggestive and inde

cent nature ; but it has been so altered , it is said , that its purport has nowceased to be obvious to strangers.

As amatter offact , ifwe compare the native African dances with thoselascivious orgies ofGreece and Rome Junng the latter’s penods ofboasmenlightenment, the Floralia and the Dionysia , where ,

“at a signal from

the a dilas , the courtesans sprang into the circus, undressed themselves untilthey were naked , and assumed lascivious attitudes , amid the plaudits ofaM rious people ; where , to the sound of trumpets , nakedmen jumped intothe arena , and an awful melee of prostitution was publicly accomplished,amid the transports of the multitude

,

” we shall have little difficulty inawarding the pmfor decency andmodesty to the African savage .

Religion, in Rome, wasmade a pre text formanySexua l Immorality ofher obscene orgies and debaucheries, whichmay be

Re ligion There were temples to the dei ties— Isis , VenusVolupia (the voluptuous) , Venus Salacia (the lascivi

ous) , and the public Gardens of.Priapus , allofwhich weremuch frequented ,andmade the scenes ofthemost monstrous lewdness.

‘ The latter god ,‘Archeo. di Psr

’

cMab-r‘

a , 1896 , V . xvrr, fasc. 4.

Loc. cit , pp. 408- 4 19 . Burst, lac. cit , r, 172.

‘Andwe need not go back so far for instances in which religion has been adroitlywrested to serve the needs ofsexuality. Austin tells us flfib. de hereslthat the Nichol

M a seot founded by the deacon , Nicholas , had promiscuous sexual intercourse.

Mohammed used every woman he fancied. in order to bsgd prophas; two hundred and

forty—five being in love with himat once , and ba ss “able as fortymen ” to satisfy

tha n. (Al-Koran, Bibliondro). The priests of Cybele, Bacchus , Bel, Ishtar and

44

an obscene deity among the ancients ,was born at Lampsacus , it is said , ofa union ofVenus with Mercury , or as some say, Adonis. Priapus was so

deformed that his mother , ashamed ofhis uglinem, exposed himon the

mountains , where his life was saved by some shepherds. He became a

favorite ofthe people ofLampsacus , but was soon after expelled fromthecommunity for his acts ofl icentious violence.

Festivals ofan exceedingly immoral character soon came to be celebrated in his honor; the people ofRome, through their luxury and salacious tendency , readily fall ing into the worship ofa deity whose lust particularly commended itself to tha n.

‘ Hewas represented with an enormouspenis, rigid and red—nrbicundus—whichwas almost alwaysmade of wood ,that preferred being sometimes cypress , butmost frequently the fig- treeficus . We need not explain,

”remarks Burst, the concea ledmeaning which

influenced this choice of wood .

” Itwas customary in Rome for intendedbrides to repair to the gardens ofPriapus, before the nuptialceremony, to

sacrifice their virg inity to the god. Although therewas ofcourse no actual

defioration, nevertheless the young betrothed was obliged to sit upon the

enormous penis in such amanner as to bring its extremity into contact withher geni tals !

Therewas nothing, to tell the truth , but simple contact in the ceremony ,and that ofvery short duration ; but it is sufficient , nevertheless, to explainquite clearly the rapid spread and propagation ofvenereal disease which ,

medical writers informus , was so notorious a condition of the times. The

that he saw, in a pagoda in the environs ofPondichery , newlymarried

They were made to sit upon a Lingamandian Priapus)made ofwood or

iron ; but it appears that there were pagodss farmore advanced than this ;for, as the author naively remarks , “ in many of these the priests, farmore adroit , robbed the poor god ofhis chief function.

”

heads ofiered to thoss deities ; the Anabaptists ofMunster consortedwith allwomenjust as the “

spiritmoved thsm; ” and the Adamites , an sarly religious sect oa nmand Bohemia , founded by Picardus , going absohdsly nabsd, ss Mrrnster naively ramar-b ,

(Cosmog lib. 3, cap. 497) in their religiousmeetings , when the primt wpeated thatorder fromGenesis—increase andmultiply—“

out went the candles , and without respect ofsge, person or condition, catch-aa catch-can, everyman took ha that camenext to him.

”

Lempriere , lac. cit , art.

“ Priapus.

” See also St. Augustine, “Civitas Dei .” lib.

vi , cap. ix ; - v- 33.

‘Bm 172- 3 .

Lac. cit ; also Dufour “H ist. ofProsti tution ; " and Did . Encydop. dss Sa ud is.

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation 45

Men ofiered to Priapus the first fruits oftheir gardens , importuning himto cure the diseases his worship had communicated ; and decorated hismagnificent organ with garlands of flowers, and the ez -votos which recalledthe form, if not the size, of his phallus.

‘ So, also , the women had re course

to Isis or Vmus in their trouble , fill ing her temples with analogous some

representing the organs oftheir sex ; and the extraordinary spectacle waspresented , in both cases, of a temple dedicated to two distinct, and equallynecemary purpom, sexual orgies in the evening, and

“ divine healing”

nextmorning for the diseases they produced .

Our latter-day quacks , whomake brothels and water closets the chieffields of their advertising enterprise , itmay notbe amiss to remark , had alsotheir antetypes in the whore-houses ofTarentumand Pompei i ; the empirics

—male and female— sellers ofdrugs , and peddlers of philters, overrunning with their business stands the approaches to the temples, andbawling out the ir wares like fakirs on a fair-day. As the quaint Burtonremarks (lac. cit , p.

“the most sly, dangerous and cunning bawds,

are your knavish physicians and empirics. Though it be against Hippocrates ’ oath , they will give a dram, promise to restore maidenheads,make an abortion if need be, keep down the pope, hinder conception , pro

cure lust ,makemen able as Satyrs, and nowand then step in themselves.

”

In view ofthese public debaucheries , all authorSexualDepravi ty ised by both lawand re ligion , a fair idea may bein Ear ly Rome formed of what private life must have been among

these noble Romans. Itwas not luxury alone , itwasnot dissipation, itwas not simmy perversion ofmoral ity , it was an absoluteaberration of the genesic sense ; a monstrous insanity in creating and

glutting the sexual desire.

’

‘The sign ofthe hrothelin Romewas a clay phallus, balsed and painted, surmormting the auggmtive inscription over the door—“Hie habitat Felicitas.

” Indeed, toshowthe tenacity with which re ligious superstitions cling to us , it is no uncommonthing in Naples , Florence , Rome and other Italian cities , to see men wearing ,

mthe thredxold ofthe Twentieth Cmtury, httle carn d figmmofPriapus dmglmgfremtheir watch-chains , as a prophylac tic against the Judaism; while the pdntedpenis over the bawdr house doormay be yet aeen in Naples bymy tmvener cufious

cau tions at Pompeii , evidently connected wi th advertising the bawdy houses ofthe

M and in arina today they are the accepted badge ofthe trade ofprostitution .

Bale’s “Catalogue ofSodomites ” enumerates , among the sexual and other vices,mastupration , aatyriasis , priapismus , melancholy, madness , fornica tion , adultery,my, sodomy, theft ,murder and infantieide ; " and Jovius remarks that the Romans

“mustered up women as we do soldiers , having choice ofthe rarest beauties in the

world, their poets, even, giving themselves to nothing but songs anddalliances ofwhichwine, lust andwomenwere the chiefest subjects.”

46 Human SexualityIntercourse betweenmales was the daily practice ofthe Roman aris

tocracy . In our day, if aman discover vicious tendencies in his son, or a

mother in her daughter , he or she will endeavor by every art of parentalsolicitude to correct or overcome it ; but among the patrician families ofRome—a customI could never satisfactorily account for, except on the

ground ofavoiding venereal disease— it was quite common to give to theyoungman , just arrived at puberty , amale slave of the same age for a bedfellow,

in order that hemight satisfy , according to Dupouy , his first genesic

Such practices are so monstrous that the reader may wel l ask

himself if he is dreaming ; but that they prevailed , is easily susceptibleof historic proof. “

And thou , perfumed husband , it is very nice to say thatthou regretfully givest up thy bm pets,

”criwCatullus to the husband

ofJul ia ; and the same post acknowledges that the young married manis excusable, adding

“

you have never known any but pleasures whichwere permitted, but e spouse should no longer taste of them; there are

others! "

Well might the elder Cato mantle his face at the shocking obscenityof the times. Murder, incest , adultery , pederasty , prostitution, protectedthemselves beneath lawand the imperial purple. Curio was permitted tosay, and, if the evidences of history go for anything,was justified in saying ,as quoted by Suetonius , that the conqueror ofGaul and Britainwas the

husband ofallwomen and the wife ofallmen .

”

I should scarcely be justified , were this other than a work for the learned ,

presumably already fairly acquainted with the depths of human depravity ,tomention themonstrous acts of Tiberius, for instance, fromwhose awfullust not even infancy was sacred . Of the infamous Nero , who was seen

wedding, in public , and with the greatest imaginable pomp , the poor boy ,

Sporus, whose genital organs he had caused to be previously removed ; orofthe same crowned lunatic , and sadist , ravishing the two officiating priestsat a public religious ceremony? or ofHeliogabalus , a worthy riva l oftheimperial incendiary , who did not, however, go beyond the passive rdle in

his sodomy , will ing to give an empire to the athleticmale slave whomhehadmarried .

‘

The instances are too shocking and revolting for even a work‘

ofthischaracter, and belongmore properly to the realmof sexual psychiatry , ormental alienation. But there is a fearful lesson to be learned froman

analysis ofthe secret causes , however revolting , which produce a nation’

s

downfall ; and pursuing my original intent , there is no field , modemor

Vid. Cains Valerius Oatullus , Lx— In Nuptr'

as Julie at Maul“.

Suetonius DuodecimCreasres.

48 Human Sexualitywithout doubt ,much rarer in Rome than in Lesbos , since Martialmentionsbut one such prostitute—Philanh— “

plane medias vomt pecans ,“ in a

Ia tin far too pictumque for translation even here . Itwillconvey a sufi

ciently accurate picture of the times to conclude, for the present , thesereflections with the remark ofllfartial thy young slave ails in his penis ;

thou, Nsavolus, it is at the anus ; I amnot a magician, but I know thyhabits.

”

“The beauty of a Chinese woman.

”says Dr. Matignon,

“resides largely

in her foot.” She is as bashful in revealing this to a

man as the European lady her hreasts . When thephysician finds it necessary to examine her feet, tbeChinese school-girl will blush , turn her back to unfasten the bandages , and then conceal themember in

a cloth , leaving only the affected part visible.

‘ Even the pictures ofnaked

Concerning the communication quoted by Mr.

Nakedness Ellis ,“ in which it is stated that the girls of Japan,

after their bath , would mingle freely with themen,

holding out their hair as if for innocent admiration, until they were forcedinto greater privacy while bathing by the insults ofthosewhomisconstrueda harmless custom, Idesire to say that in the Japan oftoday thesemattersare quite changed . When I was in Yokohama in 1902 , I found that , outside the houses ofprostitution— to which latter, I solemnly aver ,my personal experience did not extend— the girls were equa lly as modest andretiring in bathing, as wellas in their other habits , as our ownmost fastidious damsels;‘ and Iwas credibly informed by a gentlemanwhose scruplesdid not prevent an occasionalvisit to even these chateauz d coum, thst the

behavior ofthe inmates , outside the bare act which constitutes their profession , andmeans of existence,was orderly and decent in the extreme ; andthat in hygiene and prophylaxis they are fully abreast ofthe times , tablets ofpotamiumpermanganate being passed around by the thoughtful youngladies immediate ly after the sexual congress.

An author who hadmuch opportunity ofnoting the great beauty of

Japanese women in their national dances , performed naked , points out thatthe Japanese seemto have “nomathetic sensefor the At the Jubilee

Lib. vn , Epigr. 67 . M. V. Martialis, lib.m,Epigr . 71.

Lac. cit , p. 445 . H . Ellis , Ice. cal , r, 15. Ibis,‘Thh is not the only instance inwhichmodemJapan ismfi’efing fmmthe can lms

use ofher earlier history in the hands ofwriters. The Japan ofto-day is not the Japan

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation

Exhibition at Kyoto was a naked figure representing the Greek Psyche, orTruth , and it seemed to be the first time the natives hadbeen treated to thenude in art, for thcre was a great dealofgiggling and blushing, and someby their gestures cl

early showed their disapproval . He discovered that ,

while nakednw was in noway offensive to them1n real life , itwas not considered a thetic to point a woman naked , at a fountain 1n themiddle ofthe same city , the verymen and womenwhomanifested this repugnance to

The institutes of Lycurgus prescribed that at solemn feasts and sacrifices the young women ofSparta should dance and sing, naked , the youngmen forming a circle about them; and Aristotle remarks that in his timeSpartan girls wore only a very sl ight garment . As described by Pausanias ,and as evidenced by certain statues in the Vatican, the ord inary tunic ofthe female , when running , left entirely bare the right shoulder and breast,reaching only to the upper third ofthe thigh) The Lydians considered it adig race for a man to be seen naked ,’ but in both the Olympic games and

the wrmtling matches of Sparta , and in Asia , the contestants appearedentirely naked , with the exception of the girdle '

Among the Tyrrhen ians ,Timmus relates that the female servants waitedupon themen completely naked ; andTheopompus , in the forty- third bookofhis History ,” states that “ it was a lawamong that people that alltheirwoma n should be in common.

” The latter practised gymnastics amongthemen quite naked ; and so indifi

'

erentlywas the sexual relation regardedthat , if a visitor asked for themaster ofthe house , hewas quite frequentlyinformed , and without any attempt to refine the information, that he wasin the bed-roomenjoying himself with his wife.

The influence ofthe naked female formin stimulating the sexual appetitehas been frequentlymade use of. Tiberius, when he supped with SestiusCallus, a worn-out old reprobate ,was wai ted upon by a beautiful naked girl .David fell in love with Bathsheba fromseeing her naked ; as did Apelleswith Campaspe , while painting her ; andLeonicus states that at set banquetsamong the Romans naked women frequently waited at the tables.

“ BothNero and Heliogabalus filled their chambers with nude and lasciviouspictures , diamcorcmagcntesmt ad veneremincitdrcrumnd toomany youngmen ofthe present day adopt the some practice as an aid in secretmas

(Rrristianity, at its introduction among both Greeks andRomans, appears

M r, 10.

i

Thucydides , “History, 1 , v1.

Athenc us , lac. cit ,m

, 830. De Varia Hist ,

”111 , 96 .

50 Human Sexualityto have profoundly aflected the semal as well as religious habits of

the two peoples ; instituting bothmasculine virtue and femininemodesty ,at least publicly , where before the grea test and coarsest indecency pre

days assumed in the matter when , in his treatises, De Pudici tia ” and“De Cults Feminarum,

” he remarks— “salvation— and not of women only

but likewise of men—consists in the exhibition principally of modeay .

Sincewe are allthe temple ofGod,modesty is the sacristan and priesteas

ofthat temple, who is to sufi'er nothing unclean or prd ane to enter it , forfear that the Godwho inhabits it should be oflended.

”

The private vices which followed the outward enforcement of thesestrict rules of continence, as I have before remarked , while flagrant andwide-spread , were the result rather of natural causes , due to the applicationof arbitrary laws to what is rea lly a natural instinct , than to any laxityin their enforcement ; and only proved , what has been proven hundredsoftimes since, thatmen and women cannot be legislated into virtue and

morality.

The Church can only succeed which attacksmotivm, rather thanmen.

The ereeds ofAnaxagorss and Epicurus, and Zeno and Spinosa,weremagnificent ; but they have perished fromthe earth . Why? Because they dealtwith laws andmen, rather than with lives andmotives. What is the secretof the success of Moody and Spurgeon , and Savonarola and General Booth?Personal magnetism, says one ; popular ignorance and superstition, saysanother. It 18 neither. They were simply social reformers along primitivelyreligious lines. They attscked the very basis ofsociety , and carried, therefore, the Master

’s signet ofauthority graven on their palms. With them,

churches , systems , institutions, were nothing , theman everything . It wasthe great spiritual lever with which Paul overturned allthe polished intellectuality ofGreece and Rome, andwhich is embodied in the Sermon on theMount . Men know they are bad—most ofthemdesire to be better ; and,

with an inborn consciousness of this primal fact , any motive of re formaddressed to that consciousness cannot be long destitute of resul ts.

As to the part which civil ization plays inmitigatCivilization and ing sexual abuses I cannot do better than quote the

SexualAbuses words ofone ofthe clearest thinkers on this theme thatrecent times have produced .

“ Contact with a higherculture has proved pernicious to themorality of savage peoples ; and wehave some reason to think that irregular connections betwemthe sexeshave , on the whole , exhibited a tendency to increase along with the programof civilization. Moreover, free sexual intercourse pre vious tomarriage isquite diflerent frommomiscuity, which involves a suppression of individual

Moral and Social Aspects ofthe Sexual Relation 51

inclination . Themost generalmanifestation of the former is prostitution,which is rare among peoples living in a state ofnature, untouched by foreigninfluence. Customs which have been interpre ted as acts of expiation forindividualmarriage , a sort of religious prostitution found in the East ; the

ins primc noctis granted to the friends of the bridegroom, or to all the

guests at a marriage , or te a particular person, a chiefor priest, and thepractice of lending wives to visitors, may be farmore satisfactorily ex

plained otherwise.

”

The savage imagination prefers the clear and concrete to the abstract

unders tand why an instinct , as natural as thirst or hunger, should be sub

jected to arbitrary laws, which , however salutary froma sociological pointof view , can hardly be expected to find a ready sympathy with people who

human passions and sexual attributes. Hence polygyny has always beena feature of ethnicism, asmonogamy has been of Christianity ; one being apurely spiritual cult and the other severely physical . But if we examineclosely pagan customs in this respect,we shandoubtless bc surpfised to findthere in a principle, analogous to our civilized lawof chivalry ; one which

man tomarrymorewives than he csn properlymaintain, a hint pregnant of

meaning to a certain class ofour own citizens , and which brings us properly

Among the Nasamonians and Augilar, Libyan tribes ,ths firfi nidrtwith the bridewas aooorded to allthe guests at amarriage . (Herodotus,book n , ch. In the province ofManta , Peru, the bride yielded herselffirst to

h rdativu md fihnds ofthe bfidegroom, the &iends being prwmaNy exoeedinglynrnnerous about that time . (Vid. De la Vega

CHAPTER TWO

SEX UAL SELECT ION OR THE LAW OF CHO ICE

T is a fact of very early observation that some lawof contrariety underlies the sexual union. The manly man wil l always seek the mostwomanlywoman ; as themost womanlyman will usually be found

preference by taking up with littlemen. Blondes prefer dark persons , orbrunettes ; those oflong limbs , the short and stumpy ; snub-nosed personsmanifest a liking for the hawk-nosed ; and, as Mantegazza , Allm, Wa lkerand other psychological wri ters clearly demonstrate, “ in the love of thesexes the charmof disparity goes beyond the standing diflerences ofsex , as

in contrasts ofcomplexion , stature and physical features.

"1

is usually confined to those whose wisdomprevents themfromillegally

female character , and preferences , possessed by the wrinkled philosopher ,society would soon fall before the success of his onslaughts. But the handsome young libertine is usually themost ignorant being in the world ofeverything except his own good looks ; and these are far lempotent with thesex than is commonly supposed . Wilks , the homeliestman in Great Bri tain ,

made himselfthe successfulrivalofths handsomest one— Im'dTownsendby his superior knowledge of woman'

s susceptibilities and his brilliantconversational powers? and there is none ofus who cannot readily re callinstances ofsociety being set agog by unions ofbeautifulwomen with ex

seedingly homelymen.

p. 136 .

’ Fine thoughts andwitty speech in aman willmore surely fascinate the average

girl than fine features ; a faet which the stuttering fellow was apparently insensibleofwhen , in paying his addresses to a young lady one evening, the conversation lawng,md he bdng anfiomwavoid the fiamsu d ah ohwdlmmmddenly blurted out :“H-how’s yourmother? Not that I c-c-eare a d—n, but itm-m-makes t-t- talk , youknow.

”

Boldness and coun ge in approaching the vitalquu tion with a woman have also

52

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 53

hearing upon this question of contrasts, elicited the fact thatmarriages inthose countries , and in Belgium, are most usually contracted betweenpersons with difl

'

erent colored eyes ; except in cases ofbrown-eyed women ,

who arew ily consideredmore attractive than others. Thus, ifwe findthat a general standard of beauty , or attractiveness .exists among theme ,

we also discover that special characteristics appeal strongly to certain people ;and that ideals exist inmost , if not all,minds which conformonly in verysl ight degree to a common standard .

In discussing themeans resorted to bymen and

Mutilations of women to make themselves mutually attractive,Savages I shall omit largely , although they are far from

uninteresting, those brutal customs ofsavage races,which , in civilized eyes , at least , only enhance their physical deformity.

Thus fewwomen in Central Africa are found without the lip-ring . Theysay itmakes them“ look pre tty ;

”and “

the bigger the ring themore theyvalue themselves) " The Shulis have the under lip perforated by a pieceofrock crystal , three or four inches long , which sways about as they speak ,”

and without which they would regard themselves pre ttymuch as one ofouryoung ladies would on Fifth Avenue in her bare feet.

The Papuans pierce the septumof the nose, and pass through it sticks ,claws of birds and pieces ofpolished stone. Many natives pierce, enlarge ,or otherwisemutilate the ear lobes, some ofthe North American Indians, aswell as the Are cunas and Botocudos ofSouth America , and the Wataita ofEast Africa , pulling themdown by this prom of beautification almost to

The Botocudos dwell on the banks ofthe Rio Dace, in Brazil , andmaybe said to be the only people in the world having twomouths. The secondmouth is artificial , formed by a large transverse sl it in the lower lip ; but itdoes not look artificial , and there are fewmore horrible sights than to see

one ofthese fellows, while grinning fiercely , and showing the teeth in hisuppermouth , suddenly stick his tongue out at you through the lower one.

Some of these people develop an incredible elasticity of the lip, and it is saiddecided value . A comic periodical records the following conversation between two

Hellolit da t Miss Johnsing?

Yamah.

"Mi- Johnsint aba very impawtantquestion to pmpound to you dismawnm.

Well sah, as yo’ done ben so persistinate and gentlemanly in dsmatta , sah. Iwill -ah ! Who is dat at de phone?”

‘Maodonald, lac. cit , r, 17 .

’ Westermarck, loo. cit , p. 166»

54 Human Sexualityto be not uncommon for a woman, at a single efiort, to throwthe underlip up like a shield, covering both face and eyes.

Painting the Penie love, he pdnts himselffromhead to foot, the penis

umally being ofa difi'

erent color, and, armed withhiswar club, lurks about the cabin of his Dulcines for days at a time , oruntilhe gets a chance to capture her,which he does by force.

Among the Ahts the girls are generally painted at their first menstruation, not before ; and scarcely anything possesses so gres t a charmfor

almost all savages as bright , showy colors. Nomatter howpoor a manmay be, otherwise, ifhe have a good stock oi bright blue or red beads , he

can always command the service ofslave and treeman alike ; and in some ofthose interesting regions ofthe earth the beads are held so precious , or

women so chesp, that a single beadmay always be counted on to pur

chase awife, either temporarily or permanently.

Red ochre is a staple withmost savm in their personal adornmentthe Naudowessies paint their faces red and black, which

“they esmm

highly ornamental ,“ the GuaycurOs preferring red andwhite,withwhich

selves with black , red, yellow and white ; and in Fiji , along with the sobererwlom, a slightwuching upwith vermflion is esteemed “

the greatest possrble

acquisition.

”2 In NewZealand the lips ofthe dandies ofboth sexes are

stainedblue ; and itwould appear that themodern ‘‘bleschedblonde " wasby nomeans unknown in Santa Cruz , or Egmont Island, fromthe obw'va

tion oi Labillardiere that Where was difiused among thema fondm for

white hair, which formed a very striking contrast to the color oftheir skinfl"Mr. Darwin says (

“ Descent of Man,”II , 369) that

Tattooing in not one single country fromthe polar regions in

the north to the confines ofNewZealand in the south,was tattooing unknown among the aborigines ; and the practice , as we

Carver , lac. cit , p. 227 . Wilkes , lac. cit ,m, 356 .

Lac. cit , n , 266 .

The mischiefand havoc wnich blondes have cmted in all ages of the world ishistorical. Appollonius tells us that Jason’

s golden hair was what captivated Medea,(“ Jasonis Have some incendit cor tha t Caste r and Pollux, who mig ht

Patroclus and Achilles ; and Leland praises Ginthera , King Arthur’s wife , for herbeautiful blonde treesee. Homer does the same for Helen ; Venus is pictured u a

blonds ; sc are QuemDido, Paris, and Menclaus . Our Savior Himself , “ fairest unengten themed ,” is represented in the old paintings as having long , golden-brown ringlete.

and it is said (Plin . 1-374 ) that Sabina Poppc a ’s amber-colored hair set the fashion

ior sllRome in Nero’s day.

56 Human Sexualitybefore puberty , and after themarrying age, themen ’

s hair is cropped short.In Australia , a girl is painted at her firstmenstruation, the period whenshe is ready for the copulative act; and in EquatorialAfrica she is rubbedwith black , red, and white paint , in the course of a public ceremony whichattends the same interesting period, and which Reade very consistentlyassociates with the Phallic practices ofEgypt andChaldea .

‘

It is well known that the worship of Baal Peor

Ph all ic and among the Hebrews, ofLingamin India , of PriapusLingamWorsh ip at Rome , and of Phallus in Syria , Egypt and Greece,

with similar rites. Whether the Hindus borrowed it fromEgypt , or thelatter fromthem, is immaterial at present ; but in the ceremony referred to ,as well as inmany others found scattered throughout Central Africa , it isnot difficult to trace , not only evidences of early intercourse between Africaand Egypt , but thatwholwale prostitution which , under the garb of religion,

once reigned like amistress fromthe Ganges to the Nile.

Since the god could not descend fromhis pedestal to take, personally,the immense orop oi maidenhcads ofiered to himdaily, it had to be done

by proxy ; and in the discharge ofthis delicate duty the pr iwts found theirchiefest and pleasantest occupation . Themaiden was of course dremedand decorated for the occasion ; and fromthe customs observed , nodoubt , are derived many of those common not only to Afr ica , but inBrazil , and other South and Central American communities,where the girl ,as soon as she is ready to be courted , is painted about the eyes and sub

jected to various other ceremonials .

When Mertens asked the natives ofLukanorwhatSignificance of tattooing signified among them, one replied— “

it

the Tattoo has the same object as your clothes , to please the

and Bancroft informs us’ that young

Kadiak wim secure the afi'

ection of their husbands by tattooing theirbreasts , and adorning their faces with black lines.

In Samoa , great licentiousness and prostitution were associatd withthe practice oftattooing ; and the

“matai ,” in preparing the young girlforthe embraces ofher husband , did not hesitate to take his toll occasionally asshe passed through his hands. Indeed , I fear there are notmany profemingChristians who , manipulating the naked body of an amorously inclinedyoung lady— which the Samoan girls proverbially are—for days , and evenweeks together , would provemuch better or stronger than the poor matai ."In Tahiti , the chiefs had finally to prohibit tattooing entirely , on account“ Savage Africa ," p. 246 . Waits-Gerlmd, 106 Ciln V .U .67

Loc. cit , r, 72.

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 57

ofthe obecene practices by which it came in time to be surrounded;‘and

its obscenity is not strange, when we consider that it had its origin in a

divine source, as had tattooing itself. The legend is as followsThe god, Taaroa , had a daughter named Hinae

Polynes ian Origin reeremonoi. In order to preserve her chastity she

ofthe Tattoo wasmade pahio,”and confined in a fenced enclosure,

attended only by hermother . Her brothers , captivated by her beauty , wanted to seduce her (they were not at all conven

tional in those days), and strove by everymeans in their power towoo herfromthe care of her mother. Finally , one brother invented the tattoomark , Taomaro, and decora ting themselves with it they capered before her.

It was too much for the maiden’s virtue ; she broke the enclosure ,

fiewthe coop”as itwerc ; and the young rascals accomplished the purpose

which ,we shrewdly suspect,was not such a difficultmatter after all.’Thus the sons ofTaaroa became the gods oftattooing ; their imageswere

kept in the temples ofthosewho practised the art ; and itwould be unreasonable to suppose that , in perpetuating its outward observance , the sen

timent which first inspired it should be entirely neglected ; sowe find that,at every step of the tattooer’s progress, prayers were breathed to the las

civious young gods tomake the operation successful , and as fraught withpleasure to the subject as it had been to the gods themselves .

’

It is quite probable that a similarmotive lay at the bottomof bothpainting and tattooing the body . The former very likely antedated the(atten tattooing being resorted to as a means ofmaking pennanmthe

cannot help admitting that tattooing does improve the savage appearance.

remarks that “nothing can excel the beautiful regularity with which thefaces and thighs of the NewZealanders are tattooed .

”

Allthe facts go to showthat this , aswell as every other species ofselfdecoration, ormutilation,was intended to stimulate the sexual desire of theopposite sex. Probably its first idea— for it seems strange to us thatpiercing the lips, or nose-septum, or coloring the body , should be resortedto as amere piece of coquetry—was to attract attention, just as with our

modern young lady the beauty patch , or artificial dimple, is intended to

In explanation ofan anomaly which has been currently remarked , thatamong savage races it isman who resortsmost frequently to the arts of

personal adornment , not woman, itmay be stated that among savage racesTurner , “Samoa," p. 90. W. Ellis, loc. cit ,

r, 206 , clseq.

M , r, 262 , et seq. Lac. cit , p. 147 .

58 Human Sexualityit isman onlywho runs the risk ofbeing condemned to eelibacy. Woman

does in OentralAfrica , to the lord ofcreation in addressing him, but she

rarely fails in securing a husband. Hence she pays little attention to her

personal appearance, knowing she possesses a secret charmwhich willland her victimat any time , and it ismanwho has to do the hustling tolseep

Clothing as a tobe applied to clothing instead ofto the nakedbody ;

Means of clothing itselfbeing most probably an outgrowth dAttraction the same desire for adornment , insteM of being , as

stated by most writers, ameans ofprotection fromcold and the inclemency oftheweather. This is themore likely, since, inthose oriental countries where it is well known clothingwas firstworn, cold,

aswe experience it,was seldomor never known.

“The savagebegins ,”remarks ProfessorMoseley, “ by painting or tattoo

ing himselffor ornament. Then he adopts a movable appendage , whichhe hangs upon his body, and upon which he puts the ornamentation heformerlymarked,more or less indelibly, upon his skin. In this way he isable to gratify his taste for change ,

”and in this way was the customof

clothing the body originated. So the use ofthe cod-

piece was originally

to attract attention to the genitals , not to cover them.

‘

The conclusion that “ shame rs a feeling specifically peculiar toman,

and that clothingmay have partly arisen fromhis desire to conceal certainparts ofhis body, seems scarcely tenable , fromthe fact that, as I have

previously intimated , hardly two savage nations agree as to the portion ofthe body to be concealed. In fact , as Westermarck very justly inquires,“why shouldman blush to expose one partofthe bodymore than another?

”

There are numbers ofpeoplewho go habitually naked , to whomthe feeling

ofthe body , in whomthe feeling is very fully developed . But, setting thequestion as ide, as scarcely germane to our present subject , ifwe follow thecourse of bodily clothing—a task far too tedious—fromthe cod-piece oftheBotocudos , the scarlet thread of the Patachos and Machacaris , and the

ulun'

of the Bororo, to the low-cut gown of our modemdrawing-room

Thus , among the negroes of Benin, whose girls had“no other garment

than a string ofcoral, twisted about themiddle ,

” it wmrld be absurd to

associate such “ garments ” with any feeling of shame , ormodesty ; the farwe . Bloch, Beilrdgsmfi tiol. d. Pm. Sa ud is, Teil,

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 59

more plausible theory being, as awriter asserts , that thesewaist omamentsare simply designed to make the wearers more attractive to the men.

‘

In this these duslry beautiw, howcver , showed a very imperfect knowledgeofthe true art ofsexual stimulation ; partial concealment ofthe female

that is voluptuous or enticing, as Reade remarks,’ in “the absolute naked

nemofan equatorialgir ,

”and scarcelymore in that ofa white woman ;

but vastlymuch in the little slipper, or ankle, coquettishlydisplayed, or thelithe roundnemoflimbwhich is accentuated rather than coneealed hy theclinging lines ofa well-made gown, whether that limbbe white or black.

Custombreeds contempt. There is nomanwho better realises this than

begets such a sexual indifference as to be sometimes both stubborn and

sexual motion ; and, as Flaxman observes , the latter, in entering theacademy, “ seemto hang up their passionswith their hataThe natives ofMallicollo, as Fors ter says ,’ by their scanty dressmake

it exceedingly difficult to determine whether they are actuated by “a sense

ofshame, or an artfuldesire to please ;”

showing that the ladies ofto-dayhave by no means a monopoly of the sex

’s wisdomin these mattem.

The men ofTana tie a string around the waist and hang the leafof a

plant in such a way that it partially covers the hair above the penis, butleaves the latter organ , as wellas the testicles, exposed . This is done witha very evident intent to attract female attention to those ponderous , if notat autimesmsthetically beautifulmortions ofthe savage anatomymnd theplan ought certainly to be succesdul. Boys at the age ofsix are provided

with similar lesves , obviously for a similar purposefandmpeaking ofa like“ dren ” worn by the Hotta rtot, Bar

-rowsays,

“ if the real intent ofitwasthe promotion ofdecency , the wearer has widelymissed his aim, as he is

m inly amost immodest looking object,”reminding us vividly ofthat

naked and terrible looking deity who protected the gardens and orchardsofthe ancients.

A certain queen among the Khyoungtha noticing, as Lewin te l ls us ,“

that themen cfthe nation, like some ofthose inmodern times,were losingtheir love for the society ofwomen , and resorting to abominable sexual

practices , pmmulgated an order preecribing thc kind ofpetticoat to be

womby women, and ordermg that all themen be tattooed so that the

maleswing decorated , and piquancy added to the beauty ofthe females ,the feet ofthe formermight return to the paths ofmaritalduty. Whether

Wa termarek, lac . cit , p. 192. Loc. cit , p. 546 .

‘Ibid.

60 Human Sexualitythe expedientwas successful or not, I regre t tosay, the interesting historianfails to informus.

Among the Mucura, in Brazil, Mr . Wallace found a woman pomemed ofa safa , or petticoat , which she sometimes put on, seeming when she did

so asmuch ashamed as civil ized ladies would be if they took offtheirs.

1

Among the Saliras , Mr . Lehman says,’ only the harlots clothe them~

selves ; observation , keen among the sex at all times, having taught themthe fact previously alluded to , that the unknown attracts farmore than theknown. 80 in the interior of Africa , aswe learn fromBarth ,’ themarriedwomen go entirely nude, while the young damsels , having their marketyet tomake, clothe themselves. The girls ofAustralia wear a fringe aboutthe waist , but ofcourse not with any idea of covering the sexual apparatus ;and Barrington tells us ‘ that the females of Botany Bay wear a littleapron ofkangaroo skin , cut into slips, until they aremarried , when it is discarded .

Among the Tupi tribes ofBrazil, as soon as a girl becomesmarriageable ,cotton cords are tied round her waist and the fieshy parts of her arms ,denoting a state ofmaidenhood; and strangely enough thia customhas a

great efiect in restraining prostitution, or slips among the girls , since if anywear it who have lost their virginity , it was believed the Anhanga wouldcome and carry themaway bodily . I amaware that Mr. Southey dmiesthe foregoing statement, and says these badges could not have been ih

vented “for the purpose ofkeeping women chaste , since they were oftenbroken without fear, and incontinence among themwas not regarded as an

but other writers lean to a different view ; and the fact that theywere often broken does not disprovemy original statement , anymore thanthe frequent defiance of the confessional , in the Catholic Church , disprovesthe latter’s admitted effi cacy in restraining sexual immorality .

At the dances and festivals ofmany savage peoplesDancing as a the most shocking licentiousnemwas frequently

indulged in. The youngmen andmaidens paintedthemselves in themost brill iant andgaudy colors , like

a lot of fiamingoes , or other tropical birds , and, like the birds also , would

course with one another. Tasmanian dances were performed with the

avowed purpose of exciting the sexual passion ,

0and those churches in

recent times which resolutely set themselves against the pastime are wiser

“Reisen ,

”etc , n , 467 .

“Hist. NewSouth Wales," p. 23.

“History ofBrazil ." r, 240.

Bonwick, “Daily Life ofthe Tamanians , pp. 27438.

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 6 1

in their generation than is commonly supposed .

‘ All dancing excites thepassions, particularly those modern Terpsichorean creations known as

glides, two-steps , waltzes and other rag time patte r, not to speak ofthe

wild can- can of Mabille ; and, as in the Saturnal ia and Floral ia ofRome ,heretofore al luded to as scenes of the wildest obscenity and licentiousness ,have , as their ul timate tendency , the breaking down ofsoc ial and religiousrestraint , and the free exercise ofsexual liberty .

Among the Brazilian Uaupes , the women, while dancing, wear a gaudylittle “ tanga ,

”or apron , of woven beads, which is taken 06 when the

dance is over ; and the Tahitian Areois— a kind of licensed libertines wholead amost licentious life, given up chiefly to lewd dances and pantomima ,

inmimicry ofthe sexual act— put on a sort ofyellow girdle of “ ti ” leaveswhile dancing , to facilitate those gestures and attitudes which are mmsuggestive .

’ In fact , as Professor Smith says,‘ withmany races the danceis nothingmore nor less than a rude representation of sexual passion.

Some ofthe Tasmanian corroborces have a distinctly phall ic design , and

in the Yucatan dance ofthe usual, as in the Dionysian and Floralian orgies ,the ladies grasp themen by the penis instead ofthe hand, in turning , a

practice well calculated , we may be sure , to lend additional zest to the

At certain Mexican feasts the“noblernen and women danced , tied

together by the hands , and embracing one another , the arms being thrownover the neck inwell-defined imitation ofthe Greek bracelet ," or brawland in this , as in other ofthe Mexican dances, the re lation ofthe sexes is

very clearly symbolized . In fact , although Locke points out the benefitsto be derived fromthe pu time , in imparting to children “ gracefulness ofmotion,

"as well as “manly though ts and a becoming and

although Homer ca lls it “the sweetest andmost perfect of human enjoy

ments ," fromthe Memphic and Hymenaaaldances ofthe ancients down tothe latte r day ballets, as well as the awe- inspiring contortions of the can

Petrarch calls it the spur oflust— inictamentumlibidinis ; and another alludes toLucian tells us that Thais

captivated Larnprias by her dancing , Herodias certainly did Herod, and Robert of

Nounandy , riding through Falaise , and spying the villagemaid, Arletta , dancing on

the grem, was so enamored ofher that, as the chmnicler states ,“ hemust needs lie

with her tha t same night.” Fromthis a capade was born Williamthe Conqueror;andOm Tudor , it is said , captured Queen Catherine’s afiection by his skill in dancing .

Itwas so elearly rseognized as an incentive to hrst that Domitian forbade the Romanauratomwdanee; and

'

Lucretia openly boasted that she w bewitchcd a eertain

Romanmerchant by her dancing that he ofl‘

ered her allhis wealth for a single nightwith herb “

pro concubito solo.

”

H . Ellis , loc. cit , r, 235. Ency. Brit , VI, 798 . Education , 67- 196 .

62 Human Sexualitycan, or houtchiooutchi , we are perfectly will ing to endorse the sentimentof the early Albigenses of Languedoc , who called dancing “

the devil 'sprocession .

“

There is nomanwho does not desire to appearwellbefore the oppositesex ; but the difl

'

erentmethodsmen have ofmanifestOther Practices ing this desire are, to say the least , confusing. Thusin Courtsh ip a South Austral ian boymust have every hair pulled

out around his penis, and the latter decorated witha garland ofgreen leaves , before he can be presented to the sex as a fit

candidate for their favor? while the Admiralty Islander covers his, orpartial ly covers it , with a sea shell, the dazzling whiteness of which presentsa startling contrast to the ebonyblacknessofthe organ, which thebrevityofthe covering “ half conceals half discloses.

” Afine study in black andwhite!The Tankhul-Naga puts a born, or ivory , ring over the head of his peniswhen he wants to present an intensely fascinating appearance ; ‘ and in theSouth Sea Islands the penis is tattooed in themostbrilliant and variegatedcolors , as ameans of attracting that attention among the fair sexwhich itsheal thy size would alone be pretty apt to insure.

‘ The tattoo markswould , however, at least compare favorably with the venereal necklacesofmany of our young “ sports ” of today in soliciting female regard ; while

for a“ fancy dress ball ,

"reminds us that among the early Germans the

engagement ring was thus worn, placed upon the youngman ’s penis by thc

lady herself, with what peculiar feel ings to the former I leave to the reada ’s

imagination, andwas only removed by the same fair fingers aftermarriage.

The Chinese lady considers her small feet to be her chiefcharm; toexpose which is deemed exceedingly immodest , and to speak of which isregarded as highly improper on the part ofmen.

‘ Tt induwoman hiduher face , and wears at the same time a thin gauze dresswhich ,while it displays every charmofher dusky person , cannot , as Mr. Man intimates , beregarded as other than an attempt to convey an afr imperuse !Indies , in some portions ofAsia , are not permitted to showthe ends of

their fingers, while a Caribbean bel le considers herself very fully dressedwith a quajuco, two inches wide, and a becoming smile . To go out of the

‘Nor amwme ofthe dmees ofcivfliu tionmuch behind theu in point ofindeeency.

Onewhich Iwaa privileged to see in 1892, irr the 1ardin de Paris, in the French eapital,

wouldmake the ordinary houtchio outchr artiste look like a NewEngland spinster in

M i ke- can V“. M , JW ”. AW . IN " 7 1, 397 .

Watt, Jour . Aalhr. Ind "m, 366.

Cook , “Voyage to fire Pacific,” xx, 192 , d seq.

Stricker, lac . cit , xv, 243. Moore , loo. cit , p. 259 , d seq.

64 Human Sexualityseventeenth century , he found the women wearing only smocks , in warmweather ; and, in Venice and Padua , with their breasts and bash en tirelynaked . Mary Wortley Montagu,writing ofthswomen ofTurksy ,dsscribes

themin the baths at Sophia as“ quite in a state of nature ,

”as regards

dress ; and in Ireland, up to the seventeenth century , itwas no uncommonthing to see young women and girls stark naksd, grinding corn for the

Children, while bashful , are proverbially destitute of what we callmodesty ; a circumstance which directs attentimvery

Immodesty of sharply to a distinction too often lost sight of byChildren writers, but which is emphasized , by Mr . Ellis in his

is an instinct wholly separable fromfear, although a rwultant of an agglomcration offears ;

”one ofthess bsing ofsarlier than human origin , and sup

plied solely by the female, and the other , or others, “ ofmore distinctlyhuman character, and ofsocial rather than sexual origin.

” Children , bynature, have little if anymodesty. Both in speech and not , they outrageconventional ity with themost charming incouciancc. Frequently their apparent ignorance will havs amost appall ing accidental point , as the following will prove :A littlemiss who, to deter her fromthe too common practice ofsucking

her thumb, had been told by hermother that if she continued the habitshe would lose allher beauty , and grow up coarse and stout , and with a bigstomach . When a lady about seven months advanced towardsmaternitygot upon the car one day, the little girl , after eyeing her closely for some time,suddenly pointed her finger reprovingly at her , shouting out, to themingledhorror and amusement ofthe paswrgers aha , I know what you’ve beendoingI”

To show that modesty is not innate, but cultivated , among children,it is only necsmary to point out that children whohave not been subjected to a discipline ofdecencynot only expose themselves with the greatest freedomand unconcern , but when under instruction in this

regard , frequently whollymiss the point at issue. Up to that period at whichthe lessons ofmodesty become properly instilled , both boys and gir ls exposetheir privates quits unconsciously ; and I aminclined to think that if , insome , the reverss happen to be the cass , it is dus not somuch to the factthat the organs are sexual as that they are excretory, just as it is withanimals .

Repugnance to filth is an animal as well as human fesling, the lowerF. Moryson,

“ Itinerary,” 3, rr- v.

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 65

mammals, cats and dogs, exercising the greatest care to preserve cleanliness , and retiring , almost invariably , to secluded places to respond tothe wants ofnature .

‘ Thus wemay be justified in regarding a too pre

cocious modesty as ofanimal rather than human origin. There is a wellmarked repugnance among all peoples, savage and civilized , to the satisfaction of natural needs ; the Dyaks ofMalacca , al though remarkablycleanly , washing the sexual organs carefully after urinating , and alwaysusing the left hand for the purpose, the right being reserved for themorehonorable uses ofwar , labor and the chase.

’

It would be tedious, and perhaps unprofitable, to attempt in this placeany extended or seismific analysis of this question of human modesty ;but whether we regard it as congenital or acquired , psychological or physiological, thme can be no evading its importance as a sexual attribute , or

One ofitsmost obtrusive phenomena~the act of

as recorded by Partridge in one hundred and twentycases cri tica lly a amined.

’ Tremors near the waist , weakness in the l imbs ,mute, trembling , warmth , weight or beating in the chest , warmwavesfromthe fest upward , quivering ofheart , stoppage, and then rapid beatingofthe same , coldness allover, followed by hea t , dizziness, tingling of toesand fingers , numbness , something rising in the throat , smarting ofthe eyes ,ringing of the ears , prickling sensations ofthe face, and pressure insidehead .

” A portentous array of symptoms with themost important objective one— facial subcutaneous hypertemia— omittsd : The lady blushedred, but nothing she said .

“

There is no feminine charm, or combination ofModesty as charms , that can preserve its attractiveness for the

Assoc iated with male for any length oftime ifmodesty be lacking ;Sexua l Suscep and prostitutes who have not learned the art of

tibili ty simulating it are only half educated in their timehonored profession. They may not be able at all

times to set inmotion the delicate reflexmechanismofblushing, anymorethan themodern society belle can ; but fewofthemwill be found deficientin thoss littls acts ofamumed coquetry,mauvaisc honte, which experiencs

has told themare farmore potent in exciting themasculine passion than

The peculiar influence which darkness has in dispelling modesty hasB oun cy, “ Industries ofAnima ls ,” Ch . vrr.

Stevens , Zed-shrillfar Ethnoloqie, p. 182 , 1897 .

PednsosicalSeminary . April. 1897 . Scott, “ Eve ofSt . John .

”

S

66 Human Sexualitynever been satisfactorily explained ; butwe do know that , although in thefashionable whore-houses mirrors are so arranged as to stimulate thedebaucheewith a constant sight ofhis own sexualact , in a state ofnature

bothmen and women court darkness rather than light for sexual indulgenceThose, too, who are temmramentally shy will always find in the companyof blind persons rel ief fromtheir constitutional weakness .

Lerius says that in coming to Brazil “where we foundmen and womennaked as they were born,many will think that our so long comrnercewithnaked women must needs be a great provocation to lust ,” but he con»

eludes that the nakedness did not entice themsomuch as our women’s

clothes.

‘ It was Judith’s pantoflies that ravished Holofernes , and Naomi ,wellversed in the arts ofher sex, counsels Ruth how to dress to captivateBoaz .

’

Customhas established a curious compl imentary re lationship betweenthe face and the sexualorgans , in the former ofwhich

Relation of the thefirst symptomofmodesty— blushing— is commonlyFace to the Sexua l revealed . Martial , long ago, remarked that when

Organs an innocent girl looks at a man ’s penis , she always

does so through her fingers ;'and it is within the

experience of every gyne cologist thatmost women cover their faces duringexamination, paying little heed to sexual exposure so long as this ostrichact conceals it fromtheir own view. This curious psychosis, or self-consciousness , shared byman and animals alike, by which the ida rs conveyedthat invisibility to ourselves involves invisibility to others, is an instinotive impulse ofnature, overriding reason, and is very ably deal t with byProfessor Stanley Hall in theAmerican J ournalofPsychology, Vol. IX , 1898.

The question has been pertinently asked —is modesty , on the whole.becoming more prominent as civilization advances ? I have alreadyintimated otherwise, and the writer who puts the question answers it himself negatively , and with his usual philosophical insight into , not only theorigin ofhuman emotions , but, thevarying influences ofhabit andeducationwhich shape and control them. It is amistake to suppose,” hemarks ,“ that , in becoming extended ,modesty also becomes intensified .

“

Immodesty of are really more modest than the civilized ; and the

Civilization Ac fact is quite susceptible of explanation. The teachingcounted For of at least the outlines ofphysiology in our public

schools has familiarized us , to a great extent , with thephenomena of physical functions , sexual anatomy, and the laws of procrea

“ Hist . Nav . in Brazil ,” Gap. 8, London , 1842 . Ruthm, 8 .

Lib. 11.mm H . Ellis , lac. cit , r, 47 .

‘Ibid.

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 67

tion ; and with that knowledge has come , necessarily , a greater freedomrn

discumng such questions , as well as a stimulated desire for their investigation. Ourmodern life is largely subservient to human needs , in art, literature and science . Outward expression, chastened by the refinements ofsociety , touchmfreely themes and sentiments which are forbidden groundto the unlettered; and as a consequencewe find the semblance, aswellas theprinciple, of modesty far more invincibly wtablished among the latter

quite readily into the drawing- rooms of educated people which would be

certa in portions of our anatomy , which is an instinct ofmost savage races ,as Richet has well pointed out,

“necessarily decreases as our knowledge

increases ;” and examining scientifically the wonderful mechanismfromwhich our physicalfunctions spring, we lose, to a large extent, the feeling

ofdiagust which thatmechanismoriginally conveyed to our senses. Thuscivilization tends to subordinatemodesty as an instinct , to intellectas a law;and in doing so, while still recognizing it in principle , has necessarilyderr ived it ofmuch ofits originalpower.

Mr . Darwrn rn hrs Descent ofMan, ane . WallaceLove-Lures of in his Contributions to the Theory ofNatural Selec

oi ca nal choice among animals, describing the

variousmeans which the latter resort to for the purpose of attracting theopposite sex,means after all searcely diflering fromour own , that l shall

ornit, however reluctantly , this very important phase ofthe question, and

pan at once to those attributes ofsex which aremutually attractive tomenand women, and which so largely influence the question ofmarriage and

procreation in the human family .

I placemarriage first,with a clear eye to the fact thatman, unlike other

male anima ls, is usually ready to pair offwith the female every time hegets a chance ; so that themere act of copulation becomes in a sense sec

ondary to the lawoflegitimate union as one ofthe foundations ofsociety.

le t aman be never so good- looking , he will not bemuch sougrt after ;but let a woman be never sO plain , shewillstillbe eagerly courted;

"is an

old proverb, the truth ofwhich is farmore apparentwhen applied to pre

vious generations than to this . Notwithstanding the undoubted fact thatthe progress and refinements of civilization, with the greater regard paid tothe laws ofhealth , and culture of themind , have material ly raised thestandard of fmle beauty , it is equally undeniable that woman, in hersexua l capacity , is not as largely sought after today as heretofore .

Whether this bedue tothat gradualweakening ofthe sexuallife, formerly

68 Human Sexualityhinted at, the enlarging ofthe ideal at the expense ofthe purely aensual.

the, possibly , greater prevalence of illicit indulgence , or any other, or all,

of a number of causes, it is not the writer’s province, in his strict dealingwith sexualfacts, to determine ; but at no period in the history ofthe race,

it can truthfully be said , has the question ofthe sexual relation furnishedamore interesting field for philosophical speculation than at present.

Newspapers, magazines and various publica tionsOther Conditions of a quasi-scientific character, literally teemwithwh ich Influence discussions—for themost part foolishly or illogicallySexual Choice founded— as to

“ whymen do notmarry ,” the causesof unhappy unions ,~and the probable ultimate develop

ment of the ever-growing divorce evil . Indeed , with the present hypothetical character ofthe wedding contract , the perils which involve it , andthe comparative rarity with which it is either entered into , or lasts , for a

lifetime , it would seemthat a return to the primitivemethod of the Sagnonegroes, as described by Merolla da Sorrento , would be strictly in order. inAmerica at least . “Women have experience of their husbands bdoremarrying them, and in liks mannermen oftheir wives ; and in this par

ticular I can aver that the women are commonlymuchmore obstinate or

fickle than themen, for I have knownmany instances in which themenwere willing to bemarried , while the women held back , and ei ther fled awayormade excuses.

“

The last clause of the quotation is less applicable tomy present purposethan the first . What Imean to convey is that Mr . Meredith ’s some often-yearmarriages is , after all, nothing new; and that as a remedy for the“divorce disease itmight not be unworthy ofa trial . Lobo tel ls us that ,in Abyssinia , marriagewas usually entered upon for a termof and

we are informed by Waitz’ thatmany of the negro peoplesmarry ei ther“on trial ” or for a fixed time. The Aleuts used to exchange their wivesfor food and clothes, just as themodern lady exchanges her husband fornotoriety and alimony . The systemis the same , only themodern lady , beingamore valuable asset , naturally brings the higher price. I shall , however.defer consideration ofthis theme untilwe come to the duration ofmarriageamong ancient andmodern peoples , and continuemy investigation ofthe

physical causes which underlie the sexual union.

It will be found , as M . de Quatrefages has wellWoman Loves remarked , that while men are less delica te in thisAbove Herself mspect, women persistently refuse to lower than»

selves by the sexual choice , unless depraved by drink ,drugs, or some other unseemly or brutalizing habit .‘ Thus , while dm'ing

‘Loc. cit , p. ass.

‘Loc. at . p. as. Lee. at . rr,m. Los e .a car.

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 69

the reign of slavery in the South .whilstmen frequently debased themselveswith black women, the cases are, so far asmy reading has extended , practicallym’

lwhere the reverse proposition proved true. The woman alwaysloves above herself; theman,

in a general sense , promiscuously.

Dr. Nott , writing in themiddle of the past century , asserts that henevermet with a half-breedwhowas the oflspring of union between a negroman and a white woman? and I think that careful investigation woulddeve lop a s

'mrilar condition in lower class society today ; unless in thosecomparatively rare cases due , as I have intimated , to causes other than normal. In NewZealand , Europeanmen occasionally marry Maori women ;but Mr . Kerry Nicholle states quite positively that he never knew of a casewhere a European woman hadmarried a Maoriman.

’

The question ofracemiscegenation, however, is an anthropological , ifnot a zoological one ; themeans tworted to among savages to attract thea ttention and admiration ofthe opposite sex being those common tomostanimals . Chiefamong these are gaudinms ofplumage , as in birds and, shall

I say it? women . Softness andcoloring ofskin , as in the leopard; andmusicalsweetnemofthe voice , as in the educated lady and the singing bird. ButMr. Darwin , with his customary keenness in investigation, found anotherprinciple which he holds , and rightly so, to be common to bothmen and

anima ls— that the female gives preference , other things being equal , tothemost vigorous , defiant andmettlesome ofthemales.

”

Among savage races, particularly , is this“ crown

Strength in Men ing attribute ofmanhood ” re verenced and esteemed ;Admired byWomen and in the song of the Indian girl, as given by Mr .

Schoolcraft ,we find the spontaneous outflowing of thefa nale heart to its sexual ideal , just as in Solomon ’

s songwe see the femaletype ofideality pictured by themale : “My love is tall and graceful as theyoung pine , waving on the hill ; as swift in his course as the noble, statelydeer . His hair is flowing , and dark as the blackbird that floats through theair ; and his eyes , like the eagle’s , both piercing and bright . His heart , itis fearless and great ; and his arm, it is strong in the fight .”

Often the curled and perfumeddandy is astonished andmystified tofindhimself “

cut out ,” in the aflection and regard ofhis lady- love, by some

weather-beaten sailor, or bronzed fireman, destitute of every charmsavephysical strength andmanly courage ; ignorant of the fact that the verymeans uponwhich he rnost relies tomake himselfpleasing to the feminineheart , the latter regards as stolen property , her own by right , and suggestiveof contempt rather than admiration when appropriated byman.

Yt'

d. also “Africans ,” Macdonald , r, 141.

“The Maori Race,” Jour. Ant» . Ind " xv, 196. Schoolcn ft. 100. cit . V. 6 12

70 Human SexualityThe lovely Atalanta, according to Ovid,

‘gave herselfas a prize to the

swiftest runner ; and although won by the ruse of thewily Hippomens ,

trials ofprom , andWestermamk tells ofabeautifulMadagascar princem,for whomkings and warriors fought, siu'

rendering hereelfat last to the

lover who proved the strongmt andmost courageous.

’

It was not sufficient amongmost primitive racesA Severe Love that the suitor should be young and attractive—he

Testhe subdned in battle, and themore heads ofa hostile

tribe he could lay at the feet ofhis inamorata , themore hewas prised and

Among the Dongolowees, as Felkin informs us ,‘ the difficulty of choice

pinely monetary basis, was determined in the following manner. The

young lady tied a knife blade to each forearm, the points projecting fmmthe elbows , then seating herselfupon a log,with a young lover on each side,

she slowly leaned forward, pressing ths points ofthe blades into the youngmen’

s thighs , and the one who whimpered first was ignominously re jected .

It is amatter for pious gratitude that courting in this country is not governed by such strenuous conditions. I fear there would bemore bachelorseven than at present if it were.

sion ofgirls, orwives, appears to be associatedwith alltheir ideas offight

ing , while the girls have it in their power to evince that universal prerogative of the fair— a partial ity for the brave.

‘

It is not difficult to explain women's instinctive preference for strong

men, as a fundamentallawin naturalselection. The strongman not onlybegets strong children, but is better able to protect and provide for both

themand themother. In the early stages ofhuman and social evolution ,

bodily vigorwas the chief factor in the struggle for existence . The strongmanmight perpetuate the weak woman, but the woman, however strong ,could not give continued existence to the weakman. This principle did notcm to exist with the progress of civilization ; but prevails , and mustcontinue to prevail, so long as society and the human race depend, se theypresumably always will , on the lawofselection for their growth and

To the ancient Greeks , Eros was an extremely handsome boy ; and

Met. 8—4; et Euripid. in t nias. Lac. cit,p . 265.

Lac. cit , n , 310. Westermasck, for. cit , p. 256 .

72 Human SexualityTo theChinook

“the idealoffacialbeauty is a straight line fromthe tip

Types of darling littleAmericangirl despises a snub-nme,softenPhysicalBeauty ing the harshness ofthe Anglo-Saxon terrn with the

French euphemism,retroussc, the Africanmaiden ridi

cules the “ tomahawk noses” of her white sisters , as she smi les comflacentlyupon the reflection of her own broad , flat proboscis in the stream.

The Tahitian women frequwtly remarked to Mr. Williams—“ what apity it is that Englishmothers pull their chi ldren '

s am out so fr ightft

portion of the emmre, according to Pallas,‘ aremuch preferred to those ofthe Manchu type, who have broad noses and enormous ears.

However various the races ofmankind , the standards of beauty will befound equally varied .

“To our honest Fleming ,” says Bombet,‘ “ whohas never studied design , the forms of Rubens ’swomen are themost beautifulin the world . Let not us,who admire slenderness offormabove ova 'ything else, and to whomthe figures even of Raphael ’s women appear rathermassive , be too ready to laugh at him. Ifwe would consider thematmclosely , it would appear that each individual , and consequently each nation,has a separate idea of beauty .

”

If there be an abstract beauty, as some claim,

Abstract Beauty al thoughmost deny , as civilization tends to perpetuate and refine whatever is best in nature , it would

seemonly natural to look for it among those peoples with whomcivil izationhas been carried to greatest perfection. This would take us na turally toeither the great Turanian races ofthe East, or the Caucasians ofthe West ;

and it will require little argument to prove that among these , as amatterof fact , are found the greatest graces and attractiveness ofperson, as wellas those physical features which are themost universally pleas ing .

though drunk , was by his beauty alone more powerful than Achilles , as Favor-nineasserts ; and Adrian IV ,

the bastard ofan English primt , by the same qual ity wonthe papal throne . Shakespeare claims that whmVenus ran tomeet the rosy~cheekedAdon is , even the air fell in love with her , “the bushes in the way did twine about helegs , tomake her stay, and did covet her for to embrace ;” and Heliodorusmakes thesame remark about Daphne when she fled fromApollo .

they sawHelen , said that the warwaswell undertaken for her ; and Venus , when she

lost her son Cupido , oflered as a rcward for himseven kisses , a greater price than

seven provinceswould be , since any one ofthem, as the gallant Apollusmarks .wouldbring a dyingman to life. But to write ofthe conquests ofbeautywould bs to writea history ofnot only the world , but ofboth heavmend ball.

Bancroft , loc. cit ,r, 227 . Loc. cit" p . 539 .

Les. cit , xv, 519 . Loo. cit ,p. 278.

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 73

In considering the question of female beauty , and the influence it naturally u erts upon sexual selection inman, it is manifestly right that weshould confine our inquiries to those types which are recognized as trulybeaut iful by connderable groups ofpeople , and entirely apart fromindividualdiflerences oftaste and Opinion . Mr. Spencer has claimed ,‘ and withmuch philosophical reason , that

“mental and facial perfections are fundamenta lly conneeted; the aspects ofthe latter whichmost charmus beingthe external correlations , or reflections , ofthose spiritual perfections whichconstitute the inward beauty ofthe soul .

Bad persons , whatever their grace or regularitySoul Beauty of formor features , and however the

“ beautifulshe-devil ” may have been exploited in fiction , are

rarelybsmdifrd in the true sense ofthe term; thatbeauty belag , es definedby dictionaries ,

“such a quali ty or assemblage ofqualities in an object as

gives the eye intense pleasure ,

” it follows that its power ofagreeabilitymust bematerial ly lemened by those ideas of association which render itrepugnant to the moral sense. Thus many women are beautiful in the

ordinary acceptation of the term, perfect in the regularity, and classic inthe contour oftheir features ; and yet fallfar belowthe exquisite and sub

visible properties of the human organism, which aremost agreeable to usby reason ofcustom, or education,must be irradiated by an equally pleasingsouLlight fromwithin; otherwise they would be but as one of those oldcathedrals of Bumps , glorious in design , reflecting the sublime skill of thearchitect, and its walls breathing with the trophies ofimperishable art, butwith shrouded windows , and with no light on its al tar. To be physica llyhandsome a pemonmust approach the physical typeofhis or her sex ; butto be a thetically beautiful requires , in addition, not only the reflectedcharmofmoral goodness, but that intangible something whichwe call intelligence speaking in the countenance.

The Kaflirs and Hottentots are charmed withthe long pendant breasts of their women, which are

sometimes somonstrously lengthened as to be thrownover the shoulder to accommodate the child in suck

ling , when it is carr ied on the back ; ’ while we admire the round , firm,

protuberant breasts of lesser development, quals decue tumidia Pane dc

Mr. Reade tells us that the native girls ofGaboon, by stretching and

pulling,“strive to emulate the pendant beauties of their seniors ; a result

1 "w ,

”(1 , 156- 162.

a N VonWeber, lac. cit , r, 174.

74 Human Sexualitywhich would strike horror to the heart ofan American societywoman , and

which is little agreeable to thewhite races generally .

The Makololo women make themselves plumpFemale Obesity as and, to their dusky admirers, pretty , by drinking

s charm enormous quantities of a peculiar decoctimr calledthe Moorish women of the Western

Sahara use a largequantity ofmilk and butter for the same purposefl and

the well known fondness of the American negressfor anointing herbodywithcocoanuthad its origin probably in a similar idea .

In almost allOrientalcountr ies the “stout lady

”is in demand. In fect

there are portions ofour own where the supply sometimes runs short ; but

are not realized somuch thmugh the spirfluelle type offeminine lovelinuas by the number offingers offat over the ribs , the ladies are shut up and

stalkfed, hke 8trssbourg geese, befomtheir pmdent pments think ofputtingthemupon themarket. Indeed the pashas and mandarins, who are the

carload lots , and always on trial, are not as a rule highly cpirituellc tha n

selves , running to stornach rather than soul, and paymg far greater heed toone abnormally active chin, she have at least three of the int type.andherwaist andbust-lines are lost in paraboloid curves oflovely sphericity .

They not only like a good thing but plenty ofit .I amproud ofour American lar-ge ladies. The country wouldn

’t bs

worth loving without them; but I confess that when one came M ug up

tome on the street the other day, big enmxgh tomake a fins travelling

advertisement for a newbreakfast food, and askedme to “ inhale that car”

for her, intimating that it was some newkind of smell ing salts, I inward lywished she hadbeen smaller and less conspicuous.

Awoman’

s face is shorter than aman’

s, hermouthCaucasian smaller, her nose la prominent , her neck longer and

Standard of Beauty thinner, her hips wider , her waist narrow , her fin

gersmore slender and pointed , and both hands and

feet smalla '

and daintier. Themiddle line ofher body is lower thanman‘s ;

so that inwalking her steps are shorter, and consequently lighter andmoreseemingly graceful ; since the absence ofthat up-and-downmovement ofthehead, resulting fromthe longer stride oftheman, gives to her progm the

easy , glidingmovement so characteristic ofthe sex .

A long face , a broadmouth , and large hands and feet , are more accen~

p. 454

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 75

tuated in a woman than in aman ; through a greater divergence fromthestandard ; and theuse ofthe corset to narrowthewaist, and the low-out dressto lengthen the neck, are instinctive eflorts on her part to approximate thestandard . Both of the latter, however, are frequently carried to such an

excemas todefeat their very object. Ifthere is an idealofbeautymommonto the ent ire race , it is , as I have intimated , purely one ofabstraction ;and incapable of rea lization, so far as our pment knowledge extends .

Omnc simae est dissimile; apparent similarities in taste are always aecompaniedby specific diflesences in type. Thewhitemanwillsee in the coloredwoman certain features offerninine beauty , though thewoman herselfis notbeautiful ; andmost coloredwomenwould preferwhite husbands , on purelyu thetic grounds, ifthe sexuality ofthe blackman were not preferable tothem. People are prone to associate the idea ofbeautywith those featuresand chmcteristics which disfinguhh themas a pwple and ifnature have

bestowedupon thema narrowforehead , a brown skin, high cheekbones and

a flat noee , they are always dispoeed to regard as defects any deviations

fromthat specific type. Thus thewhite lady employs the corset or the bustpad,

or the artificialhips , to preserve her type ofbeauty ; while thebrownish,or red-skinned lady covers her body with annatto or chica-dye to preserve

The following description ofa Sinhalese ’ beauty shows that interestingrace to be remarkably acute connoisseurs ofthe sex,

finhalese Beauty and corroborates the fact recently stated that eachnation has its own exclusive type, the description

fitting accurately , according to Davy ,

“the general external character ” of

the Sinhalesewomen.

“ Her ha ir shouldbe voluminous, like the tailofthepeacock, reaching to the knees, and terminating in gracefulcurls ; her noseshould be like the billofthe hawk, and her lips bright and red, like coralon

the leafofthe young iron- tree. Her neck should be large and round, her

chmt capacious, her breasts firmand conical, like the yellowcocoanut, and

her waist small— almost small enough to be clasped by the hand. Her

hips should be wide, her limbs tapering , the soles ofthe feetwithout anyhollow, and the surface of the body in general, soft , delicate, smooth and

rounded , without the asperities ofprojecting bones and sinews .

” Barringthe flatness ofthe feet, this description is good enough to satisfy themost

A small round face , remarks Oastré n,

“ full rosy-red cheeks and

lips , white forehead , black tresses and small dark eyes, are marks of aSamoyede while among the Tartar women , who have much

Humboldt , lac. cit ,m, 236 .

Davy, lac. cit , p. 110, st seq.

‘

76 Human Sexualitysmaller noses than are seen ordinarily in Europe or America , “

the smallertheir noses the handsomer they are esteemed.

”

In Fiji the peculiar bmadnemofthe back ofthe head is regarded as a

greatmark ’

ofbeauty ;’and among the Egyptian ladies, aswe are informed

byMr. Lane ,we seldommeet with that corpulmcewhich is somuch admiredbymost other African peoples.

‘ The negro loves thick lips , the KalmukTartar the turned-up nose , theAatec the flattenedhead, the North AmericanIndian the flat forehead , the natives of Sumatra , Tahiti and Samoa , the

pmsed nose andbroad occiput , the Caucasian the high , broad forehead , and

large eyes , the Samoyedes fromthemiddle Obi , small eyes , and the nativeof Central Africa , the split

-lip and stretched ear-lobes. But although thesedivergenciesfroma common physical type are startling , and often ludicrousfromour point of view , the anthropologist who strives to deduce fromtheman argument against the scriptural theory ofspecial creation,mightjust aswellargue that a lady ceases to be herselfthemoment she changmher drem.

Tanpommutantur , noe ctmutmnmin illis; and thefashions ofthe face.the walk, the smile and the bow, are not less fickle than are those ofour

Ifwe are not born handsomemuch can be done to remedy the unfor

ArtificialBeauty he or she be a physician , educated , and capable of

harmful , but the astoniahing follywithwhichwomen put themselves , theirheal th , happinemand the remnant ofbeauty theymay pm , into thehands ofignorent and unscrupulous quacks , is one ofthemost inexplicableproblems ofthe pm rt age. Women are fed on arsenic ,which in tablet

formis sent broadcast through themails, towhitw the complexion , untilby its prolonged administration the bowels are ulcmted, the heart

becomes irritable and weak , the cutaneous sensibility impaired , thebrea thing

rendered the case hopeless. As the“ beautifying treatment ” is always

kept religiously fromthe family physician, he is ofcourseunable, frequently.

to traoe the etiology ofthe illness ; and can only prescribs as best hemay,and protect theq bywriting adeath certificate when the inevitable con

it is, probably, themost insidious as well as fatal in its ultimate mute.

’ Waits

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 77

As a typical instance of the efi'

ect of this drug in paralyzing the facialnerves , to which it owes its cosmetic power, it is

Case ofMadame re lated ofthe great operatic singer, Giulia Grisi , whoGrief died in Berlin in 1869 , and who, to preserve that

classical beauty of features for which she was so

universs famous, resorted to the use ofarsenic , that in 1856 , when she

appeared as S emiramis in NewYork , her face was simply a dea th-mask ,having completely lost its mobility through paralysis of the muscles of

expression . She could neither laugh , smile, nor otherwise assist the powerofspeech with thosedelicate facialmovementswhich somaterially M phasize

it ; and thosewho conversed with her, offthe stage , for some years prior toher death , descr ibe her appearance, and eflorts at articulation, as pecul iarlystrange , pathetic and ghastly.

The generally wrinkled and shrivelled appearanceEvi l Efiects of of the savage’3 skin is doubtless due in large degree toCosmetics the customof painting it, and the fact ought to be

sufficient to call attention to a like danger attendingthe pernicious customin ourmodern society . It does not require amedicaleducation to appreciate the fact that the pores ofthe skin, the

“ breathingorgans ” of the body , and with excretory functions vitally h portant andnecemary in el iminating wastematter fromthe system, can only be cloggedup with paint, or powder, and deprived oftheir functional usefulness , atthe peril ofdestroying both the beauty and life ofthe skin itself . This isamply proven by the haggard , dry and withered appearance ofthose whohabitually use paint , when they are not

“made up ; ” and as to the use of

other cosmetics , itmay be briefly stated that whatever tends to conceal,instead ofto correct, any defect ofphysical functionmust be injurious .

To simply condemn the use ofthese ao-called aids to beauty ,” without

directing attention to the fact that they in every instance defeat the verypurpose they are used for, would be a waste ofwords ; since the desire to bebeautiful is so powerful and congenital an instinct, and so inseparablyidentified with our nature, that most ofus , but particularly the femaleportion , would imperil our very souls to satisfy it .

All women desire to be loved ; but since love can

The Desire for be eas ily shown not to depend on , nor exhibitBeauty

which physical beauty excites, it is plain that it doesnot lie at the bottomofour desire to be beautiful . The savagemotherwhopaints her child does it not for the purpose that shemay love itmore , buts imply to make it more beautiful and agreeable to her eyes ; and since ,among all races, the Baconian aphorismmight very appropriate ly read

78 Human Sexualitybeauty is powerfwe need hardly expect that the civilised wommwillneglect those arts of personal decoration which instinct has taught hersavage sister to adopt ; unless , as I have intirnated, it canbe shown that the

practice destroys rather than aids such a purpose, which, I think, I haveshown to be the case.

The practice ofpainting the body was resorted tomriginallmto exag

gerate the natural color ofthe skin. The Indian is

Other Aids to red, therefore he paints himself red. The NegmisPhysical Beauty black , so he paints himsslfblack ; and the Caucssian

being white, naturally chooses the white pigmant.

The natives of Tana ,who are copper colored, enrich their coanplexions witha dye a fewshades darkerf and the Barnabi Islanders, a little lighter than

the Tanians, use yellow turmeric to give their bodies a whiter appearance!The Javanese smear themselvmwith a yellowcosmetic , but only, as Craw

on the OoromandelCoast, “ the children that are born here areblack enough.

but the blaeker they are themore they are thought of; wherefore , froni the

moment of their birth , the parents do rub themevery week with oil of

sesame , so that they become black as devils. Moreover theymake theirgods black, and their devils white, and the images oftheir saints thsy do

paint black allover.

”

This custom— exceedingly uncompl imentary to the white race— goesto prove the truth of Von Humboldt ’smartian that “ in barbmus nations

it, as was Saulamong the Hebrews . Ganymede was taken to heaven by Jupiter for

his bu uty, and Hc phestion was loved by Alexander, and Antinons by Hadr-ian, for

the aame cause. Chariclea alone eseaped death at the hands ofthe piratss , for bea

cause ofdlthe sufleringmdbbodshedmthe i anwar, d ped his vmgefulswordin her presence. Even the animals recognised the power ofbeauty . When Sinalda , ths

queen ,was to be tomin pieees bywlld horseswe are told by Sm Grammaticus that‘fihe wild bmts stood in admiration ofher personf

'the great Alexsndsrmarried

Romnn a poor girlJ or her heauty alone ; the beauty ofEsther set fire to the Pa sian

Bathsheba, DaVid ; Ron lana , Solimon the Msgnificsnt ; the very Devil came frcmhell to steal R eserpine for no othermotive , andwhen , as Tennyson sings .

“ Barefooted went the beggar-maidTomee t the King , Oophetua ,

In robe and crown the king stepped down,Tomeet and greet hc on the way.

”

381.‘Loa cr

’

L,

80 Human Sexuality

reflection will convince us that they would soon perish, where fidelity to a

common type prevails , and the principle ofselection is enhanced by thesavage struggle for existence.

It is interesting to note the theories ofwriters asInfluence of to the effect produced on various races by the proccaClimate onMan of acclimatization. It has been mrted that the

straightness ofthe original Indian type, among his American descendantsand while Englishmen are all fairly 00t at home, and while there isa tendency for themto grow fat at the Cape,‘ in the United States and

Canada , as well as Austral ia , they are apt to become lean, and ta ller, as ifsteatopygy , or fatness ofthe buttocks , were a peculiarly British institution.

It would be inte resting , were the inquiry cognate , to trace the connection

causes, and the apparent inability ofEuropeans to found colonies in the

tropics ; themore so as we have only recently undertaken such an experi

ment ourselves ; but thosewho desire to pursue such investigations furthermay do so in the works ofSpencer, Darwin andWallace .

“

Itmay be pertinent to remark , however, that as , in the opinion ofmostBritish medical oflicers, an English regiment of a thousand men wouldcomplete ly die out, fromdisease and other casualties, in a period of thirteenyears ; and, as Springer has stated that a regiment of eight hundred menloses , within ten years ,more than seven hundred , our prospective cost inmansudmoney , fromholding and colonizing the Philippines , is likely to provenot only great ,but a repetition ofevery experience ofthe past in the sameline. Of a third generation ofEuropeans in India, says Colonel Hadden,

children only aremetwith , and they commonlydie before the ageofpuberty ;and Mr. Squiermakes the equally startl ing statement that the pure whitesofCentral America are

“not only relatively, but absolutely, decreasing in

numbers ; whilst the pure Indians are rapidly increasing , and the Ladinosmore andmore approx imating the aboriginal type .

”

The negroes of the United States have underg one a residence changewhich has left themat least two shades lighter in complexion than the

primitive African ; and Rohlfs records the case ofan African boy who ,after a residence with himin Germany of two years,was changed froma

Westermarck, lac. cit , p. 268 .

’ See allo on this subject an able Paper by Dr. Felkin . in the Ediabumh M edicalJomnat,m- n , 252 .

Loc. cit , p. 56 , quoted byWestermamk, lac . cit,p . 260

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 81

deep black to a light brown) In the“Philosophical Transactions there

is even a record of a negro who“became as white as a European ;

”but

this , I aminclined to think,was probably a case ofcongenitalor acquired

this country and the tropics ,was less understood . All things considered ,wemay take it for granted that racial characteristics are very closely con

nested , in some way, with conditions and environments . Intermixture of

blood has causd great confusions among racial types , which require the

slowgrowth of years, sometimes , to eradicate ; but the tendency among all

Thus the

statement of Re clus , as quoted by Quatrefages ,’ that “ within a given time,whatever their origin , allthe dwcendants ofwhites , or of negmes, who haveemigrated to America, will become redskins ,

” though extravagant , yetrecognizes the great primitive principle I have noted , and is not devoid of acertain dw of support in the anthropomorphic changes at present

Environment on acters are not transmitted fromparent to oflspring.

If the latter be true, and it is well borne out byobserved facts , the evolution of the organic world

becomes at once unintelligable , impon ible, so far as it relates toman, and

themost widely accepted doctrine of the present day, the lawofevolution,

becomes practically a dead letter. It is wel l known that bent and deformedlimbs are not perpetuated in the ofl

'

spring ; the Chinese girldoes not inherit

the small test ofhermother ; themanwith skin browned by loug resideucein the tmpics begets a child pcrffl lywhita and ofthe immemorialmutilaptions practised upon the body for generations , by savage tribes , not a hint istransmitted to the oflspring . So , psychologically , the children ofmusicians ,of poets, of painters , do not inherit their parent’s talent nor genius ; and

facts even go to prove that children of civilized parents, permitted to growup in awild or isolated condition, lose even the language oftheir race and

adopt the sign language ofuatuxe .

‘ These facts certainly go tO prove that

diflerenca or race are not the dire ct result of adaptation ; and lead us toam e that no heredity ofacquired character, ifthere be such , in the face of

the {newstated, and the quite respectable authorities quoted , can explainthe diversity ofhuman races. The childreu ofnegroes are black, wherever

Lac. cit ,m, 255 . Lac. cit , p. 255 .

Wei-menu , lac. cit , p. 81. Rauher, “Homo capiene, etc. , pp. 69- 72.

6

82 Human Sexualityborn ; the children of Caucasians white, wherever born ; and the color of

each we can onlymums to be the correlative , or remlt, of certain physiological processes, long continued , which , in the country of aman'

s nativity ,were exercised rather with a view to his continued physical existence thanthe development of racial characteristics .

This is shown by the fact that the native-bomchild survives, while thefore ign-born child parishes ; even though the parents of the latte r haveundergone those functional modifications which necemarily followed theirchange ofabode. I dwell thus at length upon this question of race differences , not with the hope ofadding anything newto the great fund ofinformation so patiently gathered by other, and abler, students of anthro

pology , but because the fullest development of racial characters is necessaryto the production ofperfect health ; and perfect health lies at the very

bottomof that outward physical beauty which is the strongest incentive tosexual selection.

Thus have I narrowed the theme down oncemore to the fleld of originaldiscussion, and in following the thread of reasoning

What is Beauty? by which I hope to trace the origin and developmentof that innate instinct which teaches man to prefer

beauty to uglinem, in the selection of hismate, I do so with a perfect h owledge that I amcontraveuing one ofMr . Darwin’

smost skil lft framedlaws of human descent.

Themen ofeach race, says that incomparable anthropologist , preferwhat they are accustomed to; they cannot endure any great change ; butthey like variety , and admire each characteristic carried to a moderateextreme. As the great anatomist, Bichat , long ago sa id, ifevery

one were cast in the samemould there would be no such thing as beauty .

Ifallourwomenwere tobecome beautifulas the Venus de Medici ,we ahouldfor a time be charmed; butwe should soonwish for a variety , and as soon

as we hadobtained variety , we should wish to see certain characters a

little exaggerated beyond the then existing standard .

”

In the foregoing statement , it will be observed , there rs a defini tion ofthe simple lawofdesire , but without the slightest attempt to explain thatdesire , or the processes bywhich it is to be satisfied.

“So in the fashion of

ourdress, saysWestermarck , following the Darwinian idea , only to reject itat the eud,

“we see the same principle and the same desire to carry every

point to the extreme. Man prefers , to a certain extent, what he is accuso

turned to see. Thus theMaoris, who are in the habit of dyeing the ir lips blue ,

consider it a reproach to a woman to have red lips ;”

andwe ourselves dielike, on the whole, any great deviation fromthe leading fashions , al though

Loo. cit . am. Loc. cit . p. 274.

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 83

man always seeks some variety. Now in one way, now in another, hechanges his drmin order to attract attention, or to charm.

The fashions ofsavages are certainlymore prominent than ours ; butthe extreme diversity ofornaments with whichmany unc ivilized peeplesbedeck themselvm, shows their emulation to make themselves attractivebymeans of newenticements .

‘ But it would be ridiculous to associate therace’s ideal of beauty with such capriciousness of taste , as Westermarckvery sensibly intimates . The point in which Mr . Darwin’

s argumentcourts objection is his claimthat racial differences are due to diflereut

standards of beauty , whereas it appears tome farmore probable that dif

ever , is aminor one, and only distantly connects iwelfwith the question

Sexual selection has undoubtedly exercised some influence upon the

physical aspect of mankind ; but, since personalHowInfluenced deformities are far rarer, by general assent, amongby C ivilization savage peoples than civilised ,’ it will have to be

tive ,more directly traceable to civilization itself. Deformi ties are far lesslikely to survive among raceswhere hardship and endurance are the supremetest of life ,

’ than under the protecting ngis of civil ized lawand the humanitarianismofreligion ; and less likely to perpetuate their kind in the faceof an aversion , far strongermthe former than the latter , where questions ofconvenience and expediency are apt to intrude.

In concluding this subject, it is hard to see how such slight deviationsfromthe original human type, which characterised , as Mr. Darwin asserts ,themveral tribes into whichmankind was original ly divided , could , evenin the long process oftime , develop such a striking difference as we find, forinstance , between the color of a European skin and that of an African ; andallthe greater reluctance should the eminent natural ist have fel t 111makingsuch an avowalin that none could bemore fully conversant than himselfwith the fact that the larger apes have identically the same color of skin as

the human races, living in the some country .

We come nowto consider the question of love as

it relates to sexual choice ; for al though the latterhas been shown to be largely influenced by beauty,

it has been equally shown that beauty is almost wholly a question of tasteand custom; while love , both sexual and of kindred , is common to the whole

Matador) , loo. cit , p. 206 .

Humboldt, lac. cit ,r, 152 ; Waits ,

“ Introduction , m. , p. 113; Brough Smyth,be. cit , r, 30. Lawrence, loc. cit , p. 422 , a seq.

84 Human Sexualityrace ofman. While it cannotbe denied thatbeauty offacemore frequently

deniable that a vast number ofmarriages occurwhere it is not a dominatingfactor ; the highest type of happiness, probably, more frequently ar ising

Of course the idea of beauty is not wholly excluded by the fact that physicalbeauty is wanting. There may be amoral, or psychological beauty , per

ceivable only to the eye which forms it, perhaps ; but, notwithstanding theexceptions , those unions aremost apt to be permanent and happy in whichphysical beauty combines with high moral worth . Perfect sexual lovecan only result froma perfect union ; namely , physical and psycholog icalfitness ; and to secure this, reason and judgmentmust be summoned to theaid of the sexual sense. True love , unl ike Jonah

’s gourd , does not spring

up in a night. It is the growth ofyears, like everything else that is valuableand permanent. Its seed being an original perfect sexual adaptability , itis nourished andfructifiedby harmony ofdisposition ,

sympathy , commship,mutual forbearance , unity ofsentiment, andwilling discharge of duty ;growing stronger, purm' , holier andmore beautiful , through the days ,monthsand years of the earthly pilgrimage ; until , pruned of its dead leavmof

selfishness, and watered by the tears of common joys and afflictions , itblossoms out at last into that great overshadowing tree ofdivine love of

which it is a part.No matter what its iminediatc precipitating cause, if conjugal con

geniality lie at the bottomof amarriage , it is boundConditions et c to turn out all right ; and no matter under whatHappy Marriage roseate auspices ofromanticism, and so-cal led love»

at-first-s ight , it may be entered into, if this con

geniality bewanting , it is bound to turn out allwrong . It is so essy for a

young lady to imagine herself in love, when she only dreads becoming an

oldmaid ;” to confuse love oftheman with love ofmen, or ofmoney , orhome , or social posi tion ; and so hard to dimociate it fromselfishnw and

adventitious circumstances , or to recognize even the existence , as a reality ,of that pure , holy and disinterested love which comes only of a perfect unionboth of soul and body .

And on the other hand—indeed far oftener

—aman feels and bel ieves

only to be awakened ,most disagreeably , by the voiceof the judge, perhaps , assessing the amount of al imony .

Sexual Selection or the LawofChoice 85

Howcommon it is forwomen,when they hear ofsome unfortunate case

ofeeduction, to cry— “ poor soul, she couldn

't help it ! She loved himsol

”

IfI could speak directly to the ladiee I shmrld tellthemthere is no love insuch cases. It is amock article,mesmerism,

hypnotisrn if you like, andil it sa tisfy your consciences to give it such euphemistic names ; but,mycandid opinion is, it is nothing but a very natural sexualdesirewhich has

So when amoping, haggard wretch throws himself into the river , becauseMary Jane has rdueed him, andwhen Mary Jane herselfloses her appetite ,

bq ins to indite love ditties, and pines away in seclusion , be assured it is

not true love . True love doesn’t do such things. They are done only bythe morbid , neurotic , diseased temmrament, the unconscious victimofsexual hypermthesia, whomistakes his own infirmities for an emotion he 'mprobably quite incapable of ever feeling or conceiving ; and who proves hisigna -

ance ofthe true concept oflove by inflicting pain upon himself, ratherthan pleasure upon the object ofhis passion.

But, to ana lyze the questionmore closely, the stimulating impremionsproduced upon us by hea lth , youth , beauty, symmetry of form, ornamentatia r

, or other species of attraction, are all elements of sexual feeling.

The remrgnance which everyman feels for sexual intercourse with a womanof another race, possessed naturally of a diflerent standard of physicalbeauty , and, possibly, a diflerent degree of demre , as well as his instinctivehorror ofincest , or ofintercoursewith animals , belongs to the same class ofsexual phenomena. Around this M on , as a fundamenta l element, aregrouped such a host of subjective feelings as would fil l a whole volume intheir analysis ; but it is only to themost prominent of these that I shallask the reader’s attention for the present.The love of the savage, although difl

'

ering greatly fromthat of a civilbedman, is nevertheless made up largely of the same

Love of Savages ingredients. Thus, although in the latter conjugalaffection reaches a much higher degree of develop

ment , it is by no means absent in the former. Even among the

wre tched Bushman of South Africa, possibly the lowest type of humanbeings , there is love in all their marriages ; ‘ and among the races of

the Upper Congo there is a certain kind of poetry , 9. chivalry, observable in their courtship and marriage , little to be looked for amongsuch a race.

’ The same touch of chivalrous sentiment is seen in the

sexual relationship of the Tauaregs ;' and Dr. Schweinfurth asserts thateven theman-eating Niam-Niamdisplay an afl

'

ection for their wives which

Chapman loo. cu" r, 258. Johnson.

“The River Congo, p. 423.

Chavanne, loo. cit . p. 208.

86 Human Sexuality

mos are frequently seen rubbing their nm together—theirfavoritemarltofafl

’

ectimrf" and theTacullies, as Harmon infor-ms us, are both fond ofandkind to theirwives.

’ Catlin goes so far as to say that the North Amer-icanMantegn a

to showa great dealofaflection for their wives, and indeed , as Wester

mmk intimates,‘ it seems difiicult ifnot hnpomible tofind any porfion ofthe

Although far lemintense among savages than its sexualanalogue , paren

tallove , being in one sense lemvital to the existence ofthe species , seems ,nevertheless, to be fully as primitive as the former; and, equally as in the

animalkingdom, lies at the bottomofthat instinctwhich prompts themalctowatch over anddefend tbe female during her period ofpregnancy. Onlyinman

, to his shame be it said, is this lawsometimes disregarded; but onthe other hand only inman is conjugallove fwnd in its greatest perfection,deepened and broadened by the love ofofispring and the refinmnents of

Marriages frequently occur both in civilised and savage life, in whichlove, or even a pretence of it, has no part. Wi ves

l aniageWithout ampurchased captured stolen or traded for-, wi thas sure a foundation, very often , for subsequent

happM as when obtained in themore nawral and

and the experienoes of

modern aociety,as wellas the facts previa nly quoted, go far to prove the

aftermarriage.

"

Among the Austn lians , according toMr. Smyth, thebride is not honored

fromber home. Ifshe rwst, a spear is thmst through her foot or leg ; but ,notwithaanding the hmhm ofthe cmnahip, thme seemto be fewcw

do not in the end evoke kindred sentiments in thewife.

’

Sexuallove has bcen greatly rfi ned and spiritualised by the growingaltruismofeoeiety. and the influence ol religion. In China it was con

aiderod‘‘

good form” for aman to beat his wife ; and ifhe spared her a

‘M d d am 121.

ounso aeumwptm.

‘b e ciLm-W

CHAPTER THREE

BETROTHAL, MARRIAGE, DIVORCE

HE betrothal of children, ei ther for purposes of poli tical expediency , strengthening the ties of clanship, or enlargement oftenritory ,

which history shows us tobe, and to have beemone of thecommonest practices of present civilization as of former savages-y,

must not be accepted as setting aside every instinct of sexual adaptabilityand individualchoice inmarriages ofthe human race. As liberty ofselcc

tion has been already shown to be a fundamental lawamong the loweranimals , it cannot be supposed that even the dictates ofexpediency, and

the exigencies of refined life, should wholly abrogate it amcmgmen. Hencewe find, as Mr. Schoolcraft remarks d the North

Infant Betrotha l Ameri can Indians , that amongst almost all savageraces “marriages are brought about sometimes with,

and sometimes against, the wishes of the graver andmore prudent relatives of the parties.

“ Instances are cited by Heckewelder and others ’ ofIndians who have committed suicide through failure to secure the wives oftheir choice ; and among the Kaniagmuts , Thlinkets and Nutkas ,

“the

suitor has usually to consult thewishes ofthe young lady.

” We are toldthat among the Pueblos “

no girl is forced tomarry against her will , however eligible her parents may consider the match?" and in Terra delFuego the eagernesswithwhich the young girl seeks for a husband is onlyequalled by her uniformsuccess in getting the one she wants . Themodernciviliaed customofthe girlrunning away fromtheman she dislikes , to takeup with the one she l ikes, an inal ienable sexual right , ca ll it elopement orwhat youwill, has a perfect parallel among the Dwotah tribe, “ we are

told , wheremanymatches aremade by elopement ,much to the chagrin ofthe parents .

‘

But the reverse is also the ewe inmany savage countries. In Australia ,

girls are contracted for in infancy ; as also in NewGuinea , NewZealand ,l p. 72. var. Westermarok, lac. at , p. 215.

Bancroft, loc. cit , V. r, p. 549 , note. Schoolcraft, loc. cit , V.m, p. 238 .

88

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 89

Tahiti , (firina and the Philippines. In the lastmentioned place, the farmingout ofyoung girls as temporary wives, or qua-ides , by the father, or in somecasss the padres ofthe church,was a very agreeable industry to the youngAmerican officmduring our first occupation ofthe islands ; andwas onlybrmrght to a sudden halt by stringent orders fromthe War Department, in1902 . The usualtermswere, five dollars down, paid to the legal guardianof the girl , and a weekly rental of fifty cents ,with board and lodging , ofwhich the fairmatu’monia was herself the recipient.In British India the same customnot only existed, but among the

nativmthemselves fully one—third ofthemarriedwomen ofallclameswerecontracted for, ormarried in infancy. The Kurnai girlofAustralia had a

decided freedomofchoice ; and should her parents refuse their consent, she

run away with her lover. Sometimes, on her return, she would be forced

three such elopements usually being sufficient to overcome the parentalobjection ; but if not, all she had todowas to get the lover to immegnateThe Australian raceswere quite liberaltowomen in thematter ofchoos

ing husbaws , as were also those ofNewZealand. The Maoris have a

proverb,“as the fish selects the hookwhich plm itmowoman chooses one

and in Tonga, fully two-thirds ofthe girlsmarrywith their own consent. Themethod of choosing a husband among theladies ofAror-mwas amusing . The girlsat in the lower roomofthe house,

and her admirers, perhaps fifteen or twenty, assembling in the apartmentunmodiatdy abmeach one let down through the chinks ofthe fioor a longmip ofcocoanut fibre. She pulled upon one, asldng whcse itwas ; end ifthe voicewas not that ofher favorite , she went on fromone to anothertillshe found the right party.

’

In Sumatra , ifa yormg fellowran awaywith a virgin,which , considering

the scarcity of real virgins there he was eminently justified in doing , thefather had the power to take her away fromhim, on his return to parental

jurisdiction, unless he paid over the stipulawd price ; while among thewomen ofthe Ohittagong Hill

lep ofselecting their husbands fi s to the fullas free as that enjoyedby our

In China , .lapan and Korea , the lawofmumalchoice largely prevailsand in Africa most of the tribal women may select their suitors at willThe Madi girls , as is stated by Dr. Thomas H . Parke ‘ have great

liberty in chooaing companions to their liking ; and among the Kaffirs,mMathew , lac. cit , xxrrr, 407 . Taylor, lac. a t , p. 299

Vid. Turner, “ Samoa ,” p. 205.

90

Mr. Ie slie remarks , it is a greatmistake to suppose that a girlis soldby ha '

father, as he would sell a cow.

‘

Among the Cathari the girls choose their husbands,Liberty of Choice and the youngmen their wives ; andHerodotus states

General in that a similar rule prevailed among the LydianPrimitive Times people. Notwithstanding the arbitrary power which

the Hebrew lawgave the parent over the person ofthe child , there was yet, as we Isarn fromthe Scriptures, condderableliberty ofchoice accorded the girlin selecting a husband ; and in vievvofthe

cases quoted , which might bemultiplied at will , it seems impossible tocoincide in the view of Letourneau that,

“ during a very long period , womanwasmarried without her wishes being at all consulted .

“

Indeed it appears difficul t, considering our present systmn of socialcaste ,

and the various restrictions withwhichparentalambition has hamperedmarriage, to avoid the conclusion that, under primitive customs , womenenjoyed pomibly a greater degree of personal liberty than she does today.

There is little reason to doubt that the earliest conFirst Concept of ception of woman ’

s use in the world was identifiedWoman’s Use with the idea ofman’

s sexual gratification. The

social pleasure she is capable of imparting , throughher gracwofmind , and noble qualities of soul , did not weigh with the

savage.

He took her simply and solely as theministress ofhis lust, and whenshe bore hima daughter, on the principle that women “

eat but do not

hunt,” just as soon as the daughter reached amarriageable age she was

disposed of to the most desirable applicant. But notwithstanding thatbride-stealing and rapes were quite the rule arnongmost of the savage

races, a careful investigation ofthe subject wi ll convince us that many,

if not most , of these apparent outrages were perpetrated with the con

nivance and consent of the young lady herself ; so that themajority of

such cases somemore properly under the head of elopements than bridestea ling.

“

The boy, as wellas the girl, could ofcourse be bartered away , sold or

even killed , ifthe father thought proper ; butwhile the boy attained freedomfromparental control atmaturity , the girl always remainedmore or lemamenable to it , so thatmarriage to her became rather a change ofownersthan one of social or domestic status. Nor, even in cases of enforced contract , were the condi tions greatly difierent fromour own. Theman whohad been induced to marry a wife he did not l ike, simply divorced her,

‘Loc. cit , p. 194. Sociology,” p. 378 .

Westermarck , lac. cit , p. 223.

92

household lawamong the Egyptians, we wad that “the son who accepts

theword ot'

his fatherwillattain old age on that account.“

The ancient Roman claimed , andwas awarded byAmong Greelcs and law, the ins vita accicquc over his children . He

Romans could imprison , sell , destroy or otherwise dispose ofthem,

under an explicit law of the Twelve Tables(DuodcccmTabular-am Fragrmta ) ; and fromPlutareh we learn that“B rutus condemned his sons to death, without judicial fmrns, not as consul,but as a father.

“ The consent ofdre pata'

familias was always a conditionofmarriage; and children could not contract a legal union if this werewithheld .

’ Filialsubjection ofthe son to the father also existed among theprimitive Greeks, but, asWestermarck points out, “disappeared at an csrly

period in Athens, and somewhat later at Spar-ta.

"

The relations oflnysscs and Laertes, in the Odyasey, is quoted to showthat at least in the decrepitude ofage a fathermight be deposed fromtheheadship ofa clan , or family. AtAthem, a sonwas heldwithin the fathm"s

nonage throughout life. Awoman’s power over property passed to herhusband atmarriage ; and as a rule shewas given inmarriage by thc parentwithout being consulted , and frequently to aman she did not even h ow.

‘

Among the early Teutons, whi le the father pmArnong Teutons semed the power of sel ling his children, an adul t sonand Russians could , if he wished, put an infirmparent to death ;

and Pardessus tells us that, among tt ranks , no

such patria potcstas existed as among the Romans.

‘ In chooaing a wife ,however, the ymrngman had to take councilofhis kin,

who usually pamedon the eligibility ofthe lady , and determined the nature and value of thebridalgifts, women always being regarded as helpless and dependent .In Russia , the word father (Batushka) is applied indiscriminate ly to

peror , and to God; showing themeasure ofrespect and reverence inwhichthe title is held .

‘ The same rule holds among all the Slavonicmm; the

South Slavonian youth , according to Dr. Krauss,’ not being permi tted tomalce a proposal ofmarriage to a girlwithout the will and consent ofhis

w as; the daughter, of course, enjoying still lemindividual freedom.

“The Preoepts ofPtah-Hotcp , xu r, 39 .

Quoted by Westermarck , lac . cit . p.m. The daughter or sister, however, couldnot bc sold, among the early 0rceks .unless shcwere found to be awanton .

Justinian ,

“ Institutiona l,” I , title x. Also Mackcnsie , loo. cit , p. 104.

Haxthausen , lac. cit , 11 , 229 . Loc. cit , pp. 313 , 314, d seq.

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 93

The lawof Islamconsiderably limited the almost arbitrary power which

over the lives and conduct of his chi ldren , the Mohammedan son being competent to marry on the compietica of his fifteenth year, with or without hisfather’s consent ; and theHanafis and Shiahs bestowed

the same privilege upon their daughters , although in other schools of Mohammedan hermeneutics the woman was only freed fromparental controlatmarriage.

‘

During the republic of Greece, and in Rome, under amore enlightenedand benign social jurisprudence, the parental power

In Greece and wasmore restricted than during the Homeric epoch,when the fatherwas all, the child nothing . Diocletianand Maximilian revoked the right ofselling freeborn

children as slaves ; and the father’s previous power of dictatingmarriage for

his sons “ declined into a conditional veto The daughter, also ,was ac

corded a given degree offreedomin the selection ofa husband; and the rightofprotesting, even refusing , ifher fatherwished to bestowher inmarriageupon aman of disreputable character . The influence of Christianity wasvery plain ly felt in Roman and Greek domiciliary legislation ; and, spreading to provinces ofthe former empire ,we findClothaire I by a royaledict ,inA.D . 560, prohibiting the compulsion ofwomen tomarry against theirwill.

Paterna l authority , while decl ining in someIn Feudal and countries lemrapidly than in others, has nevertheless

Present Times declined in all, being today practically an ignoredquantity in regulating marriage in most civilized

of the parentwas supreme ; and however exalted in rank,no son ever dared

to question it .Even in France, at the present day, the parent exercises considerable

power over the conduct of the child. Neither son nor daughter can quitthe paternal residence before coming of age, without permission, except, inthe case of the fm'mer, for enrolment in the army ;‘ and the right ofcorrectionduringmarriage still rests with the father. A son under twenty-five , anda daughter under twenty-one, cannot contractmarriage without the parent'scement ; and, even beyond those ages , both are stillbound to ask permissionby formal notification ”—somnations respectucuscs; although this, if the

Armr All, ice. cit , p. 180-83.

Wu terrnarek , lac. cit , p. 236 ; Maine , lac. cit , p. 138 .

‘Rossbach, loc. cit , p. 396 , d acq.

Guizot. “Hist . ofCivilisation ,

”n , 464, d seq.

94 Human Sexualitycouple be determined , is amere formality , and seldompermitted to interim

England , where , apart fromthe lawof primogeniture, traditionary customand the etiquette ofhigh society, constitute barriers and restri ctions , almostas strong as lawitself, to regulatematrimony among the aristocracy .

Whether it began in the garden of Eden, aswe are

Origin of Marriage told in Scripture , or as an institution devised by

sociological or political purposes, is a matter with which we are not at

present concerned; but a fewtheories respecting the origin ofmarriagemay not be uninteresting . An early Sanscrit poemsays that “ formerlywomen roved about at their pleasure,

" independently of any restraint , andif they went astray they were guilty of no offence.

’ The Ernperor , Fou-hi ,

ci China, rs said to have first abolished promiscuous intercourse among hispeople ; the ancient Egyptians make a similar claimas to Menes , theirpharaoh ;'and the Grecks trace the institution ofmarriage back to Oecrops,the founder ofAthens.

‘ The legends ofLapland sing ofNjavvis and Attjis,who first instituted marriage, binding the wife by a moet sacred oath ;‘

and other animals,‘ and Mr. Powers andMr. Schoolcrsft have traced the institution among theAmerican Indians to a very early source.

7 Rowney hasdone the same as to the tribes of India ,‘ and Guizot ,‘Lubbock ,1° Moor-e ,n and

Westermarck,

u have given us data M cient to guide us to a fairly completeknowledge of both its beginnings and purposes ; and to the conclusion that ,however itmay have beenmodified by the habits andneeds ofdiflerent races,the interests of the child , heal th , home and the peopling of the clan, lay at

its foundation in primitive times.

Indeed , non-support of wife and children seems toParental Support be a sin of civilization rather than of savagery. The

of Children principle of both having a wife and providing for herwants appears to have been one of the very earl iest

among allmaples. With the Iroquois Indians , itwas the bounden duty ofthe husband tomake themat, repair the Wigwam, or build a newone, and

provide for the hunger ofhis family. The product of his first year’s hunting,‘Kwhwfl

'

f Lect. xxvr.Goguet, lac. cit ,m, 311-313.

Ibid. Also, Pansanias , r, 5 ; Strabo, xx ; Herodotus , vm, 4.

Diihen , loc. cit , p. 330.

“Thierleben, xx , 16.

“Tribes ofCalifornia ; Schoolcraft, “Tribes ofthe United Stats .

"

“Wild Tribes ofIndia.

“Hist. ofG vflin fion .

"

Origin ofCivilisation.

“Marriage Customs, Model ofCourtship,” etc .

History ofHuman Marriage.

96 Human Sexualityrefuse, to support her properly ;

‘and among the Mohammedans themain

tenance ofthe progeny is so completely the father‘s duty that themotheris even entitled to claimwages for nursing her own children . The Alaska

Indians believe that a youth whomarries befove he has killed a deer willhave no children ; ’ and those of Pennsylvania considered it a shame for a

boy to think ofmarrying before he had scalped an enemy , or given someother proof ofhismanhood .

’ The Karamanians , also , according to Strabo,were only consideredmarriageable when they had killed an enemy ; and

the Gallawarrior dared not dreamoftaking awife untilhe eouldmturn tocamp with an enemy ’s genital organs dangling fromhis waist—belt ; butwhether this actwas bomofthe savage instinct to exploit his own persmalprowem, or as a tacit regard to the suggestims of matrimony, the cele

brotad traveller fails to informus .

‘

The statementsmade, and authorities quoted,—for the latter ofwhichI amindebted , chiefly , to Westermarck ’s admirable “ History of HumanMarriage,

”—while establishing clearly the wife’s dependence on her hus

band , as an important phase ofsex-life as it stands related to society, bringsus naturally to the consideration ofmarriage itself, as a primal institution ofboth the social and religious life , althmrgh on euch a vastsubjectmy reviewmust necessarily be a very briefone. But there surelynever was a period in human history at which such a discussion couldbemore appropriately entered upon than the present, when the prevailinglaxity ofourmarriage laws seems to be sapping the very foundations of

that sacred institution, and the equally obvious and growing distaste, on thepart of women, themselves, for the cares and duties ofmaternity , appearsequally to threaten not only the stability and perpetuity of society and thehome, but the very permanence of the State.

Apart fromreligious precept , the analogies ofMarriage Decreed savage life, the pairing ofanimals , the preservationby the State ofhealth , the perpetuation of the race, the prevention

ofdisease,and the thousand and one evils incident

to promiscuity in the sexual relation, all teach the usefulnemand neca sity

ofmarriage.

The Greeks regarded it, very properly , as not only amatter of pri vatebut ofpublic concern. Thiswas especially so in Sparta ,

where criminslproceedingsmight be instituted against thwewhomarried too late , or not at all.

In the laws ofSolon,marriagewas placed under the rigid inspection ofthe

State ; and Plato remarks that every individual “ is bound to provide for acontinuance of representatives to succeed himself, as ministers of theDivinity .

”

‘Fytche. lac. cit , n , 73. Dall , lac. cit , p.we.

Buchanan,lac . cit , p. 323.

0Livingstone , lac. cit , p. 147 .

Betrothal, Marriage , Divorce 97

The Hebrews were, and are now, preeminently amarrying race. They

have a proverb that “ hewho has no wife is noAmong Hebrews and the ancient Israelite , as Michaelis remarks,’

would hardly have believed it possible that a periodof the world should come when it would be counted sanctity to live unmarried . Marriagewas locked on as a religious duty. The authorities,according to the Talmud ,might compel aman tomarry ; and hewho re

ma ined single after the age of twenty , was, in old times , regarded as ac

cursed ofGod almost asmuch as ifhewere amurderer.

' As I have else

where stated , at the advents of the various false Messiahs, the Jews of

Palestine , in reviving their ancient ceremonies, “were not negligent of thelaws relating tomultiplying and increase, andmarried children together , often years and upwards , without regard to poverty or riches , quality or condition ; so that the synagogues of the city were one continual scene of wedding festivity , and the streets were strewn with bridal garlands of olivehlomoms and the sweet-scented Narcissus ofSharon.

Savages as a rulemarry earlier in l ife than civilizedAmong Savages races. Among the Cingalese , it is the father’s duty

ta provide his sonwith a wife when that son reachcs

eighteen.

“ Harmon found 0 that among the Blackfeet , Cress , Chippewasand other tribes on the eastcrn side ofthe Rocky Mountains, celibacy wssa rare exception , the girlsmarrying at fromtwelve to sixteen years.

In the Philippine Islands, among the Tagals ,

Philippines is comparatively late in life, for the following reason,

which I donot think has hitherto been noted,butwhich

female eexualorgans, aswellas the pelvic canal, are abnormally small ; and

cult , and dangerous, but sexual intercourse itself well nigh impossible.

Wrth girls ofsixteen, there fully developed , I have been compelled, inmaking the digitalexamination, to usemy lr

'

ttlefingcr, and that could be intro

dnced only with considerable difficulty. It may he remarked , however,that themale genitals among these people is correspondingly small .Amnng the Burmese, and Hill Dyaks of Borneo, old maids and old

bachelors are alike unknown ;7 and the Greenlanders frequentlymarry yearsbefore there is any possibility of the union being productive.

‘ Among

Mayer , lac. cit , p. 286 . Parke , “Under the Curse,” p. 96 .

Davy, quoted byWestermarclc, lac. cit , p. 138 . Lac. cit , p. 339 .

Fytche, lac. cit , n, 60. Wallace, “Malay Archipelago,” r, 141.

98 Human Sexualitythe Mandans, Cal ifornians, and most of the northwestern Indian tribes,marriage among girls takes place at twelve to fourteen years ;

’and in

Central Mexico it is rare for a girl to be unmarried at fifteen.

‘

In Brazil , according to the same authority , girlsmarry at fromten totwelve years, and boys almost invariably before eighteen ; and in TerradelFuego, the young ladybegins to cast about for a husband at ten or twelve,rarely paming fourteen without capturing one. In Japan, celibates ofeither sex are practically unknown ; the same rule holding in China .

‘ In

the latter country , were a grown up son or daughter to die unmarried , theparents would regard it as deplorable ; and if a youngman be afflicted withany incurable disease, he is obliged to marry at once, lest he dishonorhis parents by dying single ; and so far is this foolish and pernicious ideacarried that not a fewinstances are recorded where the dead have been

80 among the Tartars, the unfortunate biped who at twenty, or over,remains unmarried, is never called a

“man ,

" but a“yatow,

”a name given

by the Chinese to young girlswho failto secure husbands ; and even Tartarboys are permitted to abuse, domineer over, and order about the poor

yatow ofmiddle age, who dares not open hismouth in return !

The Mohammedan laws enjoinedmarriage. as a duty , upon bothmenand women. That polygynywas allowed by the Koran, everyone knows ;butfeware acquainted with the limitations which governed it. Mohammaddid not grant unbounded plurality ofwives or concubines,’ as is commonlysupposed ; but expressly limi ts (Koran, Chapter IV ) the number ofeitherto four. But if his means did not enable himto marry that numberofwives , the Mussulmanwas permitted , after legallymarrying one woman.

to take upwith his female slaves, or those ofothers , to the number ofeight ;'so that , as far as polygyny is concerned , itwas a distinction without a material difierence.

“Nothing ,” however, as Niebuhr remarks, “ is more sel

domto bemetwith in the East than a woman unmarried, after a certaintime of life.

”She will rathermarry a poorman, or aman already sufficiently

married , than endure the shame ofcelibacy ; a feeling, I aminclined tothink , fully shared by nearly allwomen.

In Egypt and Persia , practically the same rules hold good ; while inIndia, according to the Laws ofManu, marriage is the twelfth 8mm,

and hence a religious duty incumbent “ Until he find a wife aman

Nansen , lac. cit , u, Schoolcraft, Powers , Catlin.

Bancroft, lac. cit , r, 632. Ba lfour, lac. cit , n, 882.

x, 2l6 .

‘Roes , lac. cit , p. 313.

Sale , lac. cit , p. 95. Comp. Savary, Pfidmx,Sale.

‘Williams , M

100 Human SexualityFromthe wal ls of his banqueting roombreathed

Luxury ofthe paintings, in stucco as on canvas, most sexuallyRoman Libertine suggestive. Diana

,and her wood nymphs , hunting ;

Amphitrite, and her Oceanides , sailing in rose- tintedsea-shells ; Iris ; the amorphous, or polymorphous Jupiter, in the formof agolden shower, entering the sleeping chamber ofDame ; Apollo, pursuingDaphne ; Calypso, entertaining Ulysses ; Venus , receiving the pri se fromParis ; Phryne, before the Judges ; the stage dancer, Theodora (afterwardsempress of Justinian), in the great theatre ofConstantinople ; Zenobia, of

Palmyra,after she had proclaimed herself Queen of the East ; Gmek singers

and Nautch dancing-girls ; and these allnude, or ami-nude, languishing inmost voluptuous attitudes , or firing the passions with the bewitching

glamour oftheir amorous glances. Everything breathed oflove. And not

only the inanimate, but the animate. As the young voluptuary lay on

his velvety divan,inhaling the smoke ofhis Turkish cigarette, or quaffing his

in diaphanous drapery ofCoan-gauzw-“woven wind ,

”centric tertilr

’

s , as

Petronius called it—lay about himon rose-colored ottomans , like fairies in

attire. Their rounded limbs and bare , swelling become, their artfullyassumed attitudes ofmute invi tation, the light of passion slumbering unda ‘

their long- fringed lids, is it any wonder that even the pallidand jaded sensualist should be lashed into love, passion and desire ? Is it anywondm'his care should become intoxicated with music , his eyes with beauty , hissoulwith imagination and his senseswith the tonch, as his charming temptress—thatmost beautiful and seductive of all living creatures , a pm'fect

woman— stretches hersel f by his side, and twining within his arms, ravisheshimwith the hot rapture ofher kisses?Is it anywonder that theman fell— that society fell— that Rome fell? ‘

Is it any wonder that young Romans ceased tomarry? How could any

pure, self-respecting woman, with the demure modesty of refined wifehood ,hope to satisfy aman reared amid such scenes?As in drinking , so in sexual indulgence , an artificialappetite is created,

Mercury, whether he were married , tha yaung scamp replied : “No, no, father , I ama lover yet one woman would never content me "—Nequaquompatch es-eter n al;

ewn, etc. better forworse, sickness-ardoctrine ofmarriagewould have been, as the same authormnarks , a dw m o to ths

ssnsualRoman. According to allthis , lust ought to be called the Millionaire’e D

'

-sass.

and instead

amm mm romsyw mmmm awu wthat theymore andmore considered their ease and convenience.

"(Gibbon , xv,

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce ror

surroundings which appeal to, and stimulate , the imagination rather thanthe senses, becomes incapable of satisfying ; and the Romans certainlyunderstood the art ofsexual stimulation as well , possibly, as any people

With their world-wide empire, they fell heir to every vice ofantiquity ,but chiefly those of Persia and Egypt. In allOriental courts a physicianwasma intained , whose duty itwas , not somuch to heal injuries caused bywounds and disease, as to re cognize what was not visible to the eye.

“

This latter consisted , largely, of thosemore -psychologicalmanifestationswhich constitute , even to-day, a special department ofmedic ine ; but whichunder the Caliphs of Bagdad, the Pharaohs, and in the Greek schools of

Damascus and Alexandria , comprised chiefly , if not entirely, the so called

and other legitimists , rescuedmedicine, to some extent , fromthe hands ofthe early sexual psychologists ; thwe priests ofAsclepius , who have theirparal lels in modern times ; and who were , perhaps, fairly represented bythe fam0us quack , Nostradamus, for whomCatherine de Medici sent posthaste to see ifhe could get her in the familyway, in order to save her fromthreatened divorce at the hands of her husband .

Indeed it was very early shown in the history ofRome in what regardmarriage and the rearing of children were held , by those Gracchan agrarianlaws which placed premiums upon both ;‘ while subsequently , but with littleapparent result , the Lee J ulia ct Papio Poppe d imposed various penal tiesupon those who elected to live in a state of celibacy .

’

According to Ce sar, the Germans considered it scandalous to haveima -

course with the opposite sex before the twentieth year ; but at a later

celibacy was almost unknown, except in the cases ofwomen who had losttheir virtue , or thosewhomlack of beauty, or ofriches, debarred fromprocuring husbands .

‘

In this country the causes tending to celibacy are various and complex.

Among the most prominent , however,may be mentioned the industrialindependence of women, the laxity of sexual relations , and the increasingcost of supporting wives and families in modern society. The absence

‘ Vid. the M afAr-chinus, quoted by Welcker and Haeser. The duties of

Maehaon and Poddhmthe twowns ofb culapimwere not precisely the same. One ,

the former, treated external injuries, and the other recognisedwhatwas not visible to

the eye and tending towhat couldnotbe healed. Vid. Ency .B rit . , Art.

“Medicine.

"

p . 418.

“De Bella Galileo,"13, vr, Ch. 21.

‘Tacitus, “Germania,” Ch . xxx.

1 02

ofuniformmarriage laws , and of ecclesiastical courts to regulate both

marriage and divorce—both the latter evils being involved in our system

is to be hoped , future national legislation will remedy ; but while the per

verbs dc pram“ continues to constitute marriage in one State, and the

per verbs dc futuro cumwpula , the same institution in another, andwhilethe courts ofone State pass judgments dissolvingmarriage, which the lawsof another State deliberately ignore, or contravene, these difficul ties and

abusesmust continue to exist .That the cost ofmaintaining a wife, however, is the chief factor in pre

ventingmarriage, in these days of social extravagance , is readily provenby comparing the statistics of marriage, in times of commercial crisesand industrial depression, with those of comparative abundance , cel ibacybeing shown to increase in exact ratio with the difliculty of earning a

livelihood .

In those countries where our own precocious civil ization has not yet

obtained , the reverse condition will be found to prevail . There the wife ,far frombeing aburden to her husband, is really ameans ofassistance, beinga co laborer with , and sometimes even supporter ofthe latter. So withchildren. They become , instead of, as in this country, recipients of fashlouable dress and expensive education , sources ofincome, and add theirmite to the weekly earnings ofthe household .

Even in our great cities , it is by nomeans among the poorest classesthat celibacy ismost common. The well- to-domanmust have an incomesumcient to surround hiswifewith allthe luxuries her socialposition, and

his own, demand ; and after hemarries her, unless she bring hima fortuneas her dowry , she usually contributes little or nothing to the support of hishousehold . This is unfortunate fromevery standpoint , but chiefly so fromthe woman’

s. She either has to remain single—amanifest reversal offemaleinstinct , as well es cf divine purpose—on ifshe succeed in flnding a husband ,

if she be a woman ofhonest purpose and lofty ideals , shemust derive littlepleasure fromthe reflection that she has thrown herself as a burden uponone who, inmoments ofsober reflection,may be led to contrast her actualwith her sel f-appraised value .

It has been very ingeniously pointed out by a re

E arlyMarriages cent writer that the ruder awople are , and themoreAmong Savages exclusively woman is valued as an object ofdesire ,

or as a slave , the earlier in l ife is she generally chosen .

This would go to expla in the comparative lateness ofmost American marriages , since here an advanced degree ofinte lligence hasmade the basis of

“Why is Single Life Becoming More General?” The Nation , vr, 190.

104 Human Sexualityexpedient to enter intomoreminutely , it remains for us to consider some ofthe motives which underlie it , and at least a fewofthe obstac les whichstand in theway ofsafe, rational and heal thfulmarriage .

It is self-evident that diseased pemons , ofeither sex, should notmarry .

By parity ofreasoning, it is equally evident that thcyObstacles to should deny themselves sexual inm rrse. By

municable blood diam , the virus , seed or meceptibility of which is liable to be transmitted in the act ofcopulation ; andhere I think it highly proper to direct attention to afact too often alighted inmedical literature ,

and absolute lyunthought of by the general public . Imeanthe greater relative liabilityto vem alcontagion ofthewoman than theman.

It is not desirable, in amedico-literary work of this character , to burdenthe reader with masses of dry, clinical testimony , unlm it be in thosematters which by reason of the involvement of their re lations and e tiologymake a somewha t greater demand upon our mental powers of analyse .

But to show the grea ter liability ofthe female to venereal contagion, it isonly necwary to point out that the spermatic fluid, injected into the female,mud cause infection through absorption; while, unless in the acute stage, themale, undergoing only a brief period ofcontact,may escape entirely . In

one case the diseased fluid is actually injected into the fema le body , producing certain inoculation, while in the other, through failure ofthe absorptivemechanism, by prompt disinfection, or even by ordinary cleanliness, nocontagionmay follow . Thus , except during the initial lesion,

a syphiliticwoman is not likely to infect themale ,while at any stage themale is almostcertain to infect the female.

Blood disease, then, should always prohibit marriage ; for scrofulous ,consumptive, or syphilitic parents

, even though seemingly strong and

heal thy , cannot pomibly bear other than sickly or deformed children , which ,in vindication ofDarwin’

s nowfully recognized and generally beneflcentlaw, are invariably puny and short lived .

Nature, usually a safe guide , seems for someunaccountablemos , to yet delight in the creation of

Incompatibility sexual anomal ies. An hysterical woman, frail , fidgcty,

a bundis of nerves, pomeasee an inscrutable charmforbig, strong men ; but woe betide the latter when the honeymoon has

waned , and the stern conflicts and troubles oflife begin . Instead ofa

helpmeet , a support , a brave, patient companion in hismisfortunes . the

man whomarries one ofthese fragile flowers willbe too apt to find in hcr

only a garrulous faultfinder , a complainer , whose noblest efiort rn time oftrialwillbe to throwherselfinto a fit.

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 105

Juvenal ’s aphorism—mcns camin corpora sono—ought tobe rememberedin no department oflife more religiously than in selecting a wife. As I

have intimated , for some strange reason—or more properly for lack ofany

— largemen seemto have a partiality for small women ; although here,above all other cases , the lawof opposites should not hold . Small favorsshould not be thankfully received. Howoften do we see in the streets

immensemen, tall enough to light their cigars at a lamp-post , with womencl inging to themabout large enough tomake decent charms for their watchchains ; and, on the other hand , samples of feminine “

sweetness long drawnout

"—delightful specimens of Brobdingnagian lovelinem, whoma mancouldn ’t possibly get acquainted withmore than two- thirds of in an ordinarylifetime— pegging along with a little hop-o

’-my- thumb

, an abridged editionofmasculinity , like Cassius , of“ a lean and hungry look.

”

This should not be so. If there were not many other self-sufficientreasons, one themere resthetics of society , the disparity in physical statureought towarn us against such sexual incompatibilities on the simple groundofconsideration for the female ; that is, ifshe be small and themale large.

Not only is sexual connection in such cases exceedingly painful , entailingintense suffering upon the wife, and equally intense disappointment uponthe husband , but, should she bear himchildren, the danger to the life and

hea lth of themother is rendered greater by the naturally greater size of thechild begotten of such a father. While this particular objection does not

apply ifthe physical status of the parentsbe reversed , there are, nevertheless,others equally weighty to forbid the union ofa small man with a largewoman,

among whichmay be pointed out the lack of pleasure to the formerfromthe disparity ofsize in the sexual organs . A large woman cannot ,naturally , get proper satisfaction froma smallman.

There is a popular dread among men of the so

The “New called “strongminded ,” or educated woman ofto-day,

Woman” as aW ifc which I think requires a little examination. A right

mind can hardly be too strong, and a wrong mind,

however weak, is never desirable in eitherman or woman. If a woman’sdesires, aims, ambitions be abnormal , unseemly , or unwomanly ; if they

and naturallymasculine—instead of the home,maternity and the partwhich,by her grace, beauty and attractiveness, nature evidently intended her toplay in society , shemust be regarded as a sexual pervert , amonstrosity ,and utterly unfitted for the serious duties ofwifehood andmotherhood .

But if she be simply a learned woman, with sexual instincts normal andrefined , no doubt should trouble the wife-seeker. She will make hima

better companion, a bettermother for his children, a better ruler of his

106 Human Sexualityhome, and exert a hoher andbettermfluence upon his life.bymmon ofher

education than without it .By education, however, Imust not be understood tomean the ao-calledmodern accomplishments ”— dancing ,music , rhetoric , and a little dab ofLatin and French . These too often betray, not education , but the lack ofit . At best they are but the froth and bubbles of the deep , clear currentofuseful knowledge. The woman whomyou should select as your wifeought toknowsomething ofeducation in its deeper,broader, truer sense— art,

literature, history , biography, philosophy and the great trend of worldlyaffairs ; butmore than all, of her own nature, her limitations and oppor

tunities, as well as the great sexual laws which God has ordained for hergovernment. She shouldbe as competent to cook amealas to play a gemfromthe last opera ; tomend her stocking as to dance a two-step ; and tomake a bed, a shirt, a gown,

or to rear a child, even better than she epeaks

French or Ital ian, and pours tea or plays tennis.

Do not callme a cynic, or amisogynist . I amneither. I shall havesomething to say tomen , too, after awhile. Nei ther have I that erotictendency ofthe times which can find nothing bad in womanhood ; whichfrees themurderemon account of her sex , and violates , day by day, the Godordained principle ofeternal justice for a fair face or the lecherous glance ofalewd woman. These are hard words ,

”but fully justified , I think , in view

of the fact that we find a notorious woman,offar greater beauty than

virtue, nowin the dock on a charge ofmurder, choosing her own jurors,with far greater psychological knowledge than her judges passes , by thecolor oftheir eyes and the fullness oftheir lips .

‘

Human intercourse, after all, both social and sexual , is only one long

struggle for supremacy ; and the prisoner alluded to, in not trying to lnfluence her jury by a show oflearning ormental cul ture , as somany womenwould , simply demonstrated that she knewmore perfectly the weapons of awoman ’

s power.

warning themagainst unworthymembers of it, by treating themas reasoning beings , difl

'

ering frommen only in the finer texture oftheir feelinge, and

quite as capable as the latter ofdiscriminating between frivolous flattery ,empty compliment , and earnest , serious counsel .We train the physician, or the clergyman, by five or six years of inde

fatigable study for the practice of his profession ; we do not even buy a

Trial of Nan Patterson, accused ofkilling Omar Young , NewYork , Nov . , 1904.

Acquitted by disagreement of jury, although behaved by both trial-judge and the

generalpublic to be guilty as charged.

1 1 2

their race , and the Romans were prohibited by lawfrommarrying barhariana, Valentinian even inflicting the death penal ty therefor.

‘ Tacitustells us that the early Germans persistently refusedmarriages with alientribes or nations ? In Equatori al Africa, the non-cannibal tribes do notintermarry with the cannibals ; ’ and Barrow states that the Hottentoualwaysmarry within their own Kraal .‘Endogamy is the rule in India , andDaltonwas gravely assured that when

one of the daughters of Padamdemeans herself by marrying outside herown clan, the sun and themoon refuse to shine , and there is such a strife

in the elements that alllabor is suspended , till , by sacrifice and oblation , the

stain is washed away.

“ The Ainos despise the Japanese, the Japanesethem, and one village does not intermarry with another.

‘ In ancientWales,marriage had to be within the clan ; ’ and at Athens , we are told ,if an alien l ived with an Athenian woman , as her husband , he could be soldas a slave, and have his property confiscated .

‘

Marriagewith fore ignwomenwasmade unlawfulfor the Spartans ; andatRome, amarriage ofa citizenwith awomanwhowas not herselfa Roman,or not amember ofa conimunity endowedwith the privileges ofm ubimwith Rome , was invalid , children born of such unions being illegitimate '

Marriage outside the gemswas exceedingly rm;“and in the three forms of

the rite—wnfmr satio, coempti'

o inm um, and usus— the powers of thefirst and third being involved in the second, namely, the placing of the

woman within the authority (manus) of her husband , eaogamywas alwaysimplied as a condition.

“

The distinctions ofsociety , in this , aswellas nearlyInfluence of Soc ialevery other country , have always influencedmarriage.

Caste on Marriage In England , before the Norman conquest , the aristocracywas Saxon. Afterwards itwas Norman ; and in

both periods unions between the two races were infrequent . The descendants of the Germanic conquerors of Gaul dominated France for nearly a

of Frankish or Burgundian origin, the caste-pride ofwhich is amatter ofhistory ; and here also the aristocracy kept itself untainted bymarriage.

“

The Sanscrit word vama , signifying color, sufficiently indicates the

Roc hach. lat . cit , p. 465 . Germania,

"Ch . xv.

Dalton , lac. cit , p. 28 . Batchelor, lac. cit , x , 21 1.

Lewis , lac. cit , p. 196 . Hear-n, lac. at , p. 156 .

Gains , “ Institutiones, r, 56 .

Marqui irdt andMommsen , lac. a seq.

fi icy. Brit., Art. Marriage .

" Gobineau-Hota, lac. cit , p. 239 .

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 1 13

distinctions ofhigh and lowcaste in lndia. The fairer Aryans,when theytook posswion ofthe country, found it inhabitedby a dark race; and thehi tter antipathies of color and religion, thus resulting, as well as the racialdifierences offeature, are apparent even to this day. In America , subse

mon,white blood being a synonymof nobi lity ; and in La Plata , Spaniards,

MemTcans and Mestizos were frequently separated fromeach other in the

churches.

’ So strong is this idea ofcaste among savage peoples that, in theSouth Sea Islands , it was a common belief that only the nobles were posmed ofa soul; and one ofthesewho deliberatelymarried a girlfrorn the

ranks ofthe peoplewas puniahedwith death.

‘ In the higher ranks ofPoly

nesia, marriages were only contracted between persons of correspondingposition ; and in Tahi ti , if a noble lady chose an inferiormate, or vice versa ,

the children resulting were put to death .

‘ Class , or tribe endogamy prevails in Ceylon, Siam, Korea and Japan ; and in China the lower orders arenot permitted tomarry outside the class to which they belong.

In Europe similar conditions exist ; and in America ,more andmore, thesocial orders are becoming divided in this respect. In recent times, however , as nations are gradually drawing nearer and nearer to each other ,through commercial and educational influences, the national pre judiceswhich characterized themiddle ages are fast disappearing. The foreignerwho , as late as the seventeenth century,was cal led in Germany sin Elender,because he stood outside the law, enjoys to-day an equal position with thenative-born citizen ; and the widening of sympathy, and extension of reli

gious teaching ,have resulted in breaking down racial barriers, to a great

extent, and in promotingmanymarriageswhich here toforewould have been

When I any religious teaching I mean, of course, modern rel igiousteaching, since the prohibition of intermarriage among the early Christianswas a part of their doctrine. The Council ofElvira forbade Christians

giv ing their daughters to heathen husbands ; and excommunication was thepenal ty of such disobedience.

‘ The Roman Church prohibited themarriage

and the first Protestant Church also forbade such unions. The Greek

Church distinguished between schismatics and heretics, permi ttingmarriagewith the former but not with the latter‘ in Russia, Greece, Servia, and

Mueller. “Chips frorn aGer-manWorkshop, r, a2z.

”Bastian.

'Waita 167 .

‘WestermarckJ oc. eft. , p. 375 , and notsa.

8

1 14 Human Sexualitymany other countrieswhere the Greek faith prevails, hoth Roman Catholicsand Protestants being regarded as schismatics but not heretics.

‘

Inmodern times the wornan is valuedmore as s

reverse was the case ; and nowhere, I think , wasgreater stm laid uponmotherhood than in ancient Lacedamon, where a

husband , who thought unfruitfulness due to himself, surrendered hismarita lrights to a younger and betterman.

’

We do not practise the self-sacrificing customin this country, at least

voluntarily , probably fromthe dificulty of finding a “betterman.

" Thiswould illustrate the principle on which Mr. Lincoln told a very self-conceitedindividual that the lattermust be an atheist fromthe utter impossibilitythat he could re cognize any superior being .

Livingstonewasmuch amused by the natives ofAngola singing as they— “

ao-and-ao has no children, and will never get any ;”

and amongourselves there is an unmistakahle tendency to “ kid

”themanwho has no

My,my, Bridget , remarked a rich lady to her washerwornan,

“how

is it that you, so poor, have somany children, and I, who could give themevery comfort , haven’t any?

” “Faith I don’t know ma ’am,

"responded

Bridget thoughtfully , barrin’ it is the food we etc. We use a power 0’

peraties,ma ’am, Patrick an’mel Do you think it’s the potatoes, Bridget?

Then sendme up two bushels ofthe kind you use, just as soon as you go

home ! ” Faith I will ma ’amwidout delay ," she responded, with a

roguish twinkle in her eye—“ hadn’t I betthm' send Patrick upwid

Mr. Reade tells us that in certain parts ofAfricawomen are so frequentlysterile that no orie cares tomarry a girluntilshe has borne a child;

'among

the Votyaks , according to Dr. Buch, a girlgetsmarried allthe sooner ifdie

be amother ;‘ and the Creek Indians contractmarriage for a year , stipulatWinroth .foe. pit , p . 220, st seq.

Vid. Mueller, “The Doric Race ,” n , 211 .

In Egypt, as we learn , partially fromthe Ehers Papyn is, an d y fromother

sources (notablyChabas’ and the“MelangmEgyptologiques .” Chalens

W as , the question ofsterilitywas determined beforemarriage by, I fancy,a much more rernarkahle than reliablemethod. The man who desired to ascsrtaln

would be a boy ; ifthe barley, a girl; ifno germination took place the woman wouldremain sterile . I have pleasuie in commending this interssting tsst— through ths pro

femionmfcomse— to those anxious ladieswho desire their fortunu told in this respect.“Savage Africa ,

" p. 547. Lac. cit , p. 45, a q ,

1 1 6 Human Sexuality

young lady kicks, squirms and scratches,with real or simMaied vigor , the

relatives standing by with the greatest unconcern, regarding it as a purelyprivate afi

'

air between the parties involved—which it undoubtedly is ;and as something not to be interferedwith by amanwho da ires to l ive on

But the practice of capturing wives , in‘

ct ormis ,Marriage by is largely a thing ofthe past , and demands , therefore ,

Purchase only passing notice. More important, as it is by no

means obsolete, is that ofpurchase, towhich 1 invitcthe reader’s attention for a fewmoments.

As it is only just thatman should give some compensation for what hereceives , particularly

“ that first,best good , an understanding wife ,

"and

as ability to give very naturally ensures the best andmost valuable commodity in themarket

,it is

u

onlyin the nature ofthings that the rich should

presumably perfect in body, “ fair as the smile of heavmi ,” and with “a

tonguemore tunable than lark to shepherd ’s ears,” only to find in a little

or that her heart—a very important itemin the interior decorations—hasalready been disposed of. This would be sadwere it not for the fact thatboth parties to the contract are usually in the same boat, which robs the

bargain of every element ofone-sidedness.

The prices paid for first- class wives in modernRuling Pri ces of times vary greatly, ranging froma pound of caramels,

a sealskinwrap, or a season’s opera ticket, to a dulce's

coronet or a cottage at Newport. Before the vast

aggregations of wealth in modern days enabledmen to pay apat-cash forwhat they wanted , themost customary formof buying a wifewas by service,or exchanging a relative for her ; and this , as in themodern horse- trade, was

interested , each claiming, and sometimes with a fair presumption of reason,

that he or she had been foully cheated .

Thus Jacob worked seven long years for Rachel , and then had the

inferior Leah palmed ofi upon him; and,although the records are kept

for brand new,first-class articles, only to find themshockingly out ofrepair

and even second-hand at that.Sometimes thewife is bought on credi t , and then she and her confiding

parents run allthe risk . Cases are recorded where, among savage natima,Nansen , lac. cit , n , 816 .

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 1 17

the youngman enjoyed allthe privileges ofmarriage in um,for years, while

he was working for his bride, industriously il61l the old gentleman tofish, smoke , and consume various native distillations , and at about the timethe period of service expired suddenly taking a notion to seek somewhereelse, thus occasioning considerable hard feeling and dissatisfaction. Thispractice of purchase by service, with which Hebrew tradition, principally,has made us acquainted , is very widely difiused ; and in the EyrbyggjaSaga,Vigstyr says to the berserk who asked for his daughter as you are a

poorman, I shalldo as the ancients did and let you deserve yourmarriageby hard work .

”

Among the shad ika , in California, a wife is bought for shellmoney , orhorses, ten Cayuse ponies being sometimes paid for a girl ofsuperior graceand beauty ? On the other hand the Navajos, ofNewMexico, consider this

qualifications , such as beauty , industry and skill in their necessary employments .

‘ Among the Kaflirs a wifemay be always obtained “for an ox, or a

couple of cows ;”

and the Damaras are so poor that the father is often gladto give up a very presentable daughter for one cow

,and not the fattest at

that either.

‘ Six sewing needles is the rul ing price in Uganda ; among theMangonia, two sheepskins ; among the natives of Bonds , a goat suffices ;other tribes are satisfied with a box of percussion caps ; the Bashkir buys avery fair article for a load of hay ; in Tartary ten pounds of good buttermay always be depended upon ; a nice looking girl in India , among theKisans , is worth two buckets of rice , farmore than some ladies ofour se

quaintance ; among the Mishmis , a pig ; among the Fij ians “the usual price

is a whale’s tooth ,”andwe are told by Emin Pasha that in Unyoro,when a

man is too poor to pay cash , hemay buy awife on instalments , the childrenborn in themeantime , however , belonging to the wife’s father , and redeemable only by payment ofa cow for each .

“

In the books of Ruth and ofHosea the bridegroomspeaks of buyingthe bride ; and, according to Michaelis , the modern Jews, even, have a

shampurchase in theirmarriage ceremony called “marrying by the penny,"which is very faithfully observed .

’

The Chaldeans, Babylonians andAmyrians, all bought their wives ; andCastré n, speaking of the Finns, remarks— “ there are many reasons forbelieving that a capfulofsilver and goldwas one ofthe best proxies inwooing among our ancestors.

“ Aristotle tel ls us that the ancient Greeks

Schoolcraft, lac. cit , xv, 214. Chapman, lac. cit , r, 341.

p. 86.

‘Ruth rv, 10; Hoseam, 2.

“Litmus Scissor ,” 1849 , p. 13. Quoted byWestermarck, lac. cit , p. 896.

1 18 Human Sexuality

Thracians. Among the early Teutons a similar customseems to have beenobserved , and Scandinavianmythology teaches that even the gods boughttheirwives .

‘ In England, as late as the sixteenth century, tracmofthe samecustomwere to be found in legalprocedure ,’ and in Thuringia to this daythe betrothal ceremony speaks of it .’These are but a fewofthe vast host ofinstances in whichmarri age by

moples ; and among the civilieed, I need not cite specialcases to showthat,al though indire ctlymanifested , it has by nomeans fallen into “ innocuousdesuetude ” even in America.

History records instances where vast sums have changed hands , sometimes by vote ofpopular assemblies , at themarriage of one ruler’s daughterwith the son ofanother ; and there is probably no country in the worldwhere the “dot ismore carefully looked after than in that home ofmodernchivalry— France. In this country it is becomingmore andmore a legiti

heiress ifshe possess beauty and stage talent, togetherwith even a spark of

the hustling spirit ofher race, need go down to the“ dark valley ” without

at least one ducal scalp at her belt .Leaving the question ofdowry, however, as only indirectly related to

our present theme, and before taking up themore immediate considerationof sex- life in its physiological and psychological aspects, let us glance brieflyat the rites and ceremonies ofmarriage froma legal and social point ofview.

It is quite probable that , among primitive peoples,Marriage Rites and no such thing as a wedding ceremony was known.

Ceremonies Whatever of contract existedwas in the formofmore

When a couple had lived together for a certain length of time , without anydiscord , or opposition on the part ofthemselves or friends, they were con

sidered husband andwife ; ‘ and the formofagreementbetween them, beingtold to their friends , came , very naturally , to be imitated by those friendsin thcirmarriages ; fromwhich circumstance it is easy to trace the rise of

themarriage ceremony .

‘ Then , too , as marriage , through the growth ofsociety , and the broader recognition of the principle of expediency in suchunions , came to be endowed with a higher degree ofimportance , itwas onlynatural that it should be invested with greater formand ceremony

,chief

“Suenska folkets historia, Geijer, in “Samlade Sh i fter, v, 88. Quoted by

Westermarck , lac. cit , p. 396 .

Friedberg , lac. cit , pp . 33- 88 . Schmidt, lac. cit , p . 13.

Hall , lac. cit , p. 567. Vid. Wu termarck, lac. cit , p. 418.

1 20

after striking his daughter gently with it, handed it to the newhushand, toindicate that the right of its use henceforth belonged to the latter.

‘

Many ofthemarriage usages ofboth savage and civilised races—euchas the use ofthe veil, and the customin severa1 countries of the bride

wearing her hair hanging down over her shoulders—e semto be expremiveof that feeling ofallmen, and sentiment of all nations, which , though itmay be weakened “

can never be wholly chased ," that sexual gratificationis something to be veiled and hidden frmview .

It is hard towcount for such an instinct on any rationalgmund— thfl

a peculiar ordinance of God; but none can deny its existence.

It is this idea which lay at the bottomof thatsanctity which the early Church— and indeed the

Roman Catholic Church to day— ascribed , and doesascribe , to the condition of perfect continence which

can be traced quite clearly through the religious observances of so manyCatholic nations, and which Buckle lashes so unmercifully in his Historyof Civilization, Vol. 11 , Chaps. r and v . We find it among the Nazarenaand Essenes ofJudna ; the priests ofIndia and on ypt ; in the remotemountains ofTartary and Thibet ; and the history of the ImmaculateConception of our Lord , concerning which there has been somuch illiterateconjecture and speculation, as well as downright ridicule, is only one of a

and l iterature ofAs ia.

There is a Chinese legendwhich tells us thatwhen there were but oneman and one woman on the earth, the woman refused to sacrifice her

virginity to him, even to pe0ple the globe ; and the gods, honori ng her

purity , granted that she should conceive in her lover’s sight, without

sexual iflfcrcaursc , and in this way a virginmother became the parent ofhumanity. Many other l ike instancesmight be cited fromvarious sourcesto show that Christianity is not alone in its creed as to the ImmaculateConception.

‘

Amidst all the sensual ity of Greece, chastitywas preeminently the attri

bute of sanctity wcorded to Athens , and Artemis.

“ Chaste daughter of Zeus , prays the suppliant inE schylus ; and the Parthenon, or

“V irgin’

s temple ,"was the most sacred relig ious edifice in Athens .

The very bas is ofPlato ’

s moral systemwas the distinction between the

sensual and the spiritualparts ofour nature, the first being the sign ofour

Mainers. lac. cit , n , 167 . Lecky, lac. cit , i , 104.

Helvetius, “De l’Feprit,” Dis. xv. Also Draper, lac. cit , p. 48 , ct seq.

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce rzr

degradation, the accord , of our dignity ; and the school of Pythagoras notonly made chastity a prominent virtue, but advocated the creation of a

Similarly , the conception ofthe celestialAphrodite— the uniter of soulsunstained by any taint of earth , lingered for centuries beside that ofan earthly Aphrodite , the patroness of lust , the hot-blooded goddess ofpassion. Strabo mentions societies of men in Thrace who aspire to perfection through celibacy and austere lives ; and Plutarch highly praisescertain philosophers who had sworn to abstain fromwine and women, and

to honor God by their continence .

”

The story of the vestals, which Lecky calls “one of themost curious

pages in the history of Rome,” exhibi ts an instance where continence wasnot only voluntary , but guarded and surrounded by such fearful legalpenalties as to almostmake one shudder to read . But if living-burial wasthe punishment inflicted by the Les: Papia for violation of her vow ofchaso

tity, the vestal had privileges which , as in driving through the streets of

Rome, preceded by the lictors, were sometimes refused even to an Empms.

’

Vestals were believed to have amiraculous power of prayer , andwere the custodians and priestemes ofthe Eternal Fire, the pa lladium, and allthe holiestrel ics of Rom& '

Among the Buddhistsmarriage is regardedby the priests as a concession

to human passion, and is therefore only a civil conOrigin ofthe tract .‘ The “ bestman” ofourmodernmarriagewasB est Man

” originally the best, or staunchest , abettor ofthe bride’

s

capture ; and as the civil ized man always feels like

edly hemay act afterwards, so the services ofthe priest in performing therite seemto have been inseparable fromthe marriage contract amongna rly allsavage races.

Too often , as I have intimated , it is only a form; but in Mexico , Nica“De Cohibenda Ira .

Vid. Plutarch, “Val. Mam.

”r. 1 ; PrOpert. , xv, 11 ; andTacitus.W , 10.

Encyclop . Brit , Art .

“Vestals.

”

“At the Colline Gate has been builded the vault , with its bed. its table and its

bh ck bread and water. There , fromtime immernorial. that her cries may notw h

the pure daughters ofRome, the ofl'

ender against the laws ofchastity, the desecratord the d tar ofVa tmhas been entombed alive !

“The litter is without ! The lictors are in attendance,with their fasces ofauthority !A Smtencel A Sentencel Death to the defiledl The lawordains it ! The people

demand itl”J . R. Parke. Speech ofRutilius in “Tullia the Vestal : A Story ofAncient Rome,”

p. 22.

1 2 2 Human Sexualityragua , Australia, Africa and India, religicn was always invoked in the

Christianity confirmed and strengthened thb

Marriage a religious aspect of matrimony ; and fromPaul’sSacrament words- mm hoe magnuma t—the present

dogma of Catholicism, as well as themore enlighM ed

sentiment of the Anglican and dissenting churches, was gradually evolved ,marriage assuming the position it today occupies of a sacramentalunion,

rather than amere civil contract .If the Creator thought it wrong for Adamto

remain single,what shallbe said in defence ofreligiouscelibacy, or ofour ever growing army of bachelors?Men get tired ofeverything in time ; can it be that

they are getting tired ofmatrimony? And, ifsuch be the case,what are thecauses which thus conspire to destroy one ofthe oldest instincts , as well asinsti tutions, of the world , and what part have women themselves in its

dwtruction? This is not a work on social economy. Ifit were Imightbe induced to attempt answering thw difficult questions , even at the riskofbeing thought both egotistical and ungallant; but asmatter's stand,

l

can only thank heaven that I amrelieved froma responsibility which haswreckedmany a wiserman , and permitted to followthe subject in my ownsweet way ; though, like Peter following his Master, it may sometimwbeHafar Ofi.

” 2

‘As an ofl’

set, however , to themountains ofabuse which have been heaped uponbachelors as a clam, in recent years, may be cited the opinion ofli ieronymus—fl m”plumes-mm.vir

-

gimme Pamdisum—that ifmu fiage n plmishumfifsmitymfiguredlargely in the greatworkofHuman Redemption. But let not the bachelor en lt

his horn on that account, nor-point to Elijah , Elisha , John the Baptist and themajorityofthe Apostles as illustrious prototypes ofhis aacred charaeter. These had referenec

entire ly to a spi ritualministry ; the peopling ofthe earth , equally as divine a prop.ganda , being conditioned primitively on the business ofmarrying andmultiplying.

And let not the oldmaid plead, u a cause ofsinglenem, themse ofDaphne , whomturned into a green bay

-tree to show that virg inity is immortal; nor that ofJoan ol

Are ; norQueen Elizabeth ; nor the BlemedV’

n-gin ; nor Sussn B . Anthony. A vir-gin at

but the

same vhgin at forty, lax imd petulampuello vim, is a bemtalk, awithmed chestnutburr , wben the frost has struck it. And all reodc lorty—e

‘

n tim. In ltaly. saya Are

tine's Lucretia. a wornan is old at twenty- four ; in Turlrey, at twenty ; and in Africa,

(Lib. 3,

fol. Therefore take warning, girls . As both Herrick and Ausonius say“ Fairma ids , go gatherm in your prime,And think that, as a fiower. so fadeth time.

‘Mare v, 54.

1 24

wives,‘ although Priam’s appears to have been the only well authenticated

case ofactualpolygyny.

’ Among the Romans,while concubinage .seems tohave been general, themass ofthe peopleweremore strictly monogamous.

The concubinewas always carefully distinguished fromthe legalwife , andthe rights and privileges ofchildren were bestowed with a jedomeye to

world polygyny , in the early ages ,was distinctly tolerated , if not sanctioned.

It was practised by the early Merovingian kings , and a lawof Charla the

Great seems to imply that itwas not unknown even to the clergy .

‘ Garrh ert

andChilperic hadboth a plurality ofwives ; ‘ and Clotairemarried the sisterof his first wife, during the lifetime of the latter ; consent being given in themock words of the wife— “

letmy lord do what seemeth good in his sight ;only let thy servant live in thy favor.

"

St. Columbanus was driven out ofGaul for his denunciation of thepolygyny of King Thierry ; ’ and Dagobert had, in addition to three wives,a wholemultitude of concubines ; so that themodernmorganatic, or “ lefthanded ,

”marriage of royalty, we see, had ample authority in the customsofthe past. Not only had the great Charlemagne two wives, but a wholebattalion of fillcs dc joie,‘ and

“ polygyny, in this qualified form, has re

mained a tolerated privilege ofroyalty down to the present time .

St . Augustine expremly said he did not cmrdcmn polygyny, ‘° and Lutherpermitted Philip of Hessen tomarry two women to accomplish a certainpolitical purpose . Indeed , he openly declared that , in view of the silenceofChrist on thematter, “ he could not forbid the taking ofmore than one

while, as later exponents of the same view, it is well known theMormons regard polygyny as a divine institution. In factmonogamy ,having no sanction in the Old Testament, and being only negatively , if at all,taught and enjoined in the New,

were it not for the beneficent influenceit exercises upon society, the home, and the state ,might well be discardedaltogether, both as a theological dogma and statutory decree.

It rs probable, notwithstanding the general opinion, that polygyny hadits origin among a sexually wcak, rather than a sexually strong people.

The races ofthe East, with whomit is proverbially indigenous, threugh

‘Becker loc a l , n , 438.

Rossbaeh , lac. cit , p . 5 . Thierry, lac. cit , p. 17, ct seq.

Hallam, lac. cit , r, 420.

‘Greg . Tun , v . 26, quotedby Lecky ,'Fredegarius , xxxvr.

'Eginhardus ,“Vit. Kar. Mag" xvm. Spencer, Prin. Sociology,” x, 665.

“Hellwald, loc. cit

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 1 25

Northern races, placing checks upon the sexualpassion, fromreligious and

superstitious causes, which would be badly borne, I fear, by the latter.

And the samemaybe said of savages .

Hubert and Maus, in their essay on sacrifice} have pointed out howfrequently sexual relationships are prohibited by religious Observances ;and quite recently Crawley,’ in describing the occultismof taboo, has veryfully elaborated the traditional influences which tended to the promotionof chastity among primitive races. Numbers of cases, fromvarious portions ofthe world, are cited to showwhere intercouree has been delayedfor days, weeks , and evenmonths aftermarriage, in conformity to certainreligious laws ; and a trace ofthe church asceticismoflater times is foundin the early history of the Oriental pagans.

Dion Chrysostomadvocated the suppression of prostitution by law.

Apollonius of Tyana , though a pagan, lived a life ofcelibacy .

’ Zenobiarefused to cohabit with her husband , except on the ground ofproducing

a very small part in their lives. Theymake use ofOrienta ls and fewendearments, know little if anything about kiss

Sevages Sexually ing, or the many other warmand more intimateWeak

literature ofpamion. Parentallove is stronger than sexual love ; and as

amost convincing proof of their deficiency in the latter, jealousy , thoughby nomeans entirely absent, is far rarer and feebler than among civilisedraces . Spencer and Gillen record the comparative absence of jed ousy inmen ofthe CentralAustralian tribes? and negresses are stated, by a French

army surgeon, to be so exempt fromthe passion that he has known a first

wife to earnmoney to help buy a second wife for her husband !

Among higher races, the Korean women seemto live happily togetheras wives of a common husband ; the Mormons , possibly, not so happily ,notwithstanding their contrary claim; and the women of Turkey and

trusive sentiment seems to be one ofrivalry for the favor oftheir husband,

“Emai sur le Sacrifice," L'Amc Sociologiqus , 1899 , pp.

‘Philoa Apolq r, 13 .

1 26 Human Sexualityrather than ofjealousy. But even where polygyny is permitted by law,

it is by nomeans so generally practised as is commonly supposed. Almosteverywhere , it is confined to the smaller part ofthe people, themajoritybeingmonogamous . I amcredibly informed such is the case even amongthe Mormons ; and Mr . Phil lips remarks, in his “ Sociological Study ,

” that“ it is a mistaken opinion that in a polygamous society most men havemore than one wife.

” The relative proportion of the sexes forbids suchan arrangement ; the poverty ofa certain clamalways precludes polygyny ;and Proyart says ‘ only the richmen ofLoango,whoeemeans permit theenjoyment ofsuch a luxury , indulge the sexual privilege of polygyny . Itis so also in Mohammedan countries , even the late Khedive on ypt ,

Tewfik Pasha , having had only one wife, the faithful and devoted M uchHanem.

‘

“In India, says Seyed Amir Ali , “more than ninety-five per cent . of

the Mohammedans are at the present moment, either by conviction or

necessity , The educated clause, versed in the history oftheir ancestors , and competent to compare itwith that of other nations ,

almost universally view polygyny with disgust ; and in Persia , Col. Macgregor tells us, only about two per cent . indulge the questionable luxury.

In China , no laboring man thinks ofmore than one wife ; and Dr. Grayis of Opinion that, originally, con

’

cubinage itself was a privilege restricted

the higher ranks , while polygyny is regarded as a sort of vicious luxury

which it would be absurd to regard as an institution afl'

ecting the wholemass ofthe people.

‘ The truth ofthis statement is confirmed by Raflles ,for the Javanese ;‘ Low 7

and Bayle ‘, for the Malays ; Marsden for the

Sumatrans, and bymy own personal observation as to the Tagals , Visayans , and other native tribes in the Philippines .

Speaking ofthe Hebrews , Dr. Scheppig says that the expenses connectedwith polygyny were so great that none but the rich could afford them;and in Egypt, although , as I have remarked, polygynywas common amongthe wealthy clames , as was also concubinage, it would appear fromthe

numerous ancient paintings descriptive of domestic life in that countrythat among the poor, monogamywas the rule.

‘ It is thought by somethat the ancient Pers ians also weremonogamous and Dr. Schradermakesa similar statement as to the early Indo-European races in general.

“ Among

Ibid. Gray, loc. cit , r, 184.

‘Crawford, loc. cit , r, 76 . Loc. cit , r, 81.

Loc. cit , p . 147 . Loo. cit , p. 25 .

Wilkinson, lac. cit , r, p . 318 . Vid. Westermarck , lac. cit , p . 442.

Maine, “Early Lawand Custom, p. 235 .

1 28 Human Sexua lityof concubines, like the celebrated “ hand-maidens ” of the Hebrew patriarchs ,who so frequently usurped the fimctions oftheirmistresses.

The ancient Scandinavians had commonly only one legitimate wife,though asmany concubines as they chose ; ‘ and the pagan Russians ,wearding to Ewers, always gave the firstwife the precedence,’ as do the Mormcnsto-day, the first wife only assuming the husband ’s name and titles .

’

Beside those mentioned , there is another way in which polygynyis modified . Among many peoples there are well defined laws of cus

tom, which compel the husband to cohabit with his wives in tum.

cach in a separate hut. At least they did the fimt year, but it is not eocertain as to the second. Preferences are very apt tobeformed inmch cases.both by Christian and pagan, which exert a strong infiuence even upon

national custom; and a“ favorite wife ” is as apt to grow up, among a lot

offmnales in a harem, through a hot sexuality, as the bluest lrind ofblood.

The Mohammedan 18 compelled by law,however, to favor each of his four

legalwives by turns , ofcourse gmng the mtervals to a host ofcharmmgodalisques ; and in all countries where the pluralmarriage is allowed, topreserve public order, similar laws of relation have been devised to govern

I have four wives ,”said an old Arab Sheik to Sir S. W . Baker ; ‘ “

as

one has become old, I have replaced her with a young one ;”(hemarked

four strokes in the sandwith his stick) “ here they all are. This one carries

water ; that grinds the corn ; thismalres the bread ; the last does not domuch , she ismy youngest , andmy favorite.

” Alas, for the poor wife whois no longer the “ youngest ” and the

“ favorite !Wherever Christianity has not ideal ised love, and invested woman with

those charms which far outlive, and outshine , her mere physical beauty ,

her lot is indeed hardwhen she has pamed the stage ofsexual attractioninto the sore and yellow leaf, and boom the household drudge to a youngerand handsomer rival .To show how lightly love, or the marital obligation, sits upon thm

hoary old polygamists ,Dr. Grenfell re lates the story of a peripate ticministerin Labrador, who, called tomarry a richman at a place called “ 8tIslands,

” found that he could not performthe ceremony , as the bride waswithin the prohibited degrees of relationship.

“Nevermind , mista , one

of thu s will do,”said the determined old groom, selecting one of themost

Burton,

“The City ofthe Saints , p. 518.

“Nile Tributaries,

”etc . , p. 265.

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 1 29

attractive girls fromthe crowd ; and forthwith the ceremony proceeded ,with themerriment said to belong to allmarriage bells.

‘

Polyandry , or plurality ofhusbands, is rarer as a

Polyandry formof marriage than polygyny . In the AleutianIslands , Langsdorf te lls of a woman who lived with

two husbands , onmutually satisfactory conditions between the latter as tothemethod of sharing her favors andVeniaminofiasserts that a Thlinketwoman was privileged to have, in addition to her real husband , a legalparamour, whowas usual ly the brother of the former .

‘ Along the Orinoco,

theWarraus , according to Brett, do not consider the customof onewomanby thewriter named

In the Island ofLancerote,most ofthe women have three husbands ; ’and Thunberg tells us the same is true of the Hottentots. Dr. Fri tschmentions polyandry among the Damaras, and Mr. Thea] , among the tribesof the Bantu race.

' The Hovas ofMadagascar have a word expressive of

the permission given by a husband to his wife to have intemourse withanotherman, if he were going to be long absent ; ° and in Nukahiva , richwives commonly have , in addition to the chief husband

,another, whomight

be clawed , as in pharmacy, a “ qualified assistant .“ o

Among the Todas , all the brothers ofone family live in mixed intercourse with one ormore wives ; every wife, when shemarries, claiming theright of sexual intercourse with her husband ’s brothers, be theymany or

few.

” The same customobtains among the Kurgs ofMysore ; and the Nairwomen of Malabar commonly have twomen as husbands, as well as, perhaps , halfa dozenmore with whomthey cohabit with nearly equal regu

larity .

” Polyandry is common prettymuch all over India , and in Thibet ;and Mr. Ravenste in quotes a Japanese traveller as saying that it prevailedamong the Saporogian Cossacks , and in Eastern Siberia .

“

Among the Russian peasants the comfortable practice exists of the fathercohabiting with the wife of his son, during the latter

’s minority ;“ and

,

according to Strabo, allthemalemembers ofa Median familymarried thesame woman. Perhapswe find a hint ofthis customin themythic account

Dr. e fell,“Labrador, Leslie’s Magazine, Dec 1904.

Wa termarck, lac. cit , p. 450.

Dali , lac. cit ,p. 416.

“Personal Narrative ,” etc . , v, 549 .

Lac. cit ,p. 178. Routier andLe Verrier , lac. cit. , p . 139 .

Lac. cit ,p . 19 . Sibree, lac. cit , p . 253 .

Bun. Soc. d’Anthr . ,m, xx , 367.

“Trans. B thu. Soc ,

”N . 8 . xx. 240.

“ Asiatic Researches,” v, 13 . Lansdell, lac. cil. , u, 225 .

Hu thausen,

“Tramcaucasia , p . 403.

9

1 30 Human Sexualityofthe goddess Frigga marrying,” during her husband ’s absence, his twobrothers, Vil i and Ve.

‘

Among some races a customexists which, in one important respect, isa marked improvement on our own. If two men propose to the samewoman, she is not compelled to break onc heart inmaking the athcr happy.

Shemarries one of them, generally the rich one, butmakes the other an

auxiliary, and both are well satisfied .

’ An equal liberality in suchmattersamong ourselvesmight take the formof a real philanthrophy.

With the ancient Britons, to prevent domestic confusion, the childrenwere regarded— not always correctly—as belonging to himwho had firsttaken the virgin towife ;' and in Thibet the choice ofthewife belongs to theelder brother, though allthe others are entitled to the husband

's privi leges,

if they choose to avail themselves of them.

‘

In Europe, the number of men and women, at

NumericalParity twenty years of age, is about the same ; a similar ruleofthe Scxcs prevailing also in America ; but at an earlier period of

life, in both continents, there were moremen thanwomen ; and at a later,more women thanmen .

“ It is not necessary hereto enter into the causes of this disparity ; it being sufficient to say that itdepends , to a great extent, upon the higher, and lower, rates ofmortalityat given periods oflife ; but to this pretty constant equality of numbers , atthemarriageable age, is chiefly due the tendency in all civilised societiestomonogamousmarriages.

There aremany reasons why amanmay desire toArguments against possessmore than one wife ; and, fromthe view-pointMonogamy of natural law, there appears little to urge against

such a practice. In fact ,much might be said in itsfavor. The periods of abstinence fromsexual intercourse, which the healthand decency ofboth parties demand, are too long tobe reasonably borne bya vigorous man,

with sexual powers normally developed ; and I amcon~

vinced that not only aremany ofthemarital infelicities ofsociety traceable to this cause, but that serious impa irment ofhealth very frequentlyresults fromtwo early sexual connexion after both childbirth andmen

In many countries—and fortunate ly they are mostly polygynousthe husband is not only compelled to live apart fromhis wife for a certainperiod everymonth, but during the whole termof her pregnancyf as soonas this event is announced, thc sexual rights being suspendedwith super

~

Lidansky, lac. cit , p. 83.

Omar, lac. cit , v, 14. Gansenmullcr , “Tibet," p . 87 .

132

Amkd wmnan, says Pliny,“led around an orchard, will protect

beliefis acted orr and the custompractised.

In the sugar refineries, in the North ofFrance, no woman is pamittedto enter while the sugar is boiling for fear onemight bemenstmous and thesugar be blaclccncd thereby; and the women ofAnnam, th emselves, say it isimpossible to prepare their opiumpipes properly while they have theircourses.

‘ The most portentous account of the prodigies attending this

and lightnings,willbe scarcd cwoyby awoman uncovering ha bodywhilehcr courses are upon her ; and the samewith allother kinds of tempestuousweather. At sea ,

a stormmay be stilled by a woman uncow~ing hcrsdf,evmthough notmenstmating at thc timc; and ifshewalk round a field,whilemenstruating, the caterpillars, worms, beetles and other vermin will [allfromlhc cars ofcorn.

“

But coming down tomore recent times, in 1878 a physicianwrote to the

B ritishM cdicalJmmrclasking ifitwere true that ifawoman “bofled hams,

whilemenstruating” (the woman of course, not the hams), “would the harmbe spoiled,

”as he had known it twice to occur? Another inquired, in all

seriousness, as towhat would happen to her patients should a lady doctor,whilemenstruating, attend them; a nd stillanother replied, with that knawit-allair so often observable in our friends but never in omselves , that hethought the fact was so “

generally known ,

” thatmeat would spoil ifsaltedat themenstrualperiod, that hewas “ surprised to see somany letters in theJournal on the subject.”

Indeed it was only as late as 1891' that Dr. WilliamGoodall, of Philadelphia,was enabled towrite concerning the prejudicialefiects ofmenstruation on surgical procedure I have learned to unleamthe teaching thatwomenmust not be subjected to a surgical operation during themonthlyflu

”

But enough has been said to direct attention to the fact that, in allagcs

Vid. L. Laurent , Ann. dcs Sci . Psy. , Sept . and 1897 . H . Ellis, r, 213, note .

‘Pliny, “Natural History ,

” Books mand xxvrrr. Respectfully re ferred to our

partment on fictfltumwuld do worse, I think, than send a copy of this hook to

every farmer in the Urrited States. I have not the slightest doubt itwouldbe reoeived

with farmoreally sent out. As to the cdms tive infiuence offemd e nakedneu on the u hm wea hint in it ofthe origin ofthe nudewoman so often used as a figure-head for shipsl

ProvincialM edicalJamal, April , 189 1. Vid. H . Ellis , lac. cit , r, 212.

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 133

Female Beauty undoubtedly the youth , beauty, or other charmin

Short Lived the girl which excites and sets inmotion those psychosexual procwses which, for lack of a better name, we

call love. Whether this love be what Plato called it , the great devil ,because it rules and commands every other devil ofpassion ; or whetherit be

o

divine, first created by God Himself, in Paradise ; we do know that itoperatesmost powerfully in youth .

“Love is painted young because hebelongs particularly to the young , says Hebrews . He is fair and fat

because, as another old writer naively remarks, “such folks are first taken.

”

He is pictured naked, became all true afiection is sirnple and open ; has aquiver and bow, to indicate that he is a hunter, of hearts ; is blind , becausehe neither sees nor cares where he hits ; and is a great commanding god,above Jupiter himself, according toAthenmus.

‘ But to enjoy fully the passion of love, bothmen and women shouldmarry young. The importance ofamanmarrying younger than himself rs obvious. Women agemuch fasterthan men. The nervous systemis frailer , and themetabolic mechanismof the entire body farmore sensitive and delicate . Their charm, and therefore the sexual life , are shorter in duration.

In California , Mr. Powers tells us , women are handsome in their carefree, untoil ing youth , but break down after twenty-five to thirty , and become, many of them, positively ugly.

’ Among the Mandan Indians ,ma idens are sometimes beautiful , but all get homely aftermarriage.

’ The

Kutchin women “

get coarse and ugly as they grow and among theWarraus , according to Schomburgk, the flower ofa woman’

s life is gone at

twenty . The Patagonian women fade early ; and in NewZealand , Tahiti ,Hawaii and the Philippines— partly fromtoo early sexual excemm— woman’

s

beauty is lost at a very unripe age.

“

In Africa female beauty is particularly evanescent . The Egyptian girl ,fromfourteen to eighteen, is amodel oflovelinw and grace ; but at twentyfive to thirty-five— the season of awoman’s prime in America— she is brokendown and coarse-featured .

‘ In Easte rn Africa female charms are lemperishable than in India and Arabia ; but even there the sex falls into the“ hideous decrepitude ofthe East ’” at a very early age ; and the Arab girlsof the Sahara preserve the bloomandfreshness ofourwomen ofthirty onlytill about the sixteenth year.

‘

Lac. cit Lib. 13 , Cap. 5 . Powers , lac. cit , p . 20- 24.

Ca tlin , lac. cit , r, 121 . Hardisty, lac. cit , p. 312.

Angas , lac. cit , r. 311 .

Lane, lac. cit , r, 50. Baker, lac. cit , p . 124- 235 .

Burton .First Footsteps ,

”etc .,

p. 119 . Chavanne, lac. cit , p. 397 .

r34 Human SexualityThe Wolof girls are very pretty , with their soft, glomy black skinsbut ,

”as Mr . Reade remarks, “ when the first jet of youth is pos ed , the

skin turns to a dirty yellow,and crosses like old leatha '

; their eyes sink intothe skull , and the breasts hang down like the udder ofa cow.

“ Amongthe Fulah , it is rare for women above twenty to becomemothmsf" and in

Unyoro, Emin Pasha nevermet a woman over twenty-five with a baby.

‘

Causes of nearly a whole tribe ofmen, is, as I have intimated,Unfaithfulness in the chiefcause ofthe early dccay ofphysicalbeauty

Husbands among the women of the tropics ; but constant toil ,poor food and climatic conditions, doubtlemexert a

women preserve the bloomofyouth and health far longer in cold than in

hot countries ; and for verywelldefined physiologicalrewons not necessaryto enter upon here ; ‘ but , while female beauty almost always underliesman’

s sexual desire ,his taste for change, unless overruled by religious

principle, love, or the precepts ofhonor, will always stand in the way ofprolonged constancy to any one type.

“

Thus the negroes of Angola excused themselves for their frequentbreaches ofmarital fidelity by the statement that they “ were not alwaysable to eat outof and, as we shallsee later,whenwe cometo notice the question ofdivorce , that, as Mr. Lane remarks, “ fickle passionis themost evident and commonmotive both of polygyny and divorce .

”

But it is not the sole one. Man’

s desire for

The Desire for children, wealth , authority, and the extension of hisSexua l Change social and political power , often prompts himto put

worldly possessions. Among the Botis ofLadakh , should a wife provebarren,

a second canbe chosen ; and should she only hear daughters, anothercan be similarly selected ! In IndoChina, polygyny is allowed only if thewife is sterile ;° and the Eskimo ofPrince Regent’s Bay only takes a eecondwife if the first have given himno children.

“ In China and Tonquin, how

“Savage Africa, p . 447 . Chapman , lac. cit , r, 342.

Westermarck , lac. cit , p . 48 .

“Emin Pasha in Gent. Africa , p. 85 .

Lubbock , lac. cit , p. 143.

Byron ’s idea ofconstancy, therefore. to be “constantly lovingmebody.

”seems

Merolla da Sorrento, lac. cit , p . 299 .

Lac. cit , r, 252. Cunningham, lac. cit , run , 204.

Colquhoun , lac. cit , p. 71 . King , lac. cit , r, 150.

r36 Human Sexualityas themen in generalare very jealous oftheirwives, 1malce no doubt thesame spirit reigns among thewomen ; but they are kept somuch in awe oftheir husbands that the liberty of thinking is about the only liberty the poorwives enjoy .

When Mr . Williams asked a Fijiwoman, whowasminus her noee, howshe had lost it , she said it came fromher husband

Polygyny and having many wives.

“They get jealous, and hateDomesti c Discord one another ; and the strong one cuts, or bites off,

the other’s nwe.

“

Itmay he remarked that in civilized society they only feel like doing so.

We are told that the old wives in Australia are extremely jealous of theiryoung rivals , being frequently beaten and ill- treated by the latte r; and the

preservation of their place, and dignity in the family , depends largely upmitheir fighting powers . I amtold that Messrs. Seabury 6: Johnson , the

American sticking-plaster manufacturers, have kept a branch house inSydney for some years ; but whether there is any connection between thatfact and thedomestic discord spokenof, I amunable to determine.

When an Indian feels inclined to indulge himselfwith two or threewives,he selects, ifhe can, sisters ; thinking thus to secure a greater degree of

domestic tranquility ;' and this shrewdmove, doubtless , underlies the wellknown customof the Pawnees, and other tribes, ofmarrying, along with theeldest daughter, all her younger sisters in rotation, as they come of age.

‘

I shall not devote much space to the modernModern Marriage status ofmarriage. It would involvemuch specula

tion, is pretty fairly known, as far as itmay be knownwith any degree of certainty , and its literature is already sufficiently volumi~nous to answer every end; but there is a formof mauiage, influenced byequality of the sexes, which demands at least passing notice.

When ao-called love, which , in its protean forms, I amfar too wise toattempt to analyse, depends wholly upon external attractions, it is necessarily both changeable and imperfect . It cannot help but be so ; sincethe quali ties which excite it are themselves both changeable and indefinite ;but when it is founded on sympathy

, arising out of similarity of thementalconstitution , that peculiar sexual and psychological adaptability difficult todescribe in briefterms , the union is apt to be both permanent and happy,and to continue long after both youth andbeauty have disappeared . Alongwith love, which I might possibly better answer the present purpose bycall ing the “monogamous instinct ,” there is the great lawof numeri cal

Lac. cit , p. 310.l Williams and Calvert, lac. cit , p. 152, st seq.

Domenech, lac. cit , n . 306 .

Bancroft, lac. cit ,r, 277 . See also Schoolcraft , Bastian,

Waits .

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 1 37

equality between the sexes , as wellas the implied NewTestament teachms,w0ppwe the pmere& 0fpdysyny

The social instinct , the desire for change ,‘ theCauses Favoring different phases offemale beauty , the love ofchildren ,

Polygyny the curiosity to compare the pleasures of the sexualact with difierent women , ormen, all favor it ; but

as Bain well remarks, while “the maternal feeling admits a plurality of

objects , while the love of domination nwds many subjects,“ and whilemany of the lighter elements of afiection are best satisfied by diversity , thehighest intensity of the love- passion is undoubtedly found in monogamy .

True love disdains to measure its object by any other human standard .

It sea in that object only an immeasurable superiority , an unapproachableexcellence ofmind , soul and body ; which , having their origin in somespecial liking , turning on apparently insignificant differences , or similaritiesof temperament , bewme in themind of the subject so exaggerated by constant favorable contemplation as to be, as has been very well remarked,“altogether transcendent .“

Although restrained by law, re ligion, and fixedModern Growth of Observances , the natural tendency of our modern

Instinct The growth ofneurodynamia among our great leisureclass ; the constant idleness , flattery , temptation and

mual stimulation to which they are continually subject, is always tendingto greater sexual liberty. There is a gradualweakening of the domestiotie ; that tacit restlessness under restraint , -a true democratic principle,which comes with the sense of power due, say, to great wealth ; and the

subtle instinct of a class distinction in which women are graded and

tagged for market, just as a farmer gradmhis fruit ; which , in all ages ,

has taught that themany were created for the use ofthe few; have unquestionably a similar bearing. Polygyny has been shown to be rare amongthose savages who know nothing of the artificial disparities of rank and

wealth ;‘ but iswellknown tobe common ,in spirit if not in form, among the

fashionable circles of society today.

The Rock Veddahs have no class distinction and no polygyny .

“ Ofthe Hottentots the samemaybe said .

‘ Among the Andamanese,monogamy

‘ Franklin’s amerted aphorism, that allwomen are alike fromthe waist down,

andan old one better than a young one because she ismore gratefulfor the favor , doesnot asen to have attained the pepulsrity amongmen its lovely unselfishness undoubt

Bain , lac . cit , p. 136 , st seq. Ibid. , p . 137 . Waits , lac. cit rr, 341.

fi ner-son Tennent, lac. cit , n , 440, st seq. Waits , lac. cit , n , 341 .

138 Human Sexualityis instinctive, as in Europe ;‘ the Mrus, nearly allmrmogamists, are da pisedas

“wildmen ” by the polygynous Khyoungtha ;2 and the California Indians,

Many peoples , known to have beenmonogamous, have adopM polygynyunder the influence ofa higher civilization. The Turco -Tartars are one ;

‘

the Karena, who learned polygyny fromthe Burmese, another ;‘ and the

Hindus seemto have learned it subsequent to the Vedic age, since it

is notmentioned in the earlier hymns .

Polyandry also seems to presuppose a certain degree ofcivilization ,as

we can find no trace of it among the very rudest nations ; but, concerningboth these practices, the ground is too vast to cover in a single section ofa

single volume ; thosewho desire to continue their examinationbeing referredto the variousworks on anthropology , to Gaya

’s andWestermarck ’s valuable

treatises on human marriage, and to Kmnigswarter’s “ History of the

Development ofHuman Society .

’

Butbefore leaving the subject it isbefitting I think,Concluding to glance, if for only amoment, at the present statusReflections on ofmarriage in modern society. Possrbly some mayMarriage think I have devoted too much space to its savage

and semi-savage aspects ; but if I have, it is becausethe sources ofsuch information are not so readily accessible to the generalreader- as are those ofmodern marriage ; and because there can be no

adequate knowledge of any human institution which does not tales cogni

came of the circumstances and condi tions fromwhich it was originally

If history teaches us that as civilization progresses affection ,charity ,

and human sympathy becomemore refined , purer, and deeper, it has alsoshown , if we have studied it to any purpose, that sexual anarchy and immorality have proven the almost invariable sequels of every advance ofsociety . Is the civilisation oftoday different fromthat of the Pharaoh ,

or ofLouis X IV , or ofAristides? And if so, if ft have deeper insight, higheridea ls, purer ethics , ormore common sense, in what way shall these helikely to sheet the position of woman, or the restraints put upon the lawlessnea ofsexual passion?The conflict between duty and desire is , I believe, not stronger today

than itwas two thousand years ago. Petronius Arbiterwas not converted

p. 507.

’ Lewin , lac. cit. , p. 231.

p. .81 ‘Dutt, Calcutta llccisw, r.xxxv. 79“fitudu historiques sur ls déveIOppment de la Société humaine,” Paris , 1850.

140

involved, and amore careful examination of the grounds, if such M y

exist, on which itmay, either conditionally or absolutely, be abrogated .

I amonly sorry that the nature ofthis work does not permit such an

extension of the subject as its importance seems to demand ; an importanceclearly established by, not only the conflicting conclusions arrived at bydifferent civilized communities , and religious faiths , concerning it , but bythe equally significant conflicts of interstate and international laws touching its legal andmoral nature.

Itmay he remarked , however, at the very beginning, that this confusion,

both secular and sacred , concerning the validity or propriety of di vorce canonly have arisen fromgrave diversity ofviews on the part ofthe law-makingpowers, not only ofthe countries themselves but ofthe various psrta , or

sections, of each.

Contrary to the opinion generally entertained , the period for whichmarriage is entered into varies greatly among the

Marriage Not different races ofman ; but, so far asmy reading hasAlways a Life enabledme to ascertain,

it seems tobe a pretty generalContract rule that the contract is not necemrily enta

'

ed into

for life.

“There are a fewremarkable instances of

vastly in aminority , compared with the thousands upon whomthemarriageobligation site very lightly, and who never permit it to stand in the way of

either pleasure orcaprice .

The natives ofthe Andaman Islands are , accordingDivorce Among to Mr. E. H . Man,married for life ; “

no incompatiSavages bility of temper, nor other cause , being allowed to

dissolve the union.

” So alsowith the Papuans ofNewGuinea ; with one or two insignificant tribmof the Indian Archipelago,and with the Veddahs ofCeylon, who have a proverb that “ death alone

The Romans are said to have honored with a crown ofmodesty thosewho were satisfied with only onemarriage andmany beautiful , al thoughisolated , instances are recorded ofRoman wives who, in the prime of life

the knmoledgs olthe pnwltion olwmpfion. Teaeh lhs pubh’

c howtomM iamand even the lowest ch sseswiutake sdvantage ofthis knowledge ; and thenumber ofragsmufins , illiterates , imbeciles, syphilitics , paupers and criminals willbereduced to a minimum”

! Quoted hy the Cn’

u'

e and Guide, NewYork, March. 1900.

It is best , possibly , to let such tesching pssswithout comrnent, n s startling evi

dence ofthe spirit ofthe times.

‘Westermarck , lac. cit , p. 517. Jaw. Anthr . Inst .m, 185 .

Vid. Val. Max , 11 . l- 3.

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 141

and beauty, at the death of their husbands , devoted the remainder oftheirlives to seclusion and chastity in memory ofthe dead .

‘

Taci tus applauded the Germans as models in this respect? and the

epitaph ,“univim, inscribed onmany Roman tombs , sufficiently attests

the adoption of his teaching by society in his day. The family ofCamillus

remarks concerning this custom to love a wife when living is a pleasure ;to love her when dead is an act of rel igion.

"

But the very fact that these instances of post-conjugal celibacy were so

highly applauded sufficiently proves their infrequency. The vastmass of

the Roman people were polygynous at all times, up to the advent andestablishment ofChristianity ; as were also the Greeks, Persians and almost

ofn pt, wheremonogamy with courwoncubinagewas the general custom.

Most savagemarriages are purematters ofpleas

Savage Life and abrogated on the sl ightest, or no, pretext. A

large portion of the oldmen in CentralAfrica do not

personally know halftheir children; and, per contra , thewell known aphorismabout the wisdomof the child who knows its own father finds nowhere else,

The great chiefs ofTasmania, Milligan remarks , “make no scruple abouta succession ofwivemm and in Samoa, ifthemarriage is contracted for

property , or the pleasures ofthe festivity, as is often the case, the wife isnot lilrely to bewith her husbandmore than a fewdays.

‘

Among the Dyaks , instances are common of young girls who havealready livedwith three or four husbands ;‘ and the Yendaline women inIndo-China have frequently families by two or three difierent husbands .

’

The Maldivians are so fond ofa change that it is not uncommonfor aman todivorce and remarry the samewoman halfa dozen timesf and Knox tells

us the Cingalwe have tomarry four or five times before they are suited

Burckhardt lmewBedouins offortywho had hadupwards offifty wives ;snd in Persia a wife is taken for a stipulated pa

-iod, whichmay vary from

“Omanis ,

”xxx.

'“Uxoremv amamsre voluptu ; ddunctsmreligio . Statius, Sylva .

"in

Vid. Bonwick , lac. cit , p. 73. Turner , lac. cit , p. 97.

Tram. 8 th» . Soc . N . n , 237. Oolquhotm, lac. cit , p. 75 .

Roo st, in Jaw. Ant/tr. Inst ,m, 169 . Pridham, loc. cit , r, 253.

1 42

who— indefiance ofthemonogamous customofantiquity—had “ been in thehabit of marrying a newwife every among the Moors of theSahara it is considered “ low "

for a couple to live together too long ; and

mirabile dicta ! as an example of how history repeats itself— “the leaders of

fashion were thosewho had been the oftenest divorced .

In Abyssinia marriage was entered into not for life but a number of

years ,‘

and the Bondo husband exchanged wives so frequently that it wasa puzzle to fix the fatherhood ofthe children. Both Rawlinson and Leckymention the facility ofdivorce rn Persia, as in perfect accordance with the

looseness ofIranian lawwith respect tomau iage and women in generai ;while among the Greeks and Teutons, although divorces sometimes weregranted , the practice never grew to the same disgraceful proportions as it

did in Rome during the close ofthe Republic and the beginning of the

Among uncivilized races, as amatter offact, amanmay discardhiswifeabout when he pleases . The Aleuts traded theirs for clothes , beads and

jack-knives? and a Tonga husband ’s lawof divorce was simply te ll ing hiswife to go .

’

Among the Hovas of Madagascarmarriage was only a beq mot, so

to speak ; and in Yucatan a husband considered it a

Chi ldren s Factor good and valid reason for divorce if he sawanotherin Divorce woman who pleased his fancy bette r. Greeks.

ancient Hebrews, Romans , and occasionally Germans,considered dislike a perfectly proper reason for putting away a wife ; divorcebeing regarded not as a matter ofpublic concern but a purely personal

act.“ The Greenlanders seldomrepudiate wives who have borne themchildren ;' and Mr. Powers says that the California Wintun, though hemay beat hiswife in amoment of passion , or slink away with another fairone , seldomresorts to divorce}0 The Iroquois regarded separation as dis

creditable, both to the man and woman ;u and among the Patsgonians,Charruas and Yahgans, if children have been born to them, absolute separations are rare . So among the Maoris, Solomon Islanders, NewGuineans,and in Tahiti , the birth ofchildren generally precluded divorce ; and Ewald

Respectfully submittedfor the considerstion ofhfr . 0wrge

Meredith.

Westermarck , lac. ci t , p. 520. Reade, lac. cit ,p . 444.

Lobo, lac. cit , p. 26 . Mackenzie , lac. al ,p . 125

‘Georgi , lac. ci t , p. 37 1 . 173 .

Westermarck, lac. cit , p. 521. Crane, lac. cit , x, 148 .

Loo. cit , p. 239 . Morgan , lac. ci t , p. 324.

144

which was frequentlymade use of. Thus in an old Chinese book it is re

corded that“when awoman has any quality that is ‘

not good,’it is but just

and reasonable to turn her out of doors.

” A wife was turned away if sheallowed the house to get full ofamcho, or if she ‘frightened the dog' withany disagreeable noise.

M Yet, notwithstanding these momentous and

weighty provisions, as we are told by Medhurst, divorces in China werecomparatively rare.

’

Although in Japan almost similar reasons held good , the Japanese sel

domavailed themselves ofthu s “statutory grounds

”

In Japan to repudiate a wife ; ’ and in spite of the pre judicedaccount given bymissionaries, chiefly, of themiserable

status of women in both countries , as amatter of personal observation,

I have found the treatment accorded themin China to be on the wholeremarkably kind and considerate , while in Japan women are honored as

among ourselves. If a daughter is born to a Chinese, it is looked on as a

misfortune, of course ; but one to be borne with , patiently , as amisfortune,and not visited with punishment upon the head ofthe innocent child. Adaughter is of little esteemor value while young and beauti ful; but whenshe becomes old aad ugly she is regarded with the greatest respect and

In Mohammedan countries religion regulates the lawof divorce. In

the absence of serious reasons,”

says a TurkishIn Turkey wri ,ter ‘ “

no Mumulman can justify divorce in the

eyes either ofre ligion or law. If he abandon his wife,or put her away fromsimple caprice, he draws down upcmhimself the divineanger ; for the Koran says ‘

the curse ofGod rests on himwho repudiateshis wife capriciously.

’ Practically, however, Westermarck states ,“a

Mohammedanmay, whenever he pleases, and without assigning any reason,say to his wife

‘thou art divorced ,’and shemust return to her parents or

friends.

"

In India ,“a wifewhodrinks spirituous liquor, is of hmconduct , rebel

In lndia time be supersededby another ; a banenwifemay bcsuperseded in the eighth year ; one whose children

alldie, in the tenth year; onewho bears only daughters , in the eleventh ;

Vid. Navare tte, lac . cit , p . 73. Trans . Roy. As. Soc ,China Branch, rv, 27 .

'“History ofHuman Marriage , p. 525 . A carefulreading ofthe Konmhowever,convinces me that Prof. Westermarclr is slightly in error here. The wife may bedivorced, as stated, on paymentofa stipulated am, but always within the strict limitations oflaw. See Sale'aKaron, 28 . 62, 348.

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 145

but (me who is quarrelsome, “without any delay.

“ In Southern India , atthe present time, while divorce is fairly common among the lower castes, itis not practised , according to Westermarck, among the Brahmins, theKshatriyas , or the higher class Sudras .

’

elude that continued life together is impossible, the latter goes out andbuys two candles, of equal size and length,made especially for the use of

the unhappilymated . These candles are lighted at the samemoment, onerepresenting the wife and the other the husband, and whichever burns outfirst wins the suit . The owner of the other, whether husband or wife, iscompelled tomarch out in his or her clothes , but with nothing ebe, leavingthe other party in undisputed possession .

In Rome, under the later Emperors , and doubtlmIn Spain and Ita ly through the permeating influence of Christianity,

the right of the husband to repudiate his wife wasrestricted by imperial domes, which laid down the circumstances underwhich divorce was legally justifiable.

' But the full doctrine ofmarriageindissolubility , as expressed in the text—

“what God hath joined togetherlet noman put asunder,“ while at alltimes advocated by the early Fathers,was not fully confirmed until the Council of Trent, in themiddle of thesixteenth century , definitely suppremed the last vestiges of divorce , so faras theChurchwas concerned , giving thereby not only a permanent impetus tothe progress of socialmorality , but laying the foundations of that powerfulinfluence which the Rmnan Catholic Church has in recent years exercised

against this ramdly growing social abuse. In Spain, Portugal and Italy

the husband can demand a legal separation—divorce amcnea ct Moro—butthemarriage contract cannot be dissolved in either country ; while in Francedivorcewas practically reintroduced by the lawofJuly , 1884.

In early Rome ,marriage being regarded , falsely,

or convenience of the contracting parties , its con

tinuancewas just as falsely considered to depend only on mutual consent .Either party possessed the right to discontinue it , and toman y at pleasure ; and it is quite reasonable to assume that, under such a lax rule of

obligation, the relationship should come to be treated with the extremest

Cicero repudiated his wife, Terentia, when his failing financial resourcesprompted himto seek for a newdowry ;‘ and Augustus forced the husband

“ Laws ofManu,

”rx, v, 80, ct seq.

“ Hist. ofHuman Marriage," p. 525 . Hindu Lawand Usage , Mayne, p . 95 .

‘Matthewm, 6.

xc

146 Human Sexualityoi via to repudiate her that hemightmarry ha ' himself.‘ Cato ceded his

wife to his friend Hortensius, resuming her after the latter’s death ; ’ Me

wife because she went to the public games without his knowledge ; ‘ and

Paulus Emilius defended himself for the same act by saying— “my shom

Normust it be assumed that the ladies neglected to exm'

c'me the same

there were women in Rome who reckoned their years rather by their hus

bu ds than the number ofconsuls ;' andMartialspeaks ofawomanwho hadalready arrived at her tenth husband.

7 Probably the most astonishing

instance of the kind , however, is the woman mentioned by St . Jerome,who wasmarried to her tweaty—lhird hueband, she being the latter

'

s twenlyfirx rcile

!

But it is an interesting fact for themoralphilosopher to speculate on, that

itwas dunng the period ofthe greatest sexualhbeninism, and socialcorrup

tion,in Rome, that we find the noblest examples ofconjugal love and

heroismever recorded in tbe worid’

s history. 1ntellectual culture waswidely diflused, andwomen, evenmore thanmen, seemed to draw fromitthemost exalted ideals ofconjugal duty .

I need only tomention Cornelia , the lovely and devotedwife ofPornpey,with Marcia , the friend , and Helvia , themother of Seneca , to direct thereader’s attention to a long list of illustrious women. Mallonia , plungingthe daggermto her heartnather than yield herselfto the embrsces offiberius ; Porcia , claiming the wife’s right to drare in the troubleswhich cloudedher husband

’s brow; Paulina , opening her own veins in order to acconrpany

her husband, Seneca , to the tomb; Arria, the wife ofPe tus, who,whmr hehesitated to strike the blowintended to take his own life, took the daggerfromhis hand and, plunging it into her own breast , gave it back to himsaying with her dying smile—“My Pretus, it doesn

’t hurt ! ”

But the list is too long even to enumerate. In allthe literature ofthe

type ofa pure , noble-minded , devomd wife ; and it would be diflicult toconceive, as it is equally difficult to reconcile with the prevailing immoralityofthe times , amore tmrching image ofconjugallove than that furnishdthemedallion, so common on all the Roman samophagi , of the husbandand wife, with their arms thrown afl

'

ectionately over one another, united indeath, even as theywere in life, andmaking the eternaljourney together .

Tacitus , Am, r, 10. Plutarch, Cato . Seneca , En ,cxrv.

Val. Max, vr, 8. Plutarch, PM . E nd.

‘Senaca. De Bowel. m,16 .

W e 7 1. 7 En. 2.

“ Pate, non dolot ! — Pliny.

1 48 Human Sexualityhusbandmust be convicted ofother ofiences beside that of adultery . In

Spain and Portugal judicial separationmay be decreed on the ground ofadultery by the wife; but not when the same crime is committed by thehusband, unless it be under

“aggravating circumstances.

”

The fact that in the United States, aswel l asmost other civilised na tions,statistics show that women are by far themore frequent petitioners fordivorce,maybe taken as presumptiveevidence that the causemore frequentlylieswith theman than the woman ; since, in the vastmajori ty ofcases , the

latter sufi'

ersmost through the remedial act. She is deprived at once, not onlyofherpropermeans ofsupport ,but,whatever her innocence , ofno smallportion ofher re putation as well . That the latter is unfair andunjust, in mostinstances , is only another proof ofthe fallacy ofhuman judgments , but in

nowise alters the fact, nor ameliorates the hardships attending it ; not tomention the equally obtrusive circumstance that a divorced woman, whethervoluntarily or involuntarily , not only exposes herself tomuchmischievousgossip, but puts herself directly in the pathway of temptation.

Indeed, as Churcher says ofthe Moors , andKatscher ofthe Chineee and

Arabs, in any society “the divorced woman too often goes to swell the

ranks of the prostitutes .

When aman and womanmarry fromlove, there is a pledge that theunion will bemore secure and permanent than when

Causes of Divorce founded onmere utilitarian considerations ; but when ,

as Father Bourien says ; as a certain Philadelphiapriest has recently said ; and as the Catholic Church has always taught,“when people marry without knowing each other, and live together without loving each other,

” which rs wrong, false, and sinful , it is scarcely surprising that they should part without regre t , and,marrying and remarrying,become , in the course oftime, little if any better than common profiigatesand prostitutes .

’

There is hardly a question of doubt that themutual deceptions of thesexes are a prolific cause ofbothmatrimonial unhap

MutualDeceptions pinces andultimate separation. Men puton an aspecta Factor entirely false to their real nature during courtship,

practise politenem, manners, afiability , concealingthe vicious sides of their nature

s,and aflecting qua

lities ofheart which

Betrothal, Marriage, Divorce 149

to be void in the eyes ofthe law. Give one ofthese a tolerably fair pair

ofeyes ,”as he cynically remarks , to ast upbusinesswith , and shewillmake

boscun , lips , cheeks , forehead , dimples and eyebrows solely by her ownindustry ;

”but how shall she conformto the God-given ideal of natural

beauty so gracefully described by a certain poet in the picture of his

Her pure and eloquent bloodSpoke in her cheeks , and so distinctly wrought,That one would almost say her body thought ?"

Or in whatmanner shall she greet her husband, when these adventitiousa ids to beauty have disappeared , and the dull eye, the sallow, withered skinand lifeless hair, reveal a picture shockingly difl

'

erent fromthe one he

courted? And shall they not be judged ,“ these that paint their eyebrows,

and deck themselves with ornaments,” shall they not be judged “after the

manner of adulteresses , after themanner of women that shed blood?“It seems one of the stmngest anomalies in nature that the

“painted

face, which has been accepted as the distinguishingmark ofthe prostitute ,

fromthe days of Jezebel , and the “strange women” ofNineveh and Baby

lon down to our commonest street-walkers, should be so sedulously cultivated by the belles ofmodern society ; and that virtuous women shouldcling so tenaciously to a customwhich , while without enhancing theirbeauty or concealing its defects , has been accepted in allages as the badgeof degradation. What queer crochet of mind is it that makes a womanwant to look like what she is not— a prostitute ? Answer it who can.

artifices , can neither be oflong duration nor of any essential degree of

refinement . Beauty imelf, even when real and natural , as I have alreadypointed out, is not always by anymeans a sure guaranteeofhappiness in themarried state . It is not to themfrivolous and evanescent charms ofpersonthnt aman should lookwhen he seeks a wife, a lover, a friend, a lifelongcompanion . As a rule, female beauty is but the well-spring of a thousandfopperies, falsehoods , silly artifices and shallow affectations ; which , thoughtheymay lend sparkle and charmto the drawing- room, or dancing-school ,are eadly out ofplace in the home ,where the substantialvirtues—childrenof a higher love—kindness , consideration, sympathy , forbearance, all thoseagreeable qualities ,which not only cultivate themind and heart but fashionthe behavior, are the sweet pledges of happiness and conjugal peace .

It is the writer’s hope that as certain psychical causes , which are alwaysoperative in refined civil ization, become more strongly developed , theremay be a gradualstrengthening of themarriage tie; and that the questionJohn Donne,was. Ezekiel xxm.

1 50 Human Sexualityofdivorcemay be shorn ofmany ofits present terrible abuses. Indeed, agreater consideration forwoman, the higher status of the patemalfeelm,

more solicitude for the welfare of the child , and (may we indulge the be

fruit inmost civilised communities.

A husband, legally at least, cannot repudiate his wife whenever heplewes ; a wife cannot ,without inviting the censure and scrutiny of society,if nothingmore , divorce herself fromher husband. Marriage has becomea contract, not ofpersonal , but of State super-mien; and the idealistic commandment ofthe Church is beginning to harmonise, notwithstanding itsfrequent and flagrant violations ,more andmore with themental andmorallife ofthe people ; so that , I amoptimistic enough to assume, we mayconfidently look forward to a day whenmen and women, gleaning wisdomfromthe lessons of experience, and the precepts of religion ,

and finding no

longer an easy pathway ofescape fromthe coa uences of their own folly ,may learn to scrutinize more closely the character of their matrimonialinvestments, andmarriage become oncemore , what God originally ordainedit to be, a holy , loving and lifelong relation, having for its purpose not only

There is a spirit of antagonism, however, apparentApparent between the sexes today—notuniversal ,but sufficiently

An tagon ismof so to attract passing attention— which is as unnaturalthe Sexes as it is unaccountable. A portion of itmay be traced

to women’swholesale entrance intomaeculinc employments ; another portion, possibly , to sexual resentment on her part for the

viewing the latter as one of volition on the part ofmen, rather than sternnecessity, born ofthe industrial competition of whichmen are the unwillingvictims ; but there remains yet a great portion ofthe prejudice to be reason

As women commonly despise physical beauty in aman, somen in turnare jealous ofnothing somuch as any invasion of their sexual prerogatimby women ; and in view ofthe following statements, collected fromvariousnewspaper sources during the past year, andgiven , of course, as such , withoutany pretense to scientific value,we may be led to inquire if the m a!

supremacy of the futuremay not be based asmuch on physical strength as

A lady atMonongahela , Pennsylvania,was so rejoiced , when her husbandreturned fromhis hunting trip , that she embraced himwith such vigor asto a plode the cartridge in his gun. A gentleman in Buflalo had h is n

'

bs

fractured by a hug fromhis “ best girl ;”

and a cahman suffered from of

1 52 Human Sexualityearly Church sought to surround the institution ofmarriage ; and is probablynomore significant a reaction thmis apparent in other dimtions . M th

the lawregardingmarriage as a civil contract , and religion pronouncingit a sacred andmoral institution ; with one part ofsociety viewing divorceas a penalty upon the delinquent spouse, and another as a refuge for theinnocent ; it is hardly to be wondered at that we should have not only thepresent inconsistencies of legislation in regard to it , but that indifferencetouching the obligations ofmarriage itself which is so deplorable a characteristic ofthe times .

It would be unjust , however, to leave the subject without a passing

glance at itsmedical side ; disease, either ofmind or

Disease body , with the vicious propensities incident thereto,being the most frequent oi all the causes ol dworce.

The State of Iowa , I believe, was the first in this country to take up thematter ofphysical andmental fitness tomarry , in discussing the divorceevil . le gislators there advised the appointment of amedical commissionto pass upon the physical andmental condition ofevery applicant for a

marriage license. Other States have since suggested variously modifiedprovisions of this general principle ; but, through the old stereotyped cry

that such legislation would be“an abridgment of individual liberty .

"

and “an infringement ofconstitutional right ,” nothing definite owns, so

far, to have resulted .

If such legislation could be had, however ; ifmarriage were surroundedby proper safeguards, and subjected to proper sanitary supervision , Iunhesitatingly venture the opinion that divorcewouldfallofits ownweight}

For the Divorce Laws ofthe United States see Bishop, “Marriage and Divmee,

CHAPTER FOUR

FECUNDAT ION. ABORTION, INFANTICIDE

AVING glanced briefly at betrothal ,marriage, and divorce , theirrelation to society , and the lawofattraction between the sexes , Icome nowto consider, prior to an attempt to deal with the

sexual impulse itself, that crowning pleasure of life—sexual intercourse ; and the task is by nomeans easy. The taste ofan orange, though

pleasant , and simple, is exceedingly difficul t to describe ; and at the verythreshold of the subject we aremet by physiological facts and phenomenawhich must be dealt with in the plainest possiblemanner, ifwe would havewhatwe setout tosay rendered clear andunambiguous. The systemhithertoadopted , by writers on sex themes, ofclothing a portion oftheir subject in a

fore ign language— French , German, orLatin ,— Iamnot in sympathy with .

It not only fails inmany cases ofthe very purpose aimed at in the work, ofimparting useful information, but adds the sill iness ofa mock-modesty ,and thinly veiled secrecy, to what is an eminently proper subject for scientificdiscus ion . For thme reasons I have concluded to adopt a perfectly franktone , in the inquiry yet beforeme, as not only best adapted to the full andunhampered expression of my views, but as, to my mind , by far the

lamimmodest method . Therefore,“ if any man be ofiended, let him

turn the buckle ofhis girdle ; I care nct l”

The modus operandi of the sexual act itself is so well understood as

to require little explanation. My experience is that boys and girls , even,who do not understand it are usually of exceedingly tender years . Duringsexual maturity desire is a physiological law. Girls living in cities comeimder its influence a year earlier, as a rule , than those living in the country ;and the larger the city , the earlier development takes place .

‘

In women the activity of the reproductive organs is briefer thanwithmen,inwhomthe sexual power , as I have already shown, sometimes continues intoadvanced age. There are no well-authenticated cases ofvery late fecundityin women ; and

“the deadness ofSarah ’s womb ,” spoken of by Paul ,’ was

only overcome— ii at all—bymiraculous agency .

‘Krafl‘

t-Ebing, loc . cit , p. 23. Romans iv, 9 .

r54 Human SexualityThe sexualinstinct is , primarily, a function of the brain ; and while as

yet there is some doubt as to its localized region there in , the fact thatthought, either as a result ofsight , or touch , or without either, is commonlynecessary to procure erection ofthe penis in the male, and tumescence inthe female , sufficiently indicates that those conditions are of cerebralor igin. Goltz and Eckhard placed the erection-center between the brainand sexual apparatus , connectedwith both by the sensory nerves.

‘ Thiscentermay be excited by psychical or intrinsic irritation ofthe nerve- tractin the brain , or cervical portion ofthe spinal cord , as well as by external

irri tation of the sensory nerves of the penis of themale, the clitoris of

the female, or other parts of the body which are known to exerciman

influence upon the power oferection,— in the latter instances the erection

taking place independently ofwill power.

Simultaneously with such irritation, there is a dilatation of the capillaryblood- vessels of the penis or of the clitoris, with their surrounding vascularstructures , and pressine being exerted upon the former by distention

of the involved organs , the return of the blood is impeded ; this retentionofthe blood is aided by the contraction ofthemusclcs of the part, and

erection supervenes, brief or prolonged , weak or vigorous, in propm'tion

to the control which the nerve andmuscular systems exercise upon the

vascular and erectile tissues .

Reflex irritation ofthe centermay be caused by disease of the urethra(gonorrhea) ; by disease of the rectum(hmmorrhoids) ; of the bladder (cystitis) ; and by normal distention of the semina l vesicles. The erectionsoccurring during sleep aremost commonly due to the latter cause, although

vowels, fromlying on the back.

That this erection-center is in some dw under

The Sexual brain control , is shown by the fact that sudden shock

the er ection; and also by the fact that the sexual actmay be considerablyprolonged by keeping themind fixed upon an entirely difl

'

erent subject .‘The pedunculi cerebri and the pons are probably nervous pathe through which

sexual impressions are conveyed to the brain , the erection-center being stimulatedby direct irritation ofthe nerve-tracts ofthe corpora. aswell asby peripheralirritationof the sensory nerves ofthe penis, clitoris and their annexe. The nervi erigenta ,

running in the first three sacral nerves , convey to themuscles ofthe penis the erect ileimp i las , in this case an inhibito ryone , acting , according to Kolliker and Kohlrausch,upon the ganglionic nervemechanismofthe corpora cavernous , re laxing the latter’ssmoothmuscular fibers and permitting the free entrance ofblood into their spaces. By

r56 Human SexualityProfessor Most relates the case ofa young peasantwho had excited

manykerchief under his armwhile dancing , and afterwards wiping his partner’s

perspiring face with it; and it is recorded that the betrothal ofthe Kingof Navarre and Margaret of Valois was brought about by the former accidentally drying his face on a garment ofMaria ofCleves which wasmo’mtwith her perspiration. An analogous instance is told of Henry IV , whose

pamion for the beautifulGabriel is said to have begun at a bfl where be

wiped his face with her handkerchief ; and although not, tomy knowledge, previously recorded, I have been told, by those who ought to know,

that the natural odor ofthe negro is greatly increased by sexual excitament. The fact that these phenomena occur, however, for themost part,only among the lowest races , and thmwho have in greatmeasure sub

ordinated intellect tomere animal passion, tends to strengthen the conclusion of Krafl

'

t-Ebing ,’ as well as of the present writer, that olfactory impressions inman , under normal conditions , “ do not play an important rblein the excitation of the sexual—center .

”

That passionmay be induced , however, by cas

Castigati on as a tigation or whipping is so well established thatSexua l Stimulant parents and nurses would do well to avoid the prsc

tice generally . Many boys, particularly , have beenled intomasturbation, during the first excitation of the sexual imtinct, byspanking, Krafft-Ebing states ; and the case of Maria Magdalena, the

Carmelita nun , whowas initiated into the sexual delights by the whippingsofthe prioress ; and of Elizabeth ofGenton, who passed into a conditionofbacchanalian frenzy under the same punishment ; as well as the statement of Taxil that rakes have sometimes flagellated themmlves just beforethe sexual act, to stimulate their diminished powers , all bear witm tothe connection, in some cases at least , of corporal punishment with the

sexual activities !

Russian women are nevermore pleased than when receiving a drubbingat the hands oftheir husbands ; and Peter Petrius relates the story of a

lazy fellow who was practically impotent until he had induced the fa naletitutes has been partially inhibited , and in some cases absolutely wa nted, by thestrong perfumeswhich these persons habitually use ; and as to the admitted fondusofwhores andmale voluptuaries for flowers , amore fruitful field ofinquiry, I believe.would be found in thewell-known close relation between the sexual and the “ Jud ie

and artistic senses , although the suggestion, tomy knowledge , has never been hi thertoput forth.

Krafl'

t -EbingJoa cft , p. 27 . M .

Vid. Paullini ,“FlagellumBalutis, Stuttgart , 1847 .

Fecundation, Abortion, Infanticide 1 57

tobsat himwellwith awhip he carried for that purpose.

‘ There aremanyother such cm recorded; and not only havemen been thus excited to

pamicn and lasciviousness , butwmnen also have, by the same masna, badtheir sexualpleasures greatly intensified. Itwas for this that Roman womenwere whipped by the tumour; and it is a well-known physiological factthat erection and orgasm, even ejaculation itself,may be induced by irritation ofvarious portions ofthe body , far removed fromthe sexual system.

I knowof a case where a highly passionate girlRubbing and habitually experienced the sexual pleasure with herSucking the lover fromhis rubbing his cheek against her nipples ;

Female Bream and there is probably no woman, in whomthe sexualfeeling is not absolutely dead , whomay not be aroused

to the highest pamion, and thus easily seduced, by a man sucking her

breasts.

In the Topographical Anatomy (I , 552) Hyrtl calls this warming -aria ,

and tells ofa case where, frombeing thus suckad by her lover, the girl

learned to do it herself, andderivedfromthe act themost intense pleasure .

Thus , the fact , sumciently well known, that cows suck their own udders,is farmore probably due to sezmlfesling than the causei generally ascribedto

Inmen, physiologically, the penis itself, and sometimes the scrotum,

are the only seats ofsexual excitation, although the practice ofpederastyintercourse by the rectum— is probably best explained by amociating thenerves ofthe anuswith the sexual- center ; and it is well known thatwomenmetise putting their tongues intomen’

smouths to excite themsexually.

The psycho-physiological processes involved in theThe E sthetic sexual impulse would appear to be , then, thementalFactor in concept ofsexualpleasum, and the redization of that

Sexuali ty pleasure as derived from, or simulating, the sexualact. Butmany factors govern the intcnsity of the

mus ! feeling. Theman who embraces a beautiful , passionate woman

fru n the act a greater degree ofpleasure than'

the sexually feeble man,having intercom-ea with an old or repulsive woman ; and so closely is theu thetic idea amociatedwith sexual feeling that disgusting acts, or habitsof uncleanlinem,may inhibit it altogether.

’

tution, and theman who picks a woman up in the streets knows perfectlywell that he is about to travel a verywell- beaten road, the psychological

Krafft-Ebing, loc . eft. , p . 30.

‘Thcss facts pretty fairlybcaroutmy suggestions in a later portlon ofthisworlr.

1 58 Human Sexualityinstinct of aimership, neverthaless, strugglas tomsert itself; and notbmso cheapens and lessens tha pleasure of the act as the reflection thst

reasons, is fortunately inherent in man ; and the moral freedomof tbe

individual, in this , as in everything else, ismanifested in the power oftbeinhibiting concept to overcome organic imnulae.

The quite uniformexperience of physicians, therefore, is that sexualdiseases are contractedmainly , ifnot entirely, not through the strangth

ofthe sexual impulse, but through the loss of inhenent aversion for filthand prostitution , and the weakening of the will-power , through alcohol ,

libidinous passion, render it, at the same time, less capable ofmoral isstriction within safe l ines . In other words , a drunken man will go withawomanwho, in his sobermoments, would be perfectly loathsome to him.

The organs ofgeneration i t ismy purpose barelytomention. Their anatomy is already well knownto the physician ; and this work being ofa psychopathic rather than physiological character, the more

intimate structure of those various parts may very properly be left to themanuals on the latter subject. Briefly , however, the female organs ofgeneration are— the Mons VENERIS ,

VoLva , Vaoma , with its outer and

inner lips, and the Ca re ers . The Mons Veneris , or“Mountain of

Venus, is the soft rounded eminence between the thighs and beneaththe abdomen, covered with ha ir at puberty, which by its physical beauty ,as well as its delightful and occasionally penitential history , well justifiesthe name applied to it by the ancients—Mountain of Love. The labia

majmu , or large outer lips ofthe vagina , are folds of integument coveringthe labi

'

o mi rrors , the inner and lm lips , which close the orificc to the

vag ina , andwhich in the virgin are fresh and pink ofhue, as distinguished

flabby in texture .

Both the inner and outer labia are supplied with follicles , which secretea thickmu

cus , intended to lubricate the passage during intercourse. and

tion in the woman, is a body whichmay be found in the upper entrance

of the vagina , immediately below the Mons Veneris , by slightly separating the external labia , and is usually about an inch in length , but sometimes abnormally developed to four, or even five incbes in length.

160 Human Sexualityln the human female, we are lad to beliem, the spennatosoa retain their

a lowtemperature , arrests thesemovements ; sugar and water, and salinesolutions , afl

'

ect thembut little ; and the only possible way to destroythem, totally , in their normalmedium, appears to be by chemical agents.

These— alcohol , acids ,metallic salts, narcotics , antiseptics , etc— not onlyinhibit theirmovements , but absolutely destroy their cell-life by dimolvingits albuminous structure ; a fact which will bemore fully dea lt with whenwe come to consider thepossible prevention ofconception.

The purpose ofthe sexual act is to bring abcut

Insemination ameeting ofthe spermatocoon of themale with thatof the female ; a meeting which occurs most com

monly in the womb, but which may take place either in the vag ina , the

Fallopian tube, or the ovary , sometimes constituting, in the latter casm. an

abnormal or extra-uterine pregnancy.

To bring about thismeeting ofthemale and female seed all themeansofattraction between the sexes which I have already noted under the headofsexual choice , all the powers ofthe sexual instinct , the desire for children, love , sympathy, association, everything embodied in the great DrvmsPoarosn or Paocas a'

rion , are brought into play. And it is a beautifulstudy , to themind which understands it , as far as itmay be understood,to watch the various wheels in thismysteriousmechanism, each performingits allotted function with unfail ing nicety , and, as the planets completetheir great solar, or lunar orbits, by its harmonious rhythmrounding out the

First there is the longing for sexual satisfaction, arising fromtumescencc,and the centrally or peripherally awakened sexual concepts ; the temptationoffemale beauty ; love , with all that it implies , lust , excited by irritationofthe erection-center, rush ofblood to the sexual organs, hyper-emin, andthat bounding emction of the penis which is the first condition ofa soul

But the erection- center is not alone influenced byPleasure of the the venereal pamion.

‘ The nervous excitma i t is

Copulativc Act distributed to all themotor nerves ofthe spinal axis

(engorgement) of the penis, the clitoris, and the lips ofthe vulva ; injectionof the conjunctive , starting of the eyes , dilatation of the pupils , quickpalpitation ofthe heart, with shivering , nervous tremors , and short. gaspingbreath . In fact , both the muscular and nervous systems are highly ai

fected; more highly in themale than the in h ale, though the pleasurable‘Comp. Anjel ,Arch. far e VIII

, 2.

Fecundation, Abortion, Infanticide 16 1

teeling of the act, while slightly weaker, is continued longer in the latter

act is synchronous with the passage of the semen through the vm’

culc

muscles into the urethra ; that which precedes it being the pleasant titillation cf the sensory nerves which surround ths head ofthe penis, whichcontinues to grow in intensity with the progress ofthe intercourse, untilit at last culminates in ths suprane nervous shock— the discharge of thestored up nerve-energy of the whole period of tumescence—which aecompanies themnimion ofthe semen, andwhich then gradually subsides and

Fromthemoment the penis enters the vagina , however, there is pleasureto themale ; while , froma variety ofcauses— irritability, or disease, of thevaginal mucous membrane ; shortm of the vagina l tract ; abnormallength of the penis , forcibly driven against themouth of the womb ; in factfrorn any one ofa dosen different causes— the same may not be true as

Indeed , prostitutes , as a rule , have a horror and dread oftheman witha big and long penis , and prefer by lar the less os

Comparative Sizes tentatiously decorated individual , whose memberofMen's Penises reaches the clitoris equally well , producing the same

pleasure without the attending pain, and, best of

all, for their purposes at least , producing the same revenue) This statement , I know, takes a spoke out of the wheel ofthe fellow who prides

Dupouy tells us that the first temple ofVenuswas built fromthe revenue derivedfromthe licensing of prostitution in Rome . Butielius Bar-rue , and other professedlibel-tines having M ed three ofthe vestals , Aimilia, Licin ia, and Marcia , and the

contagion ofsexualvice becoming so flagrant andwidespresdfl twas determined toresort to legislation for its supprersion. The tax on courtesanswas incresssd, and fromthis source , chiefly, a temple was built and dedicated to Venus , under the surnameVerticordia, signifying that ths goddemuras invoked to tummen’s heans fromlust to

Venus, imder the surname E taira,wss regarded as the especial patroness ofprostitutes (hetaira ). In Athens and Corinth thu swere the legaLsometimes taxed, com'te

sons, ofwhomthemost noted nammsre Aspasia ,Phi-yes , and Lois . Hospitalitywith

the h st , whose hu dquu temwemat 00finth ,was fixed atmch fabulous pfices that itp vc rise to the old saying—non lice! mnibus adire Cm-ivuham— “

not everyone can

M a good time at corinth.

"In addition to the hdm’mat Athens wers the dicta »

M a sort ofnon-pmfessional prostitutes who were sometimes called on— ss , Ihave been told, some of our shop and factory-girls are here—to help out at certain

seasons ofunusual activity in those lines . Fromthe hnes—l the girls whomlik-ideanourishes in its sacred waves "— it is probable that the dicta -ions were recruited fromcountries bordering on the Po ; and Eubulimgives sorne advice to the young Athenianswhich eouldbe verywellappliedby youths ofour own lsrgs cities , to go to the didsriom,

I !

1 62 Human Sexualityhimselfon the weight and caliber ofhis artillery, and puts a premiumrather upon smalland active

“

quick firers ;”but I think it is bome out by

the facts ; and, indeed, outside ofthose cases where the normal development ofthe penis has been arrested bymasturbation in boyhood, or other

causes , I have found little difi'

erence in the relative siaes ofthe various

adult organs in e state oferection, in the same sized men. Through dif

ferences in vascularity , one penis will become flaccid, and nearly “ invisible,"

by loss ofblood , during the intervals of erections ; while another, alwaysretaining a great quantity of the vital fluid , will seemboth larger and longer ;but, when the parts are fully engorged , and themuscles distended undersexual excitement, there will be found , I think , less diversity as to sine

in the penises than in thebodies ofdiflerentmen.

The distinctive event to the man in ths act of

intercourse is the orgasm, accompM ed by amine!ejaculation. This phenomenon depends on a gen

ito-spinal center , situated , as some think ,‘ at the

levelofths fourth lumbar vertebra. Being a reflex center, its stimulationnaturally follows that of the sensory nerves ofthe glans penis, as soonas the sscretion ofsemen has reached a point sufficient to stimulate the

ejaculation-center, the nerve responding and emission taking placeThe climax of the physical act consists in a spasmodic contraction of

the bulbo-cavernosus muscle, due to the influence just described , whichforces the semen along the urethra and fromthemouth of the penis , thuscompleting the second stage of the sexual act; the third and last stsge

being that period of delightful lassitude and languor which follows thesexual excitement, and in which both beings—for the woman also has

pmd through an equally voluptuous experience—lie in one another’sarms , in the sexual analspsis, until the re cuperated powers of nature fitthemfor a repetition ofthe delightful but exhausting process.

The sexualimpulse is not the same in allpersons . Those of sanguinetemperaments are voluptuous, romantic , and given to fetichism. By

instead oftrying to prostitute decent women . The priestessss ofIshtar—themm,

or“holy ones

”—were prostitutes ; as were also the Sibylline prim of Libya ,

Delphi , Cum, Samoa, Marpessa ,Ancyra and Tiburtis ; but it is s h ot ofhhtory that

prostitution ,

“for revenue only,” is peculiarly a vice ofcivilization ; sexual profligaey

tribal, - os superstitious Observances ; as at the great Tammuz festival among the

Bahylonians, for instance, where appeals through it weremade to Nature , the p eatmother, tomanifest her generative functions and to strengthmand favor those of

man . (Vid. Gerard-Ven t , “L’

Ignorance et l’Irreflexion,

" Paris, 1899 ; Jastrow,

“Religion ofBabylonia,” pp . 485 ,

Kraflt-Ebing , lac. cit , p. 33. See, also, Foster , “Text-book ofPhysiology.

"

164 Human Sexualityoffar greater sexualpassion than those inwhomsuch physicalpminences

do not exist. The same observation has beenmade in regard to animals; ‘while, although the re lation ofthe lesser brain to the sexual impulse, asfirst set forth by Gall, has been strongly criticised by Mobius and other laterwriters,’ it is a well-known fact that disease ofthe cmbellumdoes impairor destroy the sexual desire ; and, equally , that stimulation of the me

Carpenter mentions the case of a man whose sexual proelivities had

always been under normal control, but who , through inflammation of thecerebellum, developed an intractable satyriasis before death ; and anotherinstance ofa young oflicer who, falling fromhis horse, received a blowon

the back ofthe head whichmade himimpotent for life.

’ Thus it wouldseemthat , notwithstanding the contrary trend of modern physiologicalteaching, there are yet sufficient facts within our reach— one being thatheaviness and dullness ofthe back ofthe head which we have all felt aimsevemsexual indulgence

—to warrant us in believing that the cerebellumdoes in some way influence the amorous and voluptuous passions . Thisphysiological point, however, is not a part of our present inquiry.

The office ofthe uterus, along with that of childThe Physi ology bearing , is to receive the semen of the male , andof Pecundation conduct it into the Fallopian tubes , through which ,

if not interrupted in its journey , it passes onward tothe ovaries . But thew k ofthe womb does not , asmany suppose, receivethe fluid directly fromthe intromittent penis ofthemale . It is thrown.

at the orgasm, or“ going ofl ” of the latter, into a little pouch- like receptach

at the upper portion of the vagina, formed by the dilatation ofthe neckofthe womb , and is introduced into the latter, frequently , long after intercourse, partly by the ammboidmovement of the spermatosoon itself, andpartly by a function of the vagina which has been well described byBlundell .‘ “This canal , he remarks, during the heat , is never at rest.

It shortens and lengthens , changing continually in its circular dimensions ;and when irritated , will sometimes contract to one- third its quiescentdiameter.

” Howwell adapted this curiousmovement is, not only for theintroduction ofthe semen at the opening, but to heighten the pleasure of

themale, it is needless to explain.

Even if the ejaculatory act ofthe male were suficiently vigorous tothrowthe semen beyond this pouch , or aga£nst themouth ofthe womb,

‘Oomp. Darwin,

“Descent of Man ;” Johnston ,

“Relation of Menstruation to

the Reproductive Functions ,” andWallace, “Tropica l Nature.

See H . Ellis , lac . cit , vol.m.

See also, on this subject , Krafl'

t-Ebing, loc. cit , p . 373, at seq. Lee. cit , p. 55.

Fecundation, Abortion, Infanticide 1 65

the close approximation of the lips ofthe latter would efl'

ectually bar its

entrance . But the cilia , or hair- like processes, ofthe lining membrane,by their swayingmotion , gradually draw it up within the neck— almost asa drop ofwater pressed bstween two pisces ofglass will rise to the uppermargin of the latter—and by a peculiar “

swallowing ”motion, also possemsd by the bladder , attract it inward to the fundus ofthe womb .

It will thus be seen that fecundation, so far frombeing simultaneouswith the sexual act ,may take place at any time subsequently , compatiblewith the duration of intravaginal cell- life in the spermatoblast ; and, also ,howfutile and foolish are somany of the means resorted to to prevent

conception by temporarily covering the neck of the womb with “sponges,

”

ve ils ,”and othermischievous contrivancss during the act of copula tion.

Whilemany ingenious theories have been advancedImpregnation and in recent years touching the precise point , or period ,its Prevention at which impregnation takes place, it is regrettable

that at the present stage of the investigations no

authoritative judgment , founded on ac tual knowledge, can be passed.

Fromobservations , however, made in a great number of cases by Tait ,Kruger, Pozzi , Schroeder and others, it is apparently certain that it mustoccur, as to time , during the firsthalf ofthemenstrual period , andmost probably within a week after the cessation ofthe catamen ia l flow. Raciboski

observed sixteen cases in which conception occurred as late as the tenth dayafter ; and fromwhat l have been enabled to glean froma vastmass of

literature on the subject , it is fair to assume that fully ninety-nine per cent .ofall cases occur within twelve days after termination of themonthly flow.

There is little substantial evidence to support the theory that impregnation may occur at any time by themers rupture ofan ovisac ; nor isit at all probable that the ovummay be retained in the Fallopian tube

fromonemenstrual period to another ; the contrary, indeed , being prettyfully established by examination ofanimals .

Themostmobabls hypothesis is that the ovum, after ejection fromtheovary , is fromsix to twelve days in passing through the tube , and thatimpregnation occurs within that place and per iod. Fouchet extends thetime to fourteen days , as does also M . Costs ; but the slight diflerence intime is of little consequence, the important feature ofthe discussion beingto fix the place andmethod in which, and by which, impregnation takes

This has apparently been done ; at least with such a degree of certaintyas to justify us in behaving that whenever a conception takes place aftertu twelfth or fourteenth day of the menstrual interval , it is owing tothe Graafian vesicle having failed to discharge the ripened ovum, the one

1 66 Human Sexualitywhich came tomaturity at the previous menstrual period ; which ovumbeing ruptured hy the excitement of sexual intercom-se at any time prior

The summary ofour established facts , then, seema to be, that it isduring themenstrual period that the female ova are ripened. That fromthe ovary they are discharged into the Fallopian tube, the jmnney throughwhich occupies themfromsix to fourteen days , according to functionalactivity , and that, if impregnation occur at all, itmust occur before theovumhas passed out ofthe tube. Should it not be fertilised by themalespermatozoon within ths tubc, or within thc ovary itsclf, there will be miniprcgnation, the ovumpassing into, and being lost in, thewornb.

Then , if five days be allowed for menstruation, and fourteen for the

m e ofthe ovumthrough the tube, there remains—and this is the point

I use the word cannot, ofcourse, only as a substitute for “extreme im

five hundred cases—being such as to practically exclude it fromconsideration. The question then arises— knowing what we do concerning the

phenomenon of fecundation, only a bate outline of which is here givmmirethere circumstances, physical , mental , moral , social or domestic , whichwould justify us in preventing it? For , that it can be prevented , notwithstanding all that has been written to prove the reverse, scarcely admitsof a doubt .Ofcourse as to the graver question ofabortion, or fceticide , there can

be no serious conflict ofmoral judgment ; al thoughAbortion the frequency with which the crime is committed ,

in these late r days , is sufficient evidence that civilization itself, ifit teaches, fails absoluwto guard , the sanctity of humanlife ; and that there is no power in education, law, refinmnent, nor any

other influence, save that possibly ofreligion , to repremsavage and utilitarian instincts, and subordinate themto the best uses ofsociety. Indeed ,there appears to be a growing sentiment , born chiefly of the crime , degradation and suffering ofthe very poor, with a too slavishmgard for the not

clearly defined , and verymuch overrated, lawof human heredity,‘ which

In an address before the Scientific Convention ofthe University ofPmmylvania,

Philadelphia , Dee , 1904, Dr. Spitrka , ofColumbia University, clearly defined themodern reaction fromLombroso’a pet theory of“criminal heredity." showing tha t thereis no such thing as a

“criminal type," and that “the classification ofcrimina ls must

rest on observation ofeach individual. his antecedent history, and his men tal andphysical condition .

”

168 Human Sexualitydoctrinal changes or opinions. But whatever oi gain has resulted to humanity fromsuch a beliefhas been purchased at a tremcndous price, inthat complete stultification of human reason which alone could have

Of the Augustinian teaching of the damnation ofunbaptzieed infants,it is not an exaggeration to say, as has been said ,

‘ that it sum s in atrocitythemost hornblemnet ofmy pm cmed; andwould, were it indeed a

part of Christianity ,more than justify the term“ pernicious superstition”

which Tacitus applied to the Faith of the Nazarene . That a littminnocentbabe , created without any will ofits own , living but a fewhours beforebirth , and dying without themystic sprinkling ofa fewdrops ofwater.should bemade responsible before God for its ancestors having eaten someforbidden fruit , six thousand years before, and doomed , for this ancestralcrime, to burn forever in a lake ofunquenchable fire, and that by the command ofan all-righteous , all-merciful God, is at once so fantastically absurd,and so unspeakably horrible , that , as Mr . Lecky justly says , its adoptionmight well lead thinking men “ to doubt the universali ty of moral percaptions .

“

The teaching, so far frombeing associated in any way with the sweet,tender, holy andmerciful creed of the Chr ist , is simply demonismin itsworst , wildest , cruelest andmost inhuman form; and far wickeder thanany act the inventive genius ofman has yet been able to ascribe even tothe devil .Probably themost active agent in promoting the wicked pract ices of

abortion and infanticide in the United States, as wellCh ief Cause of as England , is the obloquy , notwithstanding the sex

the United States violations of the laws of chastity on the woman’

s

and England part . It is no crime on the part ofaman to commitadultery , to seduce a virg in, or keep amistress , so long

as the act is shroudedwith a becoming secrecy ; if found out, i t may bemildly disapproved ofbutwoe betide the woman whomakes amisstep lActs which , in France, Italy , Russia , or other portions of the Continent ,

would imply neither total subversion of themoral sense, nor any generalemotion ofdeep popular reprehension , are, in England and the UnitedStates , followed in a greatmajority of cases by social ruin. Thus , in theendeavor to hide sins which in themselves ought neither to be hopelmlyvicious, nor irrevocably fatal , being simply the temporary triumph ofman’

s temptation , and a natural instinct on the woman’

s part , over socialconventions, infanticide and abortion are multiplied , and thousands and

Lecky, lac. cit , r, 97 .

Fecundation, Abortion, Infanticide 1 69

thousands of pure -minded , yes , easily savable young girls, are hurled an

nually into the abyss ofprostitution.

‘

Indesd itwould not be hard to showthat it is by nomeans the naturally

being qui te asmuch due to order ofaffection, and vivacity ofmind , as to

The question of the criminality of abortion has also been largely aflectedby the diverse views, and physiological speculations, ofmedical writersthemselves, as to the precise period in intra uterine existence at which thefoetus takes on the nature , and consequently the rights , of a separate being.

The ancient idea was that the childwas a part ofthemother ; and thatahe had the same rigbt to destroy it as to amputate a finger or excise a

tumor fromher body .

As I have already remarked , both Plato and Aristotle admitted , andevenmotioned, the practice ofabortion ; and the laws of Rome contained ,so far as l have been able to ascertain, no enactment against voluntary

freticide prior, at least , to the time of Ulpian.

The Stoic philosophers believed that the soulof the infantwas receivedwith its firs t respiration ; and the Justinian Code fixed , arbitrarily , the

themore rationalmodern doctrine, of course, is that the infant is a distinctliving organismfromthe verymoment the ovumis fecundated .

’

Abortion is justifiable in those cases where con

When Justifiable tinuation of the pregnancy to full termwould besmociated with fatality to ei thermother or child , or

to both ; where the habitual death ofthe fmtus , in idem, has accompanieda great number of previous pregnancies ; inmultiple pregnancies , where thegrowth oftwo ormore ofi

'

spring in the wombwould gravely threaten the

tmnors , pernicious anmmia , predisposition to placental hemorrhage , cborea ,

‘MimMulock , in her admirable little book , A Woman’

s Thoughts AboutWomen ,

” p . 229 , et seq., calls attention to the fact that the experience offemale Sunday

school teachers k that the girl-pupils seduced are , almost always, “the very best ;

refined intelligmt, truthful and affectionate.

”

’ Educated readers.who feelan interest in pursuing this inquiry, willfind a very

cufiommd wmmete history oftha specuh tions ofthemcienta on the“wuhbuth ”

in Plutarch’s tmtise ,

“ De Placitis Philos ,"andon abortion and infanticide in theworks

of Darwin . Lubbock (“ Prehistoric limes ”) and Spencer ; particularly, for exactbibliographical reterence, the resder is referred to the able treatise ofGerland,

“ Ueber

du Ansster-bcn der Naturvolker,"a recent translation ofwhich has appeared in this

1 70 Human Sexualityrender parturition not only dangerous but , in many instances , unpassible .

themother’s life is despaired of , but in which premature delivery maysave the child ’s life ; but whether deliberate abortionmay be resorted toas amcamofavcrting shame, on the part of themother, or saieguarding

her socrhl charactcr, and standing, is a question which belongs to moralsrather thanmedicine, and concerning which thematernal instinct , as well

a correct judgment .With an almost countless army of prostitutes in this country , t

luxury and idlm among the rich constantly tendIts Prevalence ing to sexual erotim and sensuality, with the free

and easy socia l intercourse prevail ing between the

sexes, with the constantly diminishing number of marriages , and thatmonstrous aversion to motherhood , when marriage does take place, so

universally prevalent among women, it can hardly be wondered at thatabortion has become so frequent as to attract the gravest attmtion ofthe

lawit seems so easy for it to evade ; or that infanticide is growing eo commen as to recall the Roman horrors of the thirteenth century , when , it issaid , Pope Innocent III was shocked at hearing that dead infants were

In the first place , there is no roomfor any divers ityCriminal i ty of ofview as to abortion outside the exceptions I haveInfanticide named . It is eimply the most cow dly and bmtal

[orma/murder , committed for themcct sctfish olmotivcs . There shouldbe no hesitancy at least on that point. Iwish I couldsay to those young girls who prowl nightly through the streets , inquiring ,with veiled faces , at drug-shop counters for abortifacient remedies , or forthose cold-blooded charlatans , thosenight-hawk Borgias of unborn innocence(notalways,alas , belonging to the illiterate laity ,nor to even the known sca llawags

" of the profession) , who, for a week’s wage of an ordinarymechanic ,

hire themselves to perpetrate a crimemeamr, more cowardly than open ,

manly homicide ; I wish I could say to these, many of thm innocentvictims of man’

s perfidy, that , as far as moral guilt is concerned , they

‘8tehberger ,“Le: regia undKilnstliche Friihgeburt,

” Arch . I. Gym, r, 465.

Lecky , lac. cit , n . 33, note. Cornp. also Ramsele , “Hospices Enfans N ova .

pp. 36 , 37 .

A Philadelphia newspaper ofJan. 8 , 1905 , records as a news itemthat has du dinfants were found by the city scavengers in oae aah-barrel, and that sixteenwere theknown product ofthese slaughtered innocents ” ofthe city for ewa rned .

1 72 Human Sexualitycuring abortionwould have someweightwere they notmeventable . Thus.awomanwith an abnormally smallpelvis rnay very justly dmd the ordealofchildbirth ; but such a woman new-

should hero ism-fled. The samerernedy applies ifshe have an incurable disease ; and in almostdfnot all,such cases it willbe found that the first sin lay in enposing herselfto a

condition in which the secondary one became am '

y. Ofcoursemanywfllsay that this is a hard rernedy

— to abstain forever fromsexualphasiue

It rs ; but the condition necessitating it re also hard .

There is a great thirst for knowledge on sexual subjects among all

clames to-day; andwhile much of it may be due to licentiousness, andthe desire to pick up information thatwillhelp to obviate its naturalcon

sequences , a great part also willbe found in women who are striving to

guard themselves against the unbridled and bmtat pacsiomol their hu

bands . The troubles , anxieties , fears of untimely death , and the physicalpains woman endures through the selfish lust ofman, have driven her to

Dr. Reamy , of the Ohio State Medical Society , writes—“ froma verylarge verbal and written correspondence in this and other States , togetherwith personal investigation, and facts accumulated , it appears to me wehave become a nation ofmin-dam.

“ This startling stamant , founded onmost undeniable facts , has reference to the widespread , and apparmrtlyincreasing , habit of committing abortion, or fcnticide, which is , to all

That forced abortion is steadily on the increase,

and that prevention of conception keeps pace withit , is proven by the fact that our native-born Americans , among whomthe terrible practice appearsmostprevalent , are allnoted for smallIamrtia fi and that

among this class, as is amply shown by statistics , there are absolutely inmany placesmore dea ths than births, the native-born population ofMan a

Quoted by Dr. J . Cowan , loc. cit , p. 276 .

A recent bulletin , issued by the U . 8 . Census Bureau, and prepared by Prof. W .

F. Wilcox. ofCornell University, places thismatter in a startling and ofi eial light.Summarizing his conclusions , in 1860, the number ofchildren , under five years ofage,to lOOOwomenwas as fifteen to forty ; at nine years ofage itwasw to the thomand. In

1900, itwas only 474. In otherwords the pmportion ofchildren topotentialmothmin

lOM was only thu s-lcwthc as large as in 1860, showing a vu'

ymaterial decline in the

birth-rate . The unusualdecline shown for the period 1860- 1870 is ofcourss accounted

for.at least in part ,by the CivilWar ; but the rmsatisfactory index ofths hirth-rate since

1870points very unmistakahly to the causeswe are at presmt comida -ing . In 1900, a

Fecundation, Abortion, Infanticide 1 73

chusetts and NewYork actually decreasing every year.

‘ A clergyman of

NewYork writes—“we could prove that in our little village ofa thousandpeople prominent women have been guilty of this crime ofmurder. Sadderstill half of themaremembers of Christ ’s Church ; and while ful ly fifteen

per cent . ofour women habitually practise this deadly sin , there is amuchlame: percentage who endorse and defend it .” Fewofeither sex nowadaysen ter into the marriage relation without being fully informed of everymethod andmeans ofobviating the undesirable results ofmatrimony ; andit is no uncommon thing to findwomenmaking these the subject ofsocial

Common charity prompts the belief that suchAbortion Large ly women cannot knowthe awful enormity ofthe crimeDue to Ignorance they commit. It is to be hOped, at least, that they

may have that shield ofignorance to cover themselveswith in the last day ; but in order to convince such that they cannot hidebehind any silly notion that the killing ofthe fmtus in the wombis awhitdifi

’

erent fromkilling the child in the cradle, it is only necessary to quote

Beck ’s Medical Jurisprudence.

“The absurdity of the principle upon which theseLegal Defini tion distinctions are founded is of easy demonstration.

ofthe Crime The foetus , previous to the time ofquickening ,mustbe either dead or alive. Now that it is not the

former rsmost evident fromneither putrefaction nor decomposition takingplace , which would be the consequence of an extinction ofthe vital principic. The embryo, therefore, before the crisis ,must be in a state difi

'

erent

fromthat of death , and that can be no other than a state oflife.

”

This , as well as an almost similar definition in Dr. Taylor’s work on

medical jurisprudence, sufficiently , I think , establishes the status of theunborn infant froma legal standpoint , as well as the resultant fact that

minder, in some one of its juridical dm . But, independent of all

compar 'mon ofthe proportion ofchildren born ofnative and foreignmothers showssee for the formar , and 710for the latte r-, per lOOOwomen ofs child-bearing age ; thelowest u tive mtio ofbinhs bemgmthe District ofColumbia and amachumtts,tho highest in North Dakota and the lndian Territory. Outside ofthe fact that the

cmmtry u hibits a superior feeundity to the city in the table quoted, the foregoingstatifi ia tend to show very unmistakably the pernicious influence ofao-called civilisation in ru tricting the birth-rate ,

and the deplorable prospect ofthis countrywerethis birth-n te not kept up by the superlor fecundity ofour so oftmderided fore ign

‘See U. S . Oensus Report fcr 1900; also Paper by Dr. Nathan Allen, ofLowell.sm w sm sm., quoted by Dr. Cowan, op. cit. , p . 276 .

1 74 Human Sexualitylaws, human authori ties or decisions , as Dr. Eddy well says,

“the true

Christian theory is that the thought ofman, in themind ofGod , embracesthe entire period ofhis earthly relations , between the extreme limits ofembryotic existence and old age, and whosoever , with sacriligious hand,does violence to this chain ofsacred relations is a nons ense .

”

These statements dispose, very efiectually, of the fatuousmisuse putforward by some, in defence of the abominable practice, that the unbornchild is not a separate and independent being ; and,with tbe equally strongwords ofBishop Coxe, ofNewYork, ringing in the reader

’s ears, I think

it well to leave this subject for the present.“ I have here tofore warned my flock ,” he writes,

against the blood-guiltiness of ante-natal infanticide . If any doubts existed here tofore as to thepropriety ofmy warnings on this subject , theymint

rified by the practical results ofthe sacrifices to Moloch which defile wr

life. If there be a special damnation for those who shed innocent blood ,whatmust be the portion of those who have nomercy upon even theirown flesh?”

As an additional danger fromabortion, to themother herself, it needonly be pointed out that Esquirol, Hallam, and other alienists, associateit very clearly with the development ofsexual insanity.

“Woman,

"as

Maudsley well indicated ,“ has more sexual needs than man, at least in

the ideal sense,”and knows no gratification for themsave in marriage.

If denied this , she naturally seeks in illicit intercourse what she cannotobtain honorably , and, in efiorts to conceal the fruit of her criminal indulgence, develops an host of neurotic complaints, among which hysteri a,rel igious frenzy and insanity ,me not infrequent .“

The Oneida Community of “ Perfectionists ” pracPrevention of ties the sexual embrace without a complete intraConception vaginal orgasmon the part of the male—that is.

stopping the act just before seminal emission— coitusinterruptus ; and claimthat they derivemore pleasure than froma completed intercourse. In the face ofwe ll- known physiological facts , as wellas in the experience ofevery sensibleman ,

this claimis nothing but sheereafolly . Such a congress would not only ruin, in time, the delicate sexualmechanism, and, reducing the art to a purely animal level, deprive it ofthe highest element of pleasure it possesses—the pure ly psychical one—but

nVid.

“Text-Book ofInsanity.

”Rum-Ebing , 1905. p. 142 .

1 76 Human Sexualitycaused by explosions and

“slippings

-ofl —the use of the cundumwouldbe open to fewobjections except fromamoral standpoint .

The slipping ofi recalls tomymind a story told

An “Accident” me by a patient , a youngman, who, after pro longedsolicitation , at last got a nice young lady to consent

to the act on condition, only , that he would use one of those rubberbags she had heard of.” Of course he joyfully consented , and in the courseofthe connection, the instrument slipping 08 , he reached his finger in torecover it , and succeeded , to his infinite disgust , in fishing out no fewer

Themore or less common use by the woman of the sponge -shield , or

the rubber pad, known as a“womb-veil ,” placed

The Womb-Vei l over themouth ofthe uterus to prevent the entranceofthemale sperm, is discredited at the start by the

simple fact that , for the reasons previously stated in reference to the lifeandmovements ofthe living germin its fluidmedium, it is a

“ preventive ”

whi ch doesn’t prevent . And these, also , although widely advertised and

sold under various names by quacks and druggists , are open to themmeobjections which apply to the cundum. They are apt to erode and irritatethe vaginal and uter ine mmnbranes, producing vaginit is , ulceration and

endometritis , while precluding to a great extent that sexual pleasure whichis the chief object of the l ibertine.

This pleasure, in its very highest culmination, is the coming togetherof the extremely delicate and sensitive nerves of the head of the penisand the similarly highly sensitive nerves which surround the mouth ofthe womb , producing that thrill ing, galvanic shock which constitutes thesupremest sexual delight , and, it need not be stawd, that by the use eitherof the cundumor womb-veil , this is absolutely precluded . Besides, as inthe case of the cundum, through accidental displacement of the shield

,

it is liable to be rendered at any time as uselemas it is injurious .

A mode ofprevention, already hinted at in the

Selection of Time section on fecundation , and having at least a physiofor the logical basis, is founded on the theory of themonthly

Copulation Act arrival ofthe ripe ovumin the womb. Itwas shownthat , in the last half of the menstrual interval, a

stances , no impregnation can occur. But there are causes to thwart eventhis theory. It requires for a perfect connection,mutual adaptation of

the sexual organs , mutual love, andmutual intensity of passion. Gon

nection under other circumstances is unenjoyable, distasteful , at least tothe woman, and so barren ofthe higher spiritual or psychical delight as

Fecundation, Abortion, Infanticide 1 77

to border omthemerelymechanicalact ofmasturbation. Fewwomen can

undergo the procws of the sexual act without becoming sexually excited ,and this excitement hastens the premature ripening and expulsion of the

Of course, if a woman— asmany do, when sexual love does not enterinto the union— lie perfectly cold and pmsionless, the man, during thisbrief period ofexwi pticn,may enjoy himself to his heart ’s content withoutdanger ; but , so far as the genesic pleasure of the act goes, hemight , asI have intimated , nearly as well practise self- indulgence by the hand .

There is a popular idea , chiefly among women,

The Suckling that while themother is nursing sexual intercoursePeriod may be indulged in with impunity ; and the surprise

with which women are frequently cured ofthe beliefis very great indeed . The excitement ofthe act in the wornan, as before

stated , ripens and throwe 05 an eg fromthe ovary, and impregnationfollows . The nerve force which ismanifested usually in the sexual proc~

esses. however, being in a measure centered upon lactation, mssks thena talmanifestations ofmenstruation, andmakes it impomible to determinewhen the ovumhas ripened , so that impregnation ismore insidious thanat otha ' times , but none the less certain .

The habit ofinjecting cold water into the vaginaThe Cold Water after connection, to which many women pin their

Douche faith , is , likemost ofthe othermethods alluded to ,of very doubtful efficacy , while of unquestionable

danger. Itmust be borne inmind that the living germofthemale, protected as it is by the dense albuminousmediumin which it exists , is practica lly invulnerable to any such attacks . The water is brought up to thetemperature of the blood long before this albuminous covering can be

dissolved , or the spermatosoon reached ; while the shock occasioned tothe delicate sexual organism, by introducing fluids of so lowa temperatureinto the superheated vagina , can hardly fail to produce those various formsof subacute mmbranous inflammations to which , clinica l experience hasshown us, persons who indulge the practice are peculiarly subject . And

the same objections apply where the water is “medicated by the variouspowders so largely sold for the purpose ; only that there is greater liabilityto permanent injury than when water alone is used . Both act only uponthem inal medium—the albuminous vehicle which transmits the germnot upon the germitself ; and if only one of these little agents survive ,out of a thousand , the mischief is done . Thus, when zinc , bichloride ofmercury or other toxic agent is injected into the vagina there is coagulation

1 2

1 78 Human Sexualityof the albumen, locking up for a brief space, and actually protecting insteadofdestroying the sperm-cell ; but themoment this covering is redimolvedwhich occurs long within the natural life-period of the germitself—thelatter is liberated, andfree to pumue its naturalcourse unhindered.

Other Methods impregnation, some of which are even more wofPreven tion nicious in their consequences, advertised by

scrupulous, andmade use ofby silly , persons ; but.

in their results. There is, however, one absolute remedy—the M rs ining

fromthe sexual act ; not so dificult after all, either, to the educatedman,

lawfor the propagation of the race, and not amere agency ofsensual pleuure ; and fully conscious ofthe further fact that , had God intended it forman’

s gratification alone, His wisdomwould undoubtedly have provided

the danger of impregnation. The knowledge of these facts , together withthe equally vital one, that intelligent sexual relations are founded , likeevery other act of life, on intell igent moral perceptions , ought to makesuch a duty both plain and practicable ; and although a distinction iseasily drawn between duties which rest on the dictates of conscience and

those based on positive cornmands, the sin ofunrestricted interoourse, tosuch aman,

will appear not the lema sin because there is no Scr-iptun l,

legal , nor social injunction against it

180 Human Sexualitywhich prompts or underlies those complex groups of coo rdinated acts,

marks ,‘ “butwhich are subject to variation, and subsequentmodification.

Tillier and othem, in the recognition ofa true sexualinstinct.

Purely instinctive acts, however, are probablyInstinct Best Con- best considered in animals too low in the scale ofsidered in An imala life to admit of our supposing that the adjustments

which are produced could at any time have beenintelligent ; it being exceedingly difficult tomeasure the influence exertedby either, where instinct, necemity, or what Lamarcli calls the lawof lnherited habit, becomes the partner ofreason in the production ofspecific

acts , and yet we should be but poorly guided , in considering the questionof sexuality, did we limit our research to those animals destitute of that

boundary d its domain.

An instinct comprises toomany factors to be eaaily or accurately detcn

mined , however ; and after we have carefullymarshalled these factors inthemental field , according due consideration to each, and striving to aepu '

ate

theminto such co-ordinated groups aswould enahle us to relegate each to

a distinct order ofactivity, we are yet at a loss to dissociate the psycho

logical fromthe physiological , themental fromthe purely sensuous ; and

meet with possit as many arguments in favor of the early view thatthe sexual impulse is simply one of glandular excre tion, as ofthe later and

procreation underlying the sexual need .

The “Evacuation would be subordinated to pure ly physiological procTheory" cases ; and, indeed , it would not be difficult to show

that evacuation of long suppressed secretions , eitherphysiological or pathological , especially in youth , is accompanied by a

degree ofpleasure almost equally intensewith that ofthc sexualdischargealthough in adult- life, such sensations are feebler , fromhabits ofmtrictivetraining , and frombeing pushed into the bmkground of consciousness,

through greater powers of volition, and the less imperious activity of theinvoluntarymuscular system.

The “evacuation theory ” of the sexual instinct was quite uniformly

received up to the latter part ofthe nineteenth century ; and grew chieflycut of the fact that the crude mind expsemes itself in crude language .

Even yet the French callthe h othela privy—lc doaqusfi and themediz val

“Animal Behavior,” 1900, p. 21. H . Ellis, be ci t .m. 3

The Lawof Sexual Desire 181

writera who alluded to woman as a temple built over a sewer,” did so

fromthe same coarse concept of the sexualfunction.

Em Montaigne, paragon of literary politeness , contributed to thispopular view respecting it ; remarking that “ Venus (venery), after all,

is nothingmore than tbe pleasure ofdiscbarging our vessels, just as naturerenders plu surable the discharges fromother p

’and the delightful

author ofUtopia‘speaks naively of the pleasure experienced “when we

do our naturaleasmnent, orwben we be doing the act ofgeneration.

”

“The genesic need ,” writes Fé ré (incorrectly, since he does not take

into account howoften deeaire for children the unselfish irnpulse to give

pleasure to another , the frequency with which the act is performed without

act) may be considered as a need ofevacuation ; and the choice is determined by the exci tations which render the evacuationsmore agreeable.

”

There are not wanting , however , facts in nature to strongly supportsuch a view. Both Goltz and Spallanzani threwconsiderable confirmatory light upon the subject bytheir prolonged and interesting course ofexperimentsupon the sexualmechanismoffrogs ;

’andTarchanofl

'

,

ofSt . Petersburg, discovered that removal of the lungs, spleen, intestines,stomach , kidneys , parts of the liver, and even the entire beart, did not

destroy the sexual power.

‘ Similarly , removal ofthe testicles was provento be equally inefficacious ; but obliteration ofthe seminal vesicles veryahortly put an end to tbe sexualfunction.

But Tar-chanofl found, as indeed it is so stated in the better andmoremodernworks on physiology , that the seminalreceptacles are “

the starting

M ofthe centripetal impulsewhich, by reflex action , sets inmotion thewhole complicatedmechanismofsexualactivity ;” and thisbeing establishedmhave at once a secure basis for the explanation ofmost ofthe puzzlingphenomena which are wel l known to attend sexualmutilation of the frog,in allits varying degrees ; but, as Steinacbwellpoints out,‘quite a differentset of phenomena are observable when suchmutilations are practised uponthe highermammals, removalofthe seminalvesicles in thewhite rat beingfollowed by no abatement in the intensity or vigor ofthe sexualact ; and

fromthe fact that the physiological secretions ofthe seminalvesicles of

' “Zi ir Physiol. dos Geschlechtsapparatus des Froacbes,” Archie f. 4. 0mm

AW M di’

s Gmmte Physiologic, 1894, rm, 304- 338.

182 Human Sexualitythe rat are quite diflerent fromthose ofthe same or'gans in the frog, thatth eexualapparatus ofbothmnd indeedofallthe lower ordmofmammals,

function inman ; and fromthe fact that even the cloeest obeervers bave

failed to elicit fromthe most laborious research , and expm'iment , archevidence as would bring tbemto any common ground ofagrea nwtfit isprobably as well to pass at once to a consideration oftbe sexual functioninman ; leaving these abstruse, andmost frequently profitlemspeculationsto such as delight to “

revel in the dry dust oflearned controversy .

"

Original ogous, and the line ofdistinction, even in adult life,Uni ty of Sex and under normal conditions, so subtle and indefinite

as to invest it with a peculiar degree of interim.

The physical structures ofbothmale and female afford indubitable evidence

the stimulus of suckling, ofalmost feminine development ; andmany casesare indeed recorded where fathers, through the death of themother , havethus nursed the ofispring through the regular period oflactation .

to formthemale, instead ofremaining open as in the female ; andwomenretain in the clitoris the rudimentarypenis oftheman. Littledifl

'

erence exists

in the sounds ofthemale and female voices up to the period of puberty,when the subtle procca of diflerentiation culminates in the sometimes

which continue through life. Then the boy ’s voice changes, hair beginsto growon those parts ofthe body wbere it is commonly absent in the

female , and the girlbegins to take on, along with certain finer shades of

sexual feeling , that shyness , softness andmodestywhich distinguish tbe sex.

And it is at this point, I think , wemay beginmost profitably the studyofsex, leaving the phenomena ofits origin, source, and the various steps of

its division and development to themore cognate science of embryology.

‘

That the genesic impulse inman , and 1use thewordCastration Con impulse designedly , is entirely independent of theaidered with procreative glands , although materially assisted and

Reference to the strengthened by them, is shown by the failure of casSex- impulae tration to wholly obliterate it.

Castration among the ancimts was of four kinds .

The Romans bad perfect , or true castrati ,where both testicles and penis‘Thia viewofasx ia ably aet furth in Ulrichl'a treatia

eon the aubject .

“Scot ,

”he

184 Human SexualityOf those voluntary eunuchs whomasculated themselves on religious

grounds, for the avoidance ofsexualsin , a.nd ofwhanReligi ous E unuchs an early Church writer says—“Voices? at impact cost

ront ct liospi tcs suos , hoc modo onetime -vita Deo sc

And itmay not be irrelevant here to remark that

always Efleminate inacy,and lack of physical courage, as well as inte l

trary, as we are told by Herodotus , eunuchs were especially prissd in

Persia for their fidelity andmanly courage ; Narses, the famous generalunder Justinian, and Hermais, governor of Atarnea in Mysia , to whosemance Aristotle ofl

'

ered sacrifice , having both been eunuchs ; ’ and underthe Roman emperors the same class ofpersons frequently rose to thebighestexercise of power.

oftbe French Ie gation in Pekin , believes that they

Sexua l Feeling seek the society ofwomen, and gratify their sexualof E unuchs appet ites by suchmethods as remain to tha n , even

is commonly performed , the knowledge that sexual potency is not alto

Augustine , “De Ha res ,” C . 37 . See. also, Neander , “Hist. ofthe Chr. Chtnoh,”

n , 462 ; and Bingham’

s“Antiq. Chr . Church," Iv, 3.

Vid. Lucian, Dial , “Eunuchus.

Poggius relatcs thc case ofa citisen who castmted hhnself as a cure for his mworthy jealomy ; Felix Plater anothen—that of Baail—wbo did the same with tbs

samemotive ; and both Plutarch and Lucian sing the praises ofOombaliis who , beingaent by Beleucus to escoi

-t the lattefs beautiful and amommqueemstratonice, ona journey. castrated himselfbefore starting , knowing something of the dispositions

ofboth his lord and lady, and leaving his genitals ssoled up i'

n o boz in the king’

s pd aee

hehind him. Sure enough , on his return, the King’s jealousy getting the better of

his judgrnent, the unfortunate squire ofdameswas accused ofintimacywith tbe qucen ,

thrown into a dungeon , and the sensatlonaldenouement oocuriodwben he expoasd hisprivates to the king, ormtber the place wbemthey onoe grew,md giving a key to

the irate monamh , dhected hhn to the casket whero were found tbe innocent and

foully slanderedmembers. The king , ofcourae,made themncndc honomblc. and one

ofthemat least lived happily afterward .

women, confeming tha n ; md lhiar 1e onard, another remn kabh enthusiast abngthese lines , removed his penis and testicles and went through Viterbium, in Ita ly,

‘ “ Les Eunuques du Palaia Imperial de Pekin ,

”1901, quoted by H .m. lac.

cit ,m, 8.

The LawofSexual Des ire 185

gether abolishedby the operation seeming to prewail; andLancasterquotesthe remark made by a resident of Nubia, that sex-feeling exists amongNubian eunuchs , unmodified by the absence ofthe genitalorgans .

“The eunuch difl'

ers fromtheman not in the obsencc ofsexualpassion,

This seems to be, however, astatement not fully warranted by the factsms we shallsee later ; the castratedman being capable ofa certain species ofpsycholombol enjoymmt

emphasis, and at somewhat greater than necessary length, upon this ques

tion fromthe fact that emasculation has only recently , and quite seriously,been proposed as the basis ofa lawtO punish and prevent the growing

When spadonics (testicle castration) only is per

Rape Remedy that little ifany damage is inflicted upon the sexual

passion. Indeed , as has been pointed out by Jager,

and asmeviously intimated here, women prefer castratedmen, not onlyfromimmunity fromthe danger ofimpregnation, but because ofthe longa '

Diaselhorst bas limited the period ofsexual potency, as to the od , to

ten years after spadonic castration ; and Pelikan (Dos Sloopmtumin

Russland), while not fixing a definite l imit to the pala din comodi , behavesthat if castration is performed at puberty , the power ofsexual intercourserema ins for “

a long time afterward. Guinard concludes that the sexual

power ismore persistent under sucbconditions inman than animals ; beingsometimes even heightened , and rendered farmore susceptible to the influence of peripheral stimulation.

’ The conclusion then is that only true castration , removal of both penis and testicles , is capable of destroying the

The frequency ofthemodern operation of ovariotomy has convincinglytaught us that female castration exerts little, if any.

Castration in eflect upon the sexual feeling. The statement ofEllis that “after castration, sexual desire , and sexualpleasure in coitus, may either remain the same , be

diminished , extinguished , or increased ,” only proves how feeble is the

foundation for either assumption, and almost justifies us in attributingwhatever change thatmay result rather to psychological than physiological

Jayle found that out of 33 patients in whomovariotomy had been per“Castration.

186 Human Sexualityformed , sexualdesire remained the same in IS ; was diminished in 3; aboloished in 8 ; increased in 3 ; andwhile the pleasuremme act remained unchanged in l7 , it was diminisbed in l, abolished in 4, increased in 5 , andmficases sexualintemourse became exceedingly painful, possibly, although

he fails to so informus, fromresulting neuropathic hyperesthesia .

‘ Somewhat similar resul ts were arrived at by Pfister, in Germany ; and Kepplcr

announced at the International MedicalCongress of1890, at Ba lin , that ,“among 46 castrated women, sexual feeling was abolished in no single

case” :

In America the records oftbe subject seemto confirmtbe authorities

just quoted . Dr. Isabel Davenport dmcribes two cases ofwomen , betwca ithirty and forty years ofage, in whomerotic tendencies were greatly i i icreased by removal ofthe ovaries ; ’ Lapthorn Smith , a single case wherethe same resultwas observed ; ‘ and Bloom, seemingly the fullest investigator on the subject , out offour hundred cases , found that in noncwas thesexual appetite wholly destroyed , inmost itwas notmaterially diminished ,and in a fewitwas intensified.

‘ Tait and Bantockmake a corresponding

report ofresults arrived at in England , and it would seem, without anytedious prolixity ofdetail , that castration , both inmale and female,mustbe ofthe true and radical variety— that is, all the sexual organs must beremoved— to insure total extirpation of the sexual passion . The factselicited ought to be , at least some guide to legislators in dealing with caa

tration as a remedy for unlawful lust .The

“evacuation theory ofthe erotic feeling is

Awakening of the largely disproved by the fact thatm a] sensa tionsSex- impulse are felt, and sometimes , as we have seen , intensified ,

when extirpation of the swiinal vesicles has takenplace ; and still further, that in children there exists frequently a welldefined sexualfeeling long before there is any tme sexual secretionms alao

inwomen long aftcr the sexual glands have discontinued their functions .

The discovery ofsexual sensation in children is, 1 think , inmost casesaccidental . This belief was first impremed upon me by a circumstancewhich , while amusing, is worth repeating. Some boys were playing “ Ispy

”in my father’s orchard , and one little fellow of ten or twelve hid

himselfin an apple tree. During the wait for the regular count to be complated , hemust have gotten to rubbing and fingering his penis, probably

Jayle , Revue dc Gynecologic , 1897 , p. 403. st seq.

‘H . mperformed without effecting any sexual change.

M edicalS tandard, 1895 , p. 346 .

Quoted fromH . Ellis, loc. cit , vol. 111 , p. 10.

1 88 Human Sexualitythe phsncmena tabulated by Gall and his succmors , 0bici and l sn

manifestation of the sexual impidse in children , before the emml glmdl

long since ceased; the absence of any direct proofthat the latter is thcseat ofthe sexualpassion, and the peu istence ofthat pamion in coogeniul

absence, and after extirpation of, those glands , allpoint very unmistakablyto some psychological cause not yet defined, but for which the recognitimofan organic brain-center would quite satisfactorily account.The theory tbatman’

s sexual pleasure , and pM on, are due to thc

as to require little comment. The violence of the emotion aroused by

fluid w itted in the act , the utter exhaustion which follows, and the facts

glai ids at all, sufficiently, 1 think, dispose ofthe fewphysiologicalfacts thatundoubtedly do support such a view .

The exhibition ofsexualpassion in old age,while not necessarily pathological , proves clearly the re lation of the brain to the sexual feeling ; andpresumption of a pathological condition is naturally suggested when thatexhibition is attended by physical decrepitude , unnatural direction of dd re ,

shamelessness of its character, a marked change fmmsexualmoderationto violence, or the exercise ofcriminal force.

‘

Medical science cannot but recognize, in mobSenile Dementia cases as the latter , lmpulsss depending on morbid

of senile dementia , and frequently unconnected with any other abnm'mlmanifestation ofthe cerebral processes . Lust , in those priming into sen iledementia , is most usually exhibited in lascivious smch , gesture , and

indecent display ; but less frequently in the attempted act itself. I havea friend, a gentleman ofexcellent characmr, otherwise, aged about eighty ,who in street cars, and other public places , cannot refrain frompmindecently against women, their privates or their breasts, ami othen vh emanifesting those indications of sexual dementia whi ch are as foreign to

his real character as shameful to his friends .

Suchmen are not strictly criminal; and the lawshould not so regard

‘ I aminclined to think, although not aware that 1 have ever seen tbe subjeetdiscussed , that ths well-knownmania ofold ni en for young girls is h rgcly the mutof a renwmbmm, w nmi niecmee, ol ymuhhd pbacun , u wntn sted with the len

intense experien-cu of later life ; and an imm deeire to reproduce feelinp v hich

bluntcd nerves and absence ofvirility render tota lly imatts inabls.

The LawofSexual Desire 189

them. Although societymust be protected fromtheir assaults, it shouldbe by othermethods than punitive ones ; but the saddest andmost dangerous feature ofsuch cases is that, while women have the power ofpro

te ction within themselvw, children, being both destitute of that power,andmore easy ofassociation , are usuallymade not only the victims butthe prosecutors ofsuch unfortunates.

A distinguishedwriter records the case ofa very infirmmanwhomadean unsuccessful assault upon a girl . He had awife, and large family , andhsd lived u hitherto blameless sexuallife ; but at the trialconfessed to thecrime , saying he could not explain it . He was sentenced to five years intheme rcenary , where, on examination by competent physicians, he wasfoimd far advanced in senile dementia. Legal question concerning his

m tal condition had never been raised—s imply because he hadmissedthat he committed the crime .

‘ And even while I write , the papers are

bdng cried out , announcing the conviction , and death-sentence, of aman ’who, during a pamxysmofere tic frenzy , killed hiswife because she refusedto permit his intercourse with her.

Such cases call loudly for amore intelligent legal treatment than theyua ially receive, and while society , as I have said ,must have an adequatemeasuie ofprotection , it does seemthat the infliction ofthe death penaltyin such an instance as that last recorded— no element of premeditationhaving been established— is ameasure ofbarbarity strangely inconsistent

Acts whichmaybe regarded as physiologically impofl ble, normally, andso distinguished by legalmedicine, are—exhibition of the genitals ,' lustfulhandling ofthe sexual organs ofchildren , inducing themto performmanustupration upon the seducer, or performingmasturbation or flagellution upon

as French law, as prime facia evidence ofmental unsoundnem,may yet beaccompanied by sufficient intell igence as to plan secrecy , although themoralsense is tooweak tomsist the impulse ; but as the disease progresseseven that is lost, and acts ofthemost shameful character are committedwithout the slightest regard to public decency. In fact , as the sexualpower wanes , the demented impulse takes on, usual ly ,more violent formsof p urification ; until , as Tarnowaky points out ,“pederasty,masturbation ,

‘Kn fit—Ebing , loc al. p as.m.

Frank Raisinger. Shiloh, NewJersey, convicted at Bridgeton , Jan. 11 , 1905, and

executedwithin the same year.

Via Le ague,“Les Exhibition istes , Union M edicale, May, 1877 .

Lepmd du Baulle , “ La folie det les tribunaux," p . 530.

‘Loe.

“Die Kr-iinkhaften Erseheinungen da Geschlechtssinns, Berlin ,

19°

assaults upon geese, chickens , and all the lower anirnals, as well as the

whole host of homosexual vices , result .Fewthere are who cannot recall at least one case ofa previously up

right , and outwardlymoralman, who , during the decline of life , suddenly

asking everywoman hemet tomarry him, or sug esting sexual intercoursewith her ; and who , froma position ofhonor and respect , fell , by such prsc~

ticw,to social contumely anddegradation before death. Themost flagrant

case ofthis kind, coming undermy personal notice, was that ofamanseventy years of age, who , in the final stage ofhis dementia , took on a

most intractable satyriasis, which continued until his death . He frequentlymasturbated— under the bed clothing at first , but openly at last ; delightedin themost lascivious conversation, spoke only of the women he had “ beenwith ,

”and on two occasions tried to assault female re latives who called

to see him. Such casss are not at ullrare in both sexes ; and Schopenhauer

shows very conclusively that in such forms of dementia perversions ofsexuality are the rule.

‘

Krafft-Ebing records a case which illustrates the truth ofthis statement ;and almost every physician could add to it indefinite ly . A gentleman whohad always been somewhat sensually inclined , of uncontrollable temper ,and confessedly preferring masturbation to natural intercourse, yet exhibited no sign ofcontrary sexual feeling ,further than that the family historyshowed that a brother was suspected of love formen , and that a nephewhad become insane fromexcessivemasturbation. The gentlman kept anumber ofmistresses , reared a child by one , and, up to the age of80, whensexual aberration first appeared , lived the life ofa respectable but somewhat amorousmun. Then he began tomanifest afiection for certainmaleservants , particularly a gardener’s boy , whom, having by bribes and favorsseduced, he used to surround with every luxury andmark offavor that

a lover could bestow upon hismistress. He awaited the hour of rendezvouswith allthe sexual excitement of a boy waiting for a girl for the same purpose; sent the family away , that hemight be alone with his favorite , andafter hours of such privacy would be found lying on his bed utterly ex

Besides this “grand passion , he had occasiona lly intercourse withothers ofthemale servants , enticed them, asked themfor kisses , induced

1 92 Human Sexualityexperience pleasure , nor any sexual excitement in intercourse ; and who.ifthey bear chfldren , beget themwith the greatest repagnance and amioa.

There is a sexual life which, fromits feeblmFeebleness of and brevity , may properly be called spinal, ratherSexual Life than carem It is usually the fruit ofprecocity , is

spasmodic , fluttering , easily excited , just as easilysatisfied, and commonly lapses into impotency at an early agei It h the

bridge which connects congenital ana thema with the acquired forrn ; and

is well exemplified in Case 8, in Archivfm- Paychiatric , vrr, as quoted byKrafit—Ebing .

‘ A young student, ofnineteen , hadmasturbated fromhhfifteenth year—eccentric afte r puberty , read Jean Paul almost exclusively,was romantic, and wasted his time . Conrplde absence ofact ual fadi

’

ng.

Once indulged in intercourse ; experienced no pleasure ; thought it absurd;did not repeat it ; made it the subject of a philomphicalessay , however,in which he argued that both it andmasturbation were justifiable acts .

Attempted suicide, andwas afterward committed to an asylum.

Whether such cases ofsexual anesthesia are dus

Causation to simple aspermia, or congenital absence of da irc,the instance recorded by Maschka , and otha u by

Ultzmann,

’show that they are sufficiently numerous to figure in ourmodern

divorce courts. Maschka’

s case is that ofa woman, who pled for divorceon the p ound ofher husband ’s impotence , he never having had intercoursewith her. The husbandwas somewhat weak ,mentally ; but was physicallyvigorous . He declared he never had a complete erection, nor flow of

semen, and that hewas totally indifferent about women.

’

Conditions of auroral coldness, or apathy , physioSexual Frigidity logical in character, are not uncommon ; being found

more frequently in women thanmen. They are as

a rule due to psychical, rather thanmaterial causes ; and aie manifwed

in disinclination for the sexual act, absence ofpleasurable excitation, and

such other accompaniments as show themto he, usua lly , of a congenitalcharacter. If diminution of the sexual passion be not a somatic one, dependent on age and natural organic degeneration, a pathologica l causemayproperly be inferred . As previously pointed out, however, diminution of

sexual lust frequently depends on certain psychical andmoral factors which

Education , hard study , emotional depression , anxiety , intense physicaleffort, allexercise amarked infiuence in lessening sexual desire ; and oontinence itself , while at first stimulating , afterwards induces a marked

‘Loc. cit , p. 44 .

“Uébermlinnliche Sterihtfit,”WienerM ed. Pram, 1878 ,N . l.

Paychcpathia Sexualis," p . 46 .

The LawofSexual Des ire 193

abatement of secre tory activity in the generative glands, and a consequentdiminution ofsexual desire.

Disturbances of nutrition are also prominent among the peripheralcm Conditions ofmmular atrophy—cc calledmarasmus—may likewisebementioned as causative ; and alcoholic and drug intoxication produces it ;not central ly , as

’

frequently supposed , but peripherally , by over-stimulationand subsequent exhaustion of the neuro-sexual mechanism. Interferencewith thatmechanism, arising froma central source,may usually be tracedto degenerative changes in , or near, the genito-spinal center in the cord ;functionally , to hysteria , which may be a manifestation of central anesthesia ; and to those forms ofemotional insanity characterized bymelancholia , and hypochondriasis, as wel l as to the dementia paralytica of cor

Up to themiddle ofthe last century two directly opposing currents ofopinion prevailed concerning the comparative strength

Sexual Anesthesia ofthe sexual passion in women andmen . Gall , Tait ,in Women Lombroso , Windscheid, Moll, Krafi

'

t-Ebing , Fehl ing,and Lowenfeld,may be cited as fairly representative

ofthe negative side ofthe argument ; and Brierre de Boismont , Benecke,Coltman, Venette , Vedeler, Duncan, Mantegazza and Eulenburg, of the

affirmative. The view that woman is fully as passionate asman, terselyif not elegantly expressed in the old Arabic proverb—“

the longing ofthe

wmran for the penis is grester than that oftheman for the vulva , is

undoubtedly the view ofantiquity ; founded in part on those erroneouscrmceptions of female character heretofore noted ; and which , before theextension of the Renaissancemovement in Europe brought about amorejust and sympathetic appreciation ofwoman’

s place in society , relegatedher to a condition ofchattelage and servitude, little better than that ofanima ls . But even at a later date we find the sentiment cropping out.

Montaigne , while pointing out that men have imposed their own rule of

life and ideals upon women , demanding fromthe latter opposite and con

tradictory virtues , argues that women are incomparablymore ardent in lovethanmen, and that they know farmore thanmen can teach them; for it isa discipline born in theirveins .

‘

It cannot be denied that inmatters ofsexual love women , as Venetteas erta,

’are more lively in imagination, and romance , and have usually

greater leisure to indulge the play of both thanmen ; but as to the questionwhether men or wmnen derive the greater pleasure fromthe sexual em

Vid. Essays , rrr, v.

“De la Gmaetion de l'Homme au Tableau dc l’Amour Conjugal, Amsterdam,

1 94 Human Sexualitybrace, the same writer could only reply that man’

s pleasure ia y eater

but woman’s lasts longer.

In the Kmnigsberg district , near the Baltic , where sexual intercoursebeforemarriage is quite the rule, it has been found that the gida aloagwith being entirely willing for the act , are not infrequently the a ducingparties ; and in K6slin, Pomerania , where inta course between the girlsand boys is equal ly common, the former visit the latter’s rooms quite as

frequently as the latter do those of the former. In some of the Dantaigdistricts , says Ellis , the girls give themselves quite freely to the youths.sometimes seducing them, and that not alwayswith a viewtomarriage.

‘

As physicalsex is ofcourse a large factor in the lifs ofwomen , it should

not be astonishing that the psychical element is equally large ; but note

withstanding what has been said , and the admittedly dominant functionof reproduction in woman, her intense re lationships to life , feeling, sympathy ,maternal emotions , and love, it is extremely doubtful whether sheis , under any condition, susceptible to the same erotic pau iona as are

felt byman. At least all, or nearly all,modern writers agree that sacmalanesthesia is commoner in women thanmen ; meaning, ofcourse, that thephysical element of pleasure in , and dwire for , intercourse is la in the

former than the latter. Investigators of the subject are, however, frsquentlymisled by the statements of women themselves , who, fearing by

very often deny the feeling entirely. I have found this to be in manycases a practice of design among young wives , to inspire tha'

r husbandswith the greater confidence in them; and while itmay be frequmtly usedas a cloak for sexual depravity , there is hardly a doubt that it is morefrequent ly either partially true or perfectly innocent inmotive.

On the other hand , inmost ofthemodern ‘‘realistic ” novels , writtm

chiefly by the “newwoman ,

” this longing formaternity is only used as

a thin veil to disguise the sexua l dwre ; and howevermmmay declaim‘H . m. 160.

As a pmofthatwoman hmt infn quenuy the tsmm in sachmM it is mwrded ofAnwn irmCaraod h thntJ eemg hh motheb in-hma handma womamv ith

her breasts exposed, he exclaimed : Ah, ri Hea d—“oh that Imightl" To which she

amorously replied—Q uioqm'

d libet lied— “ thou mayeat if thou wilt ! and Isaiah'spictumofthewhom.with her “

brweleu and sweetthe -ar r

coldness. rumuher clothea tomakemen look at her ; her shoea creak; her breaata are tied up ; her

waist is pulledher petticoat , and fireamen’

a panbn with the languormra glamour ofbar lasciviouseyes. Springu wcatchwoodcoch ,

”as the aaintly 0hryaoatomm inglymnarh .

206 Human SexualityHomeric heroes ; all have a love-origin, a sexual fountain-head, and are

butmeans in the vast workshop of nature for the evolution of that greatlawofnatural selection which Darwin so ably defined .

‘

Mutually desirable sexual conjunction has always been, both inmenand animals , an end involving considerable difficulty and struggle. The

doc will race formiles to escape froman undesirable buck, and birds winthe favor of their lady- loves by a long stage of themost assiduous courtship . We ourselvesmay obtain other women ; indeed , by some tantalizingdiabolismoffate , themore keenly we pursue the only one, themore persistently do the others fling themsel ves at us ; but the perfect union , thatwhich satisfies every want and longing ofour nature , which conformsmorenearly to every requirement of the selective law, is amatter sometimesinvolving years of our best physical or intellectual efiort. And this is a

wise ordination, spurring bothmen and women to the very highest exerciseof theirmental and physical powers ; and that at a period of l ife whenboth are in their prime ; thus accomplishing , as I have previously pointedout , purposes for the betterment ofmankind whichmight otherwise have

Among savages , and indeed largely in civilization, as we have seen,

force is the symbol of virility . as courage is its psychic manifestation .

Violence is a qualification of the first order in the prosecution of a lovesuit . And this is only natural . Men are violent , pugnacious , lavish oftheir physical andmental energies, only when they are deeply in earnest;

when they properly appreciate the prize for which they struggle ; and the

object ofsuch a pwsion has nomeans of gauging its earnestness save bythe energies called into play in the eflort to gratify it . The instinct ofmodesty , which , in its primordial form,manifests itself in resistance, activeor passive, is allwoman has to oppose this passion; and it needs no wordsto show that modesty yields , as does everything else, easier to force thanto feebleness, so that the woman violates no lawof nature in yielding tothemost vigorous of her wooers .

’

Among the Limacidwthe process of love-makingSexual Mani festa is slow , elaborate and exceedingly interest ing. In

tions in Molluscs the common garden slug it begins about midnight ,ofa sultry spring night . Themale follows the female

in a circle, resting hismouth on whatmay be considered the tail of the‘Itmay be ra narked hcre that secrualaelection as a lawwas taken up by Groos

at about the pointwhere “The Descent ofMan” left it, considerably enriched by thatmagnificent reasoner, and carried forward bymore recent writers to the logical con

ofnaturalselection .

’ In confirmation ofthis statement eee Marro,

“La Puber-té, p . 4od.

The LawofSexual Desire 207

other , both all the time giving out immense quantities ofmucus . Whenthis has grown to a suflicientmass, they suspend themselves fromit , bya cord of the glutinous substance, continuing to turn round each other til ltheir bodimforma kind of cone , with the organs ofgeneration protrudingfromtheir orifice near themouth , and hanging down so as to touch eachother. Thus twisted together, in whatmay be regarded as the love embrace , they remain for a considerable time, the sexual organs emitting a

beautiful iridescence ; when , the act being completed , they slowly unwindtha nselves, and crawl away .

‘

Some of the Helicidar have special organs for awakening sexual excitement , tbe telumVcnms of the true snail being an example . In Helir

aspen-ea , this dart , or feeler, is about five-sixteenths of an inch in length ,and one-e ighth of an inch broad at its base. Cooke considers it an adjunctto the sexual mechanism. He found that during , and before, the act ofcopulation , this dart was extended and imbedded in the flesh ; fromwhichho was led to regard it as an organ whomfunction is to induce sexualexcitment as a preparatory to coitus.

’

It has been shown ‘ that the courtship of theIn the Octopus octopus (O. vulgar

-is) is conducted with the utmostpropriety and del icacy , and not brutally, as

'

had beenthe common supposition. The male gently stretches out his third armon the right , caressing the female with its extremity , and finally passingit into the chamber formed by themantle. There is a quick , spasmodiccontraction of the female, but she does not attempt to escape ; and if “ thepoor beetle that we tread upon , in corporal suflrance , finds a pang as greatas when a giant dies,

" who shall say that sexual delight is not equallyintense among these diminutive sensualists , and that the hour, sometimes ,a nployed in the sexualactmay not be, in some sort, a nearly eternalparadisc to these tiny existences?

The sexual congress oftwo spiders has been wellArmou r described by Peckham, in his paper on sexual selec

Love-makiag tion .

“On May 24 we found amature female , and

placed her in one of the larger boxes, with a male.

He sawher, as she stood perfectly still , twelve inches away. The glancesea ned to excite hirn , and he at oncemoved toward her. When some four

M the “Loves ofthe Slug ,

” Bladon ,Zoologisr, vol. xv.

L. H . Cooke ,

“Molluscs ,” Cambridge Nat. Hist ,m, 143.

Racovitaa . NaturalScience, Nov . , 1894.

‘ I desire to acknowledgemy indebtednmto Havaloclt Ellis for these instances ofanalogical courtship . quoting themfor exactly the same reasons which he advances(Lon cal ,m, 29), and referring the readerwhomay desirefurther knowledge on the sub

208 Human Sexualityinches fromher he stopped, and then began themcst remarkabie perform~ance that an amormrsmale could ofier to an admiring female. She eyed

himeagerly, changing her position fromtime to time , so that hemightbe always in view. Hemoved in a amicircle for about two inchu , amithen , instantly reversing the position of his legs, circled in the oppositedirection, gradually approaching nearer and nearer to the female. Nowshe dashes toward him; while he, raising his first pair oflep , extends themumand forward, as ifto hold her ofi

'

, at the same time slowly retreating .

Again and again he circles fromside to side , she gazing at himin a softer

mood , and evidently admiring the grace ofhis antics . This was repea teduntil we had counted one hundred and eleven circlesmade by the ardentlittle wooer. Nowhe approaches nearer, and nearer, and, when almostwithin reach , whirlsmadly round and round her , she joining and whirlingwith himin the giddymaze . Again he falls back; and resumes his sa ni

circular motions , with his body tilted over . She, all excitement , lowersher head and raises her body so that it almost stands upright . Both drawnearer, shemoves slowly under him,

”and lo, the great , eternal ,mystm'ious ,

polymorphous act is accomplished .

‘

Aldrich andTurley describe a certain insect whichThe Balloon Fly excites the accrual feeling ofthe female bymanipulat

ing a. sort ofbubble, or air-balloon, the glisten ingwhite appearance of which attracts the female , and which is probablyproduced by somemodification ofthe anal organs. Giving an account ofthe sexual act, they say that , froma number ofmales gathered about her,the female, without hesi tation , selected for her mate the one with the

largest balloon, reversing the usual position bymounting upon his back .

After the copulation had begun , the pair would settle down towards theground , select a retired spot , and the female would alight by placing hafront legs across a horizontal blade ofgrass , her head resting against it insuch a way as to brace the body for the act. Here she would hold the

male beneath her until it was completed ; hemeanwhile rolling the balloonabout in a variety ofpositions— juggling with it , so to speak. After themale and female parted the balloon was always dropped by the formerand greedily seized upon by ants .

’

In the love-making ofanimals the male plays the most active pa rt ,fighting for the female and surrendering her only when confronted by a

fact to the larger treatises ofLinnmus , Lister, Haeckel , and especially the “Hebe and

Lichen-Leben in der Thin -welt,” of Bushner ; Finck’

s“ Primitive Love and Love

Stories ,” and l1q “0m der Vogel,” Chap . iv.

Vid. 0. W . Peckham, lac. cit.

“A Balloon Making Fly,” AmericanNaturalist, Oct , 1899 .

2 10 Human SexualityIn allages, and among allraces, dancing has bcen.

Dancing as a and is , intimately related to the sexual life ; and inSexua l Stimulant almost allthe works ofthosewho have written on the

latter theme it is first noticed) In many savagecountries , as I have heretofore remarlced, notably Australia and SouthAfrica , the rhythmic movement, unlike smell, is not only a pronouncedstimulant to tumescence , in both sexes , but, as a simple spectacle to thosenot engaged in it , is capable of producing the same result. Primitive dancing difl

'

eredwidely fromthat nowin vogue . In thc ballet, whichmay bctaken as the typc ofthe latter , the chiefenergy appears to bemanifestedin themuscles ofthe lower l imbs, and is neither so vigorous nor so sexua llyexciting as the samemovement among savages.

The Marquesan girls, as Herman Melville remarks , dance all overtheir feet , arms , hands , fingers, even the ir very eyes seeming to parta kein themovement ; the kinesthetic forces being so exercised as to readily

Holden rmnarks ofthe Kafiir dance that the perfection of the ar't seemsto consist in

“their being able to put every part ofthe body intomotion

at the same time ; and as they are naked , the bystander has a good oppor

tunity of observing the whole process, which presents a remarkably oddand grotmque appearance ; the head , trunk , arms , legs , hands , feet , bona .

muscles , skin, scalp and hair, allinmotion at the same time ; with featherswaving , tails ofmonkeys and wild beasts dangling , shields beating , andaccompanied by whistling , shouting and leaping. There is perhaps no

exercise in greater accordwith the sentiments and feelings ofa barbarmrspeople, or more fully calculated to gratify their wild and ungovernedmm,3 j

Such a dance, as Sergi truthfully remarks ,’ is a powerful agent on theorganism,

“ because its excitation is general , because it touches every vitalorgan, the higher centers no longer dominating ,” and while deeply shootingthe psycho-sexual life ofa people, may also , as has been intimated by

“ ‘Whosowouldwin awoman , Cupidhimselfis represented as an inveterate dancer ; and itwaswhile dancing ammg the othergods , according to Constantine, that he thr

-ewdown the bowlofnectar which tumsd.

as the fable reads , the white rose red. In Lucian's description ofJupiter’s rape of

Europa swimming fromt nicia to Cre te , the ses is represented calm,

the winds hushed, Neptune and M phitrite in their chariots , the tritons dancing. and

the half-naked sea -nyrnphs and Cupid,hirnsslf, keeping th e io themusic ofthe Hy

meneus on the dolphins’ backs.

resents a lovelynakedwoman , aslccp , and tmops ofsatyrsdancing about ha .

Holden ,

“TheKafir Race,” 1866 , p. 274.

“In M otions," p. 288 .

The LawofSexual Desire 2 1 1

Mr. H . Ellis ,‘ so powerfully act upon their physical development as toproduce, as indeed it does, not only great strength andmuscular resiliency ,but those platycnmic bone formations for which certain of the African

Burton, in his“Anatomy ofMelancholy, notes the fact that not only

is dancing an incitement to love ,but that love is an incitement to dancing ;’and it can hardly be doubted , whatever course of physiological or psychicalreasoningmaybe adopted to account for it , that both in civilized and savage

Among the Australians, where it partakesmost largely of the sexualcharacter,where themen become furiously excited, not only by the beatingofthe boomerangs , but the practice ofthe women of keeping time by theclapping oftheir hands between their thighs , it is well known that an orgieofpromacuous act ual intercourse always follows it ; and that such intercourse is recognized as an essential element , or finale, ofthese dances iswoven by the fact that jealousy , on the part of the male, particularly,

Again, the same writer remarks , at the“Mobierrie , or rat-harvest ,

some weeks ofpreparation are required for it, duringThe Dance in which quarrel ing is forbidden , and the people

’

smindsAustralia are brought into suitable condition for the sexual

intercourse which invariably succeeds the ceremony .

That this is not a sequel to every dance , however, is proven by the factthat only in the “Mobierrie ,

”and one or two others, is jealousy forbidden.

Indeed , open sexual intercourse is disallowed atmany ofthe subordinatedances of a more domestic character ; but at the

“Mindarie,”or great

peace-festival-dance , which is held at the ful l ofthe moon and kept upall night , promiscuous sexual intercourse is sec retly indulged and as a con

sequence farmore greatly enjoyed .

The men prepare for this festival with unusual care . They decoratetheir bodies with feathers , stuck on with blood freshly taken fromtheirponies , paint themselves elaborate ly, and wear tufts of boughs fastened

‘Loc. c ,m, 47, et ceq.

“ Anatomy ofMelancholy, n ,m, N .

Sad nmi filud ca mpsr ingrma l’m aaltacil as the Muaes aang to the harp ,

Venus dancedf’ p. 577 .

For- the wild terpeichorean {mnzies of the devotees of Cybele and Dionysius, aa

related to sexuality , in addition to the authorities heretofore quoted, see, for easily ao

e- fble information, Smith's “Dictionary ofAntiquities? Lewis and Short’s “Ie xicon ;"Sanelaigne

’

s“L

’Alicnation lientale dans l’Antiquité ,” and White ’s “History of the

Warfare ofScience with Theology.

”

8. Canon , Jaw. Anthr . Incl" Nov. , 1894, xxxv, 174.

2 1 2 Human Sexualityto their ankles tomake a noisewhile dancing . Thswounding ofthe penis

in obtaining the blood frequently produces inflammation and hyperemia

materially to its size, and ferocious appearance , in both of which the ownertakes particular delight , at the same time must render exceedingly un

pleu ant and painful the act'

for which the operation is prepu ative.

In other words such penisss , it seems tome, would bs a good bit like

kings , warts , andmodern health-boards , farmore ornamental than usefulin the world .

Among certain ofthe Australian tribes, sexual intercourse , however.is strictly forbidden at their dances ; but, as is suggestively remarked bySmyth , at the corroborces , the ladies light small fires some two hundred feetaway fromthe dance, to indicate their locality to their lovers ; and that thelatter will frequently excuse themselves fromthe dance to slip out and

take a -turn with their “ best girls ” in the bushes , returning , quite innocently, to finish the reel with their unsuspecting (T) partner's.

1

The women have a dance which , as described by Eyre, consists in joiningthe hands over the head , closing the feet and bringing the knees together.

The legs are then thrown outward at the knee, the hands keeping theiroriginal position, and, being quickly brought together again, a sharp soundis produced by the collision. This is practised by the young girls alone,or with other girls, for amusement ; and is the formof dancemar

-ted to“when a single woman is placed before a rowofmale dancers to excite

8

It is worthy of remark that among civilised peoples those dances whichmost unmistakablymeet the cas ual embrace , not

The Sexual Dance withstanding the denunciations of the clergy, alwaysMost Favored take the strongest andmost pers istent hold upon the

popular fancy ; while those which owe their pleasurable feeling to the purelymatheticmental emotion of cadence , and rhythminmuscularmovement, such as the gracefulmud de la camr and others

Among the inhabitants ofTorres Straits if aman danced well he foundfavor with women . In this country their favor depends not somuch on

his dancing as his ability to pay the fiddler.

”

The women of the NewHebrides dance within a circle ofmen, as a sortof spectacle for, rather than as partners of, the latter. They leap , twist

Vid. Brough Smyth , lac. sit ar, 319 .

235 .

Cornp. Road’s “Characteristic National Dances ;” Oahusac. “La Danae, Anciennestmodems ,” andfor the later forms ofthe amusement.Rameau.

“Le Matti-e a Dance .

"

2 18 Human Sexualitysociety and themoral sense.

‘ Ellis argues , very forcefully, that the facilitywith which savages impose such restrictions upon themselves speaks forthe innate weakness oftheir sexual impulses ; and that the data which

same direction.

’

There is another factor, however, in the physiological repulsiveness of

Repulaiveness of the savage quite as strongly as it does ourselves ;the Female and which in both cases requires sometimes all the

Geni talia forcs ofsexual passion to overcome. I can, indeed,

readily conceive cases in which the impulse is so con

genitally or pathologically weak as to occasion complete inhibition ofdesire in the presence ofsuch obstacles.That this horror [minor is not restricted to the refined and cul tured ,

is shown by the statement ofa writer that his gondolier , a Venetian, stopping one day before the Night and Dawn of S . Lorenzo—sprawling naked

himself, and he went on : ‘the ugliestman naked is handsomer than the

finest woman naked . Women have smoked legs , and their sexual organsstink . I only once sawa naked woman. It was in a brothel , when Iwas eighteen. The sight ofher naturamademe go out and vomit in thecanal . Ofvery rank cheese he said one day pusza come la natura d'unadonna.

’ Theman was entirely normal and robust , but seemed to regardsexual congress as amere evacuation, the sexual instinct apparently not

being strong . I havemyselfonmore than one occasion heard similardisparaging remarks concerning women frommen who, not being pr'ofessedmisogynists,must havemade thementirely on e sthetic grounds.

Portman,who knows the Andamanese well, saysSexuality of the that their sexualdesire is small, their love of sportAndamanese being far greater than their passion ; ‘ and althoughand Fuegians chastity is not particularly regarded by the N egians,

“and virginity is lost at a very early age , yet both

men and women are extremelymoderate in sexual indulgence .

Menstruation among women , and the sexual pas ion amongmen, are

suppressed during the longwinter ofths Eskimos , childrenbeing bornalmostmfuer‘vcly nine months after the first appearance of the sun ;

‘and with

many ofour Indian tribes it is a customto refrain fromsexual intercourse“Golden Bough , 1901, p. as.

“DarWeib , 1901, pp. 212, a seq.

Quoted by H . Ellis. lac. cit ,m,

Jour. Anthr. last .May, 1896 , p. 369 .

F. Cook, NewYorkJaw. 03m. andObstetrics

The LawofSexualDos ire 2 1 9

during the entire period of lactation.

‘ In Polynesia , it is doubtful whethersexual license prevailed to any great extent before the advent of Europeans ;

ment previously heremade, that sexual ere thismis attained among primitiveraces only with extreme difficulty , during any except the sexual seasons.

’

Among the natives ofRotuma, before the missionaries changed thecustom, while sexual intercom-mbefore marriagewas

Chastity of comparatively common, gross prostitution and adulterywere unknown ; the Maoris were so chaste that ,while a chief might honor a friend by loaning him

his wife , it would be exmmely difficult and dangerous to attempt corrupting her in private and among the Papuans , illicit sexual excess is uncom

The sexual impulse among the Belendas is only very slightly developed,the husband having intercourse with his wife not oftener than three timesamonth ; and Skeat tells us that the Malays preserve the strictest chastityin their stockades duringwar-time, under conviction that the bullets and

spears will lose their power if sexual intercourse be indulged in.

’

The prevalent idea that African negroes, in a stateof nature , are peculiarly amorous, probably growingout of the obscene and lascivious character ofmanyof their orgies, is in reality disproved by the very

circumstance which seems to establish it ; these orgies being indulged inrather for the purpose of aiding and stimulating a naturally weak erethisrn.

The negress as amle is cold and indifierent to the prommings oflove,

yielding less tO psychic infiuences than the coarsemateri alismofthe act .

The whiteman, with his smaller penis, andmore susceptible neurotic twi

perament , is powerless to excite her, completing the intercourse long beforeher blunter nervous organismhas reached the point of enjoyment , and she

feel ing that lack ofsatisfaction which arises froman unharmonious union.

In some parts ofWest Africa , a girl , particularly of high birth , if foundguilty ofunchastity , is punished by dusting red pepper

The Pepper-Cure into her privates ,"

and among the Ba Wenda, offor Girls North Transvaal , although the youngmen are allowed

to “ play” with the girls before marriage, no sexualintercourse is permitted ; and if a young girl , when she seats herself upon

D'Orbigny,

“L’Homms Americain,

”1839 , r, 47.

Bull. Soc. quoted byH . Ellis , (11, 216.

Ibid . , Sec.m,Vol. rx , p. 368 , quoted fromH . Ellis .

Skcat, lac. ci t , p. 524.

A. B. Ellis , “Youba Speaking Peoples , p. 185.

2 20

a stone, shows the lips ofher vulva suspiciously open , she is accused ofhaving had illicit intercourse, and subjected at once to the “ pepper-cure ,a formofpunishment , by the way, whichmight take its place, not unworthily, with themuch exploited “water-cure , as practised by our officersin the Philippines. Were it employed generally in this country I amcon

vinced there wmrld be an immediate and sharp advance in the price of

On the whole, as far asmy reading has enabledme to judge, I thinkI amsafe in saying that the sexual passion has in

Sexuali ty and creased rather than diminished with the growth ofcivilization. Itwas during the very some of Grecian,

that sexual profligacy reached its greatest development ; and in any comparative ethnological reviewofthe human race it willbe found that thevices ofsavagu ,much less than the luxuries of civilization , tend to impairand diminish the nationalliie. This fact did not escape the keen observa

tion ofLucretius,‘as well as that ofmore recent writers ; ’ and Mary Wol

lenstonecraft remarks that “ people of sense and reflection are most apt tohave violent and constantM ons , and to be preyed upon by them.

"

Heaps , in his study of the“ Sexual Season,

”regards it as highly probable

that “ the reproductive power ofman has increased with civilization , pre

cisely as itmay be increased in the lower animals by domestication ; a factwhich w as the far greater importance of the sexual function amongcivilized than savage communities, in its re lation to both society andmorals.

to its vigor and continuance , as well as that constant idealizing of sex

which , it would not be diffi cult to show , is the strongest factor not onlyin promotingmarriage but in begetting fidelity in love ; so that the abusesand national ruin we have seen to follow sexual development in the oldercivilizations ,must be based onmoral , rather than social grounds.

Besna in, by a somewhat far- fetched systemof reasoning , clames the

sexual impulse with the“needs of activity ,“ co

Psychology of the ordinating with it the need ofurination. That bothSexual Function themfunctions are mere “

nervous explosions ,”as

partially argued by Ellis ,“ and that there exists an

Vid.

“De Ren rmNatura, v, 1016 .

‘Comp. Lubbock , “Origin ofCivilization ; Westefl narck.

“Hist . ofHumanMarriagcf

’ “DanWeib , PlowBartels ; and Leckfs “Hist . ofEurop. Morals.

“Thoughts on the Education ofDaughters ," Boston , 1892.

“Les Sensations Inter-nee," 1889 . Lac. cit ,m, 60.

2 2 2 Human Sexualityconnection between both bladder and sexual apparatus and the brain-centers, is quite susceptible of demonstration.

All motor influences are communicated to related muscles. On thisground the convulsion of laughter, for instance, is in direct relation , quiteoften, with the sexual-center , there being persons in whomloud laughteris the liberation of an explosive energy which , otherwise,mightmanifestitself in sexual activity . Frequently we hear of persons laughing till they“wet themselves,” and the distribution of nervous discharges rs explainedby the connection between themotor- cente rs ; the sexualmotor explosionbeing themost powerful of our nature frmn the fact that it is the rmultant

The ancient Greeks regarded the aexual orgasmas

An cient Views as a species of epilepsy, aswe are informed by Gla nent,to Sexuality of Alexandria ; ‘ and even Coalius Aurel ianus , one of

themost noted physicians of ant iquity , taught thatthe nerve shock experienced in aexual intercomse is a

“brief epilep y.

"

The reliefofthe distended seminalvesicles in the sexualact is not aolely

that of evacuation.

“ It is the discharge ,

”as Mr. Ellis well says, by the

most powerful apparatus for nervmrs explosion in the body , ofthe ewgy

accumulated and stored up in the alowprocemoftumescence ; and that

discharge reverbcrates through anthe nervmrs centers ofthe organian.

”

In point offact , the true epileptic seizme does ficqmtly incolve tlte smal

mechanism, appearing most often at puberty , and manifesting itselfquite commonly in erection , or satyriasis ; and following , in quite enough iastances to make it observable , the reaction; ofmasturbation. Boerhaaveregarded coitus as a

“true epilepsy ;

”and Roubaud, Hammond and other

modern writers, have noted the resemblance between both , without,

exeemas a cause of epilepsy.

Opinions of its affinity ; and Beaunis , almost equally so, to trace it toNature

through certain senses , such as that of smell in the

higher animals. Clemger, Spitxka and otM , have regarded itm“

proto

plasmic hunger," tracing it back , or endeavor-ing todo so.to those pre -sexual

The LawofSexual Des ire 2 23

stinct. as affecting the whole organism, and“sexual appetite , which is a

limited and local ized desire ; assuming that the “sexual need is but one

aspect ofthe “nutritive need .

“ With these sometimes ridiculous , and frequmtly conflicting , views we have at present no concern, further than todeduce frmn thema caution against a too crude and hasty conclusion con

cerning what has occasioned such ingenious difl'

erences ofOpinion .

It is suflicient that we find in the sexual impulseStages of the two very well marked constituents , so intimatelySexua l Impulse connected as to seembut one ; and yet so easily

,

separable as tomake, as a writer says,“two distinct

stages in the same process ?” a first stage, in which , under simul taneousexternal and internal stimuli , images ofa voluptuous character are formedin themind , the impulses of desire, love, expectancy , awakened , and the

sexual apparatus engorged with blood ; and a second stage, in which themural explosion occurs as the culmination of sexual excitement , beingmcceeded by exhaustion , and amore or less deep sense of organic relief.‘

The first stagemay exist without the wcond; but the second cannot existwithout the first .Mantegazza very finely describes , in his

“ Physiology of Love, the

longings , impulses , fears, of the awakening sexualIts First life, existing long before that life is capable ofmani

Mani festations fasting itself in the procreative act; tracing the irinfluence on themind and emotions , and giving their

subtle impetus to the trend of human feeling , in such away as to showthat , whatever our definition of itmaybe, sexuality not only begets humanity but shapes its destiny ; and showing that in the re ligious, as well asthe sexual life, love is transcendental .In neither realmcan it be reduced to any rule of empirical

knowledge. It becomes, therefore, in all its mental processes , whollya cmture of the imag ination ; and as the intensification of one ele

ment of life naturally intensifies those other elements with which it isemaciated , it may be readily seen howthe extreme development ofthe

ethica l may aflect the sexual idea , in the quest of that immortal objectwhich is the ultimate purpose of both . Only in one point do they differ.

In sexual love , the true purpose ofits creation— the propagative one— is

lost siflrt of in the consciousness ofthe act, the strength of desire beingGod ’s all-suflicient safeguard for the fulfilment of a duty which is paramount ia creation, and which otherwisemight be overcome by themultiplicity of opposingmotives. In religion, the reverse is the case.

”bid.

2 24 Human SexualityIn the paragraphs on sexual anesthesia we saw

The 80q Life that , while the condition treated of is far commonerof Women in women than men , it is usually pathological and

unnatural ; the abnormality , as a rule, disappearingunder favorable conditions of intercourse, and the sexualmechanismgradually returning to its normal organic functions . Those who desire tomoreintimately analyze the sexual status of woman will find that , heretofore ,two very opposite currents ofopinion prevailed respecting it , both ofwhichwere equally false. Onemade woman an angel , a wholly supernatural element in human life, and the other regarded her as a mere plaything of

the animal appetite, with no thought , feel ing, nor purpose, outside the

sexual sphere.

Religion , it cannot be denied , hadmuch to do with fixing and develop

savage life ; and in themeticismof early Christianity , it is not hard totrace those peculiar workings ofthe humanmind in which the condemnstion of sexualitywas very naturally correlated with exaltation of virg inity .

To this persistent antagonismbetween the sexual and the ethical , are due,not only themystical idea of sexual purity, on which , in the Divine Iacarnation , the Christian faith is founded ,but allthose later picturesque idea lizations of the diabolic and divine, which constitute so large a portionof ecclesiastical literature .

In the life ofwoman , it would not be difficult to show , that religion and

love go hand in hand . That the boasted inte llectuality of the sex todayis an anomaly , a subversion, a futile attempt to reverse the divine orderofcreation, is adequately shown by the fact that , wherever it has takenthe place ofprimitive instincts in women, sexuality has been abolished .

Joan of Arc never menstruated ; the life ofGeorge Sand was one longbattle against those sex impulses which made her “wander in darkness ,and create in pain ;

”and of allthe women who have profoundlymodified

the intellectual or political life of the past , as well as those who stand inthe public eye today , there is not one who, either in physical feature, temperament, or trend ofthought, will be found to conformappreciably to thefeminine type. They are invariably what Profwor James cal ls “

antisexual .”

t “ Principles ofPsychology, Lombroso, I renam e. very truthfullyand graphically— “ there are no women ofgenius ; the women ofgenius are allmen ;and Euripides was one ofthe earliest to note that womerr oftalent are allsubject tosexual aberration. Sappho , Phileas , Elephantina and Leontion,

the priestess and philosopher, were allpublic prostitutes ; and during the Renaissancewe find another notahis list of such ladies, ofwhomTullia ofAragon was probably chief. (See “Wa derbelebung des Klassisch

2 26 Human Sexualitybetween the religious and semal impulsesflmt the danger whieh underlies any attempt todivert or suppress either.

Mr. Ellismlates graphically ‘ the oaas of a young

Their Corelation nun who devoted herself so exclusively to thewershipofthe Savior that she Mcame startled, even in hsr

within her which impaired the purity of the love she was seeking . Atsbcteen she fen in love with a priest, and, in spite of her remome, desiredto have sexual oonnection with him. Later on she

“understoodm

thing .

" She had thought that the religiomlife precluded sen ralthoughts,

and the joys ofmarriage; but nowshe understood it difierentiy. The

Savior dcsirsd she should have relationswith a priest' He was incamstsd

Then she began tomasturbatc , but this sppamntly did not u tidy the

feet, embracedhim, sought himby everymeans possible , andfinallybemc

such a source of scandal that she was committed to an asylum. Here ,

modified by newmmundings, her love for the unfortunate priest psn sd

to the equally unfortunate doctor in attendance. The priest, by his sscred

character,was prohibited fromgiving her satisfaction, she argued; but thc

doctor,whowas compelledby his calling to do everything he cmxld for thsgood ofhis patients, why should he 1efuse to thus devote himsslfon thealtar ofduty?

Alas , the poor doctors i The only astonishing feamre ofthis novelcsse

is that she seemingly failed to find a physician sufficiently altruistic and

unselfish to accommodate her. Inmost hospitals thme is always to befound a large segment ofthe stafiwho axe unselfishly rsady , at any hour

ofthe day or night , to thus sacrifice themselves on the altar of duty ,weirdevotion being as sublime in thia xespect as their sympathy is desp and

Mariani ,’ also, describes the case of a young married woman who, inthe early stages of her erotico-religious insanity , inflicted upon herself themost abominable forms of penance , fasting , cleaning dirty plates with hertongue , drinking her own urine , and various other delightful acts ; tillhaving , as she supposed , obtained complete forgivem of her sins , sheentered upon a stage of beatific happiness , in which , she asserted , she en

joyed themost intimate personalrelationshipwith the Savior .

The writer subsequently shows how closely the history he re lates cor

Lac . cit , l,m, a seq.

“Una Santa ,

”Archaic da

’

PM , 1 11 , 438 , d 009.

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 245

pensable preliminary . If the abnormality be congenital , clearly it cannotbe a crime. If it be acquired, itmay be both vicious and criminal, ore ither , or nei ther ; amore careful analysis of the specific set, or series ofacts, being necessary to determine the difficult point at which responsibilityceases , and irresponsibility begins, a question coming possiblymore properlywithin the domain ofmedical jurisprudence than sexual psychology .

Westphal , in Germany , was probably the first toInversion as a place the study of sexual inversion upon a sound

Theme of Romance scientific basis. Since the earliest ages it has beena favorite theme ofpoets and romancers. Balzac ,

whose treatment of love-themes shows considerable psychological knowledge,touches upon it in his “La Fille auxYeuxd

’

Or ; andGautier in hiswonderful romance , “Mademoiselle de Maupin,

”makes his heroine a sexualinvert, as hemakes her in “Claramonde” a vampire. Ariosto pointed outthe homosexual practice of women ; and in Diderot’s novel, LaReligieuse,

”

first published anonymously, and thought to have been written by a nun,

monastic life of the times, is founded on sexual inversion. Bmckenridge

E l lis touches upon it in the loves ofRosamunda and Anna. Zola treats ofitin his “Nana ” with themost frank rea lism; andAdolphe Belot, in “Mademo iselle Giraud

,Ma Femme

,

” tells ofaman whose bride denied himsexualintercourseon account of her love liaison with a young lady friend . Swinburne hints at it in his first “Poems and Ballads ;” Verlaine, in “Par-al lelement ;” Lamartine, in “Regina ;

”and Bourget

,Daudet

,Mendes , Whit

man , and Maupamant, aremodern wri ters in whose works homosexualityis, i f at all, only thinly veiled .

In 1836 Hossli published a medi co- literary workA: a Sc ientific based on the trial and execution of a young man

Study ofgood fami ly,whomurdered a youth through homosexual love and jea lousy ; and in Germanmwhere

the medics-legal aspects of the subject have been most carefully investiga ted , Casper, in his “Vierteljahrsschrift ,

”and elsewhere ,

calling attentionto those genito-psychical condi tions which plead for immunity fromlegalprocedure ,

and punishment , in dealing with homomxual vices , treated thematter very fully and fairly ; but the writer who has done the most—not

exceptingevenWestphal— to scientifically define, and analyse , the subject of

sexual inversion. was Karl H . Ulrichs , ofAurich , Germany ; aman whoformany years defended publicly the practice of homosexual love, and whowas himself amiss ed sexual invert .

Who drives fat oxenmust himsel f he fat. According to the Horatianmaxim, that no man is capable of writing about a passion he has not

246 Human Sexualityhimself felt , Ulrichs, as a self-confessed invert ,was peculiarly qualified todefine

,analyse

,and describe sexual inversion ; and the clear and intelligent

character ofhis work does ample justice to his peculiar advantages .

Under the pen-name,

“Numa Numantius,

”and subsequently under his

own ,beginning in 1864, he published in Germany a long catalogue of works

in defence of the individual ’s right to practice sexual intercourse as he

pleased ; and pleading for a greater degree of legal tolerance for the sexua linvert .‘

As has been well remarked , however, the reasonings of this writer indefence ofan institution ofwhich hewas an avowed disciple

,bear toomuch

the character of arguments pro dome to have had a verymarked bearingupon scientific thought . He regarded homosexuali ty as simply a congeni talabnormality

,by which a female soul had become united with a male body

animamuliebris in corporavirili induce— andviceva se ; and this speculation,admirably suited to the supers titious spiri t of the times

,took rapid root

in Italy,where Ri tti , Tamassia , and at a later period Lombroso

,began to

give such elaborate and careful study to those hitherto neglected sexualphenomena as to result in their present elevation to the rank of a clearlydefined department in psychological science.

In France,the subject was taken up by Charcot

In France and Magnan,the first important result of their in

vestigation of sexual inversion being published , in1882, in the Archives de N eurologie. Paul Sé rieux , in his “Les Anomaliesde l

’Instinct Sexual,

” published in Paris in 1888 ,made valuable contribu

tions to our knowledge of the subject ; which is further enriched by thoseofLacassagne, ofB rouardel and Legludic, in Paris, and ofTarnowsky inSt. Petersburg.

But it cannot be denied that,while Krafit-Ebing

,ofVienna

,and Have

lock Ellis, of London , have accomplishedmore than,

Elsewhere possibly,any two other previous wri ters in reducing

the subject to clearly definite lines , and in framinglaws for its scientific investigation

,it is equally obvious that in both writers

the literary arrangement of their facts leaves very much to be defined ;and it is with an ultimate hope ofbettering this condition,

amplifying thetheme

,in directions where it seems faultily circumscribed in the woriamen

tioned,and condensing it in others

,where it

I have been led to attempt the present task .

In the works of most writers on sexua lof alltrue literary excellence—the power of

‘Comp

248 Human Sexualityofthose ridiculous prejudices whichmade sexual perversion a loathsome,namelessy ice, only to be touched, as one remarks , “with a pair of tonp f‘and reducing to a concrete science what had hitherto been regarded as a

In a pamphlet by Edward Carpenter , fi England,’

Intellectual Status sympathy i s claimed for homosexuality, on the groundof Inverts that its laws are pmcisely those of heterosexua lity' ,

only reversed ; and Rafialovich, regarding congeni ta l

inversion as a large element in human life, takes somewhat the same stsnd ,

supporting his view by quoting the high mental andmoral characters of

many ofthose figuring in the rOIe ofhomosexualists . Among these, he

mentions Alexander the Great, Virgil , the princes Eugene and Conde ,

Socrates, Pindar, Pheidias , and Epaminondas ;' while the author of “ Paychopathia Sexualis,

”referring, in his preface, to themany communi ca tions

he received from“ these step-children ofNature ,

”remarks that “

the majority ofthe writers aremen ofhigh intellectual and social posi tion ,

and

often possess very keen emotions .

”

In dea ling with a question involving a grave pointInversion in Rela ofmorals, as this unquestionably does , it is diffi culttion to Religion to repress views inculcated by a long course of religiousand Morali ty training ; but however the present writermay regard

thematter froman ethical standpoint, and howevermuch hemay feel disposed to put his individual bann upon it , as uponkindred forms ofsocial vice

,he feels at the same time that such a course

would be not only entirely unworthy the spirit of en lightened research,but would accomplish far less in the amelioration of the evil than thatfull , free and frank discussion ofthe problem, with its logical causes andsequences , to which he has, in this work, addressed himself.Heretofore the Church has unreservedly condemned both heterosexual

and homosexual indulgence,wi th what eflect has already been pointed out ;

and I amsatisfied that only whenmedical science shall take up and {dealwith the problemin its ownway,making it amatter ofhealth andM Wrather than religion andmorality

,and ofa happy li fe here, rather than a

miserable one hereafter, will the subject be found so“ full of interest that

‘He would be a sorry anatomist , ai ntimated at the beginning , whorn oethetie

dhtaste for the fewr ofthe dhsectingmommuld deter fiumfonowing out hbwmse

“Homogenic Love, Manchester, 1894.

“Uranisme , p. 197 .

Inversion of the Sexual h pulse 249

we need not fear it,so fullofgrave socialactuality that we are bound to

face it,

”as a recent writer remarks ; and one farmore readily amenable to

the laws ofrational logic than to the ipse dixit ofspiritual authority . Atleast fromthis viewpoint

,andno other, it ismy present purpose to regard it.Wi th sexuality

,as with life itself, we begin and

Diflerentiation end in the unknown. No one is cognizant at whatof Sex point in embryonic development sex diflerentia

tion begins ; but we do know,as I have heretofore

stated,that up to a certain stage thcre is absolutemunzity; and that the

difi'

erences which subwquently develop, both of sexual mechanismand

desire,are predetermined by influences

,whether divine

,accidental , or

fixedly embryological,whi ch subserve those prime needs ofsocial evolution,

the numerical parity ofthe sexes and the propagation of the human race .

It has been found an exceedingly difficult thingto determine at what precise period the desire oftheboy for the girl , and that of the girl for the boy ,firstmani fests itself definitely . Dr. Connolly Norman

states ‘ that the sexual passion, at its first appearance, is always indefinite,

and eas ily turned in a wrong direction Godard describes the little boysin Cairo as playing sexually with both boys and girls, i rrdifierently,J and

we have only to go back inmemory to our own sexual awakcning to beconvinced ofthe fact that itwas governed very little

,i f at all, by the later

laws of norma l heterosexual feeling.

The desire simply began to stir within us, seeking satisfaction preciselyas does the hunger of the infant, without a thought or concept as to thesource or character ofits food ; and this blind groping ofinstinct alongthe sexual borderland , so to speak, the undifl

'

erentiated “ indecision between1mmand friendship

,

”as Tarde calls it , not only natural but common to

the awakening consciousness,were we privileged to wander afield

,would

constitute a very charming subject formetaphysical inquiry .

Nature aims at a decided and complete prenatalThe LawofNature differentiation ofsex ; but Nature , as Aristotle well

says , while she wishes, has not always the power toperform; and hence result not only the double acorn

,and the bisexual

flower,but those remarkable cases ofao-called hermaphrodism, compara

tively rare, however , in which the sex- line is so feebly drawn that real

men have been lmown to wear female clothing,and cohabit by pre ference

with men all their lives ; and other individuals,with distinct masculine

development , have felt fromchildhood sexual desire only [ormen,with a

250 Human SexualityThere is a species of homosexuality

,however

,not

due either to heredity or psychic influence,which is

Homosexuality the natural outgrowth of abmce ofthe opposite sex ;

and between which and the instinctive variety theline should be carefully drawn in any attempt to define the typical phenomenon . Sainte Claire Deville found that dogs, goats and other maleanimals

,when isolated

,became first restless and pugnacious, and afterward

,

obeying the lawofheat,attempted coupling together ; but were speedi ly

quieted and restored to normal condition by companionship with females .

‘

Bufl'

on observed the same thing in birds ; and Lacassagne noted that ymmgfowls and puppies , before intercourse with the females, frequentlymadehesitating attempts upon those oftheir own sex

,

’showing the instinct to

be germinal and entirely distinct fromany question of sexual association .

Mr. Ellis thinks it probable that true sexual inversion , to the extent ofseeking gratification inmembers ofthe same, rather than of the oppositesex, may be found in animals ;' and quotes Muccioli , an Italian pigeonfancier

,as saying that inverted practices occur even in the company of

the other sex, and that birds ofthis family seemespecia lly prone to sexual

The difficulty of obtaining reliable data as to homosexual practicesamong savages

,has been greatly augmented by the

Inversion disinclination of even scientific explorers to touchAmong Savages upon the theme. They speak vaguely of “brutish

customs ” and “ crimes against nature ;” but “

sod

omy and “ incest seemto be about the only words the ordinary divinedeems permissible in describing vices which , if accurately defined, mightaid us largely in our present task . Sufficient evidence, however, is forthcoming to convince us that even among themost primitive races there existsa widespread

,and

,presumably

,instinctive knowledge of sexual laws and

phenomena ; a knowledge frequently utilised for social and tribal purposes ;and whi ch

,there is little reason to doubt

,at a very early agewas properly

recognised as the great procreative principle ofnature .

Unnatural intercourse—meaning most probably pederasty—was re

garded as an antisocial offense among the Mexicans,Peruvians

,Chinese

,

Hebrews , Teutons and Mohammedans ; and it is worthy ofnote, as I haveheretofore remarked

,that the early nations in which it re ceived the greatest

tolerance and recognition were the most refined and civi lized,notably

Quoted by Chevalier, loo. cr'

t.. p. 204—6 .

“De la Criminalité ches lee Animaux ,” Revue Scicnfifique, 1882 .

Loc. etc.,n

, 3 .

Muccioli ,“Degenerazione e Criminalita nei Colombi ,” Arch. dt

‘

PM , 1893,

252 Human Sexualityfor this purpose, was in the habit of trea ting themliberally to champagnebefore selecting one for his nocturnalpleasure ; and a newboy having beenintroduced, filled with champagne, and in this condition subjected to theusual process, when asked nextmorning by one of the other boys how heliked getting drunk on champagne replied

,rubbing his posterior ruefully

“ I like it allright, but doesn’t itmake your behind sore?”

In China,when a richman gives a feast

,boys are

Boy Prostitution provided to sing, dance , entertain the guests , and toin Ch ina serve themsexually afterward ; returning home next

masculine love is frequently exploited in terms of transport qui te as ardentas applies to the normal kind here, sexual union between men being theliterary dmouement

,equal ly as realistic, as the winning of themaid in ours .

‘

Morache gives us very interesting information of the Chinese boy prostitutes

,who are bought

,or stolen

,fromtheir parents at about four years

of age, subjected to a special course in physical development , comprisingmassage of the hips, tomake thembroad, dilatation of the anus

,and the

process ofepilation pre viously alluded to, to subdue sexual sense in the

subject . They are also highly taughtmmusic, drawing and conversation ;and, as is the case among ourselves, in reference to whores and bawdyhouses

,the waiters in the restaurants, and servants at hotels, acting as

pimps, or procurem,are always fully informed ofwhere these young

gentlemen are to be found, when they are required to grace the fwtivalofsome rich profligate .

’ Matignon,however

,has thismuch to say to the

credit ofthe Chinese, that while pederasty is common,it is held under

more decent restraints than in either NewYork , London or Paris ; and

that,unlike the pederasts of the latter ci ties, they never practise unnatural

Among the Aleuts ofOonalaska ,boys are brought up as girls , their

hair pulled out,their bodies femininely developed

,

The “ Bate and their chins tattooed like the women’s,whose

and “ Schapen ” sexual function they assume. They are calledschripans , and

,it would seem

,are efleminated not

by nature but by association and suggestion . Among allour Indian tribesthe “boté ,

”or sexual invert

,is a regular institution . He is trained in

dress andmanners frominfancy for the feminine rele, which he performswith themouth , although true pederasty is found likewise to exist amongmost of the tribes . Dr. Holder was privileged to examine a bow,

Diet. EncycIOp. dmScience Med Art .

“Chine. [bid“ Super-ethical. Crime, et Misé ré en Chine, 1901 ; also Arch. l

’AnfltropoL Cris-L .

Jam. 1899 .

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 253

who was a splendidly made man,seemingly in perfect formand health .

The sexual organs were normal,though not quite so large as his physique

would have justified ; but he had never had intercoursewith a female. On

removing his clothing,be pressed his thighs together

,shamefacedly

, pre

cisely as a modest woman would , so as to completely cover the sexualorgans, and in that position pmented a well-marked feminine rotundity)

In Madagascar certain boys,called seketra , are

The “ Seketra" selected fromchildhood to be educated sexually as

and Sarimbavy girls. They live,walk , think , and speak like girls, have

intercourse withmen,by themouth or rectum

,and

reverse the usual customby paying themen who please them.

’ The Hovashave a sort ofmale inverts, cal led sarimbavy, which resemble the seketra

in being brought up as girls , but difler fromthemin that sexual relationsrarely occur between themselves ; and when they do

,it is in the formof

intercourse between the thighs , and not as either pederasty or fellatio !

Their voices, in timbre and inflection,are those of women ; their laugh

shril l ; they have no sexual impulses ; erections are rare ; they are gentle,timid andmodest

,and

,when natural intercourse is attempted

,it is always

through the insistence of women ,and fails to produce any agreeable sen

sation. They constitute a remarkable group,regarded by Rencurel as

asecuol inverts, and are not, I believe, without their analogues in modern

Only quite recently I was called to treat a remarkably refined and

cultured lady who,although married for ten years

,

Asexual Inverts had never in her life experienced sexual feeling . The

actwas repulsive, abhorrent to her ; andwith the aid ofa comt physician,

whose substitute she nowdesimdme to become,

she had succeeded hi therto in evading intercourse bymaking her husbandbelieve shewas physically unable to endure it . She toldme frankly that

,

although she loved and respected her husband greatly, she would withouthesi tation leave himif no other way presented of evading her spousalobligations . Permi tting the reader to draw his or her own conclusions as

to themoral principle involved , as well as the angelic virtue necessary ina husband to successfully resist such a strain on his fidelity

,I can only

say Imade his task as easy as l could by assm'ing himthat shewas physically unfit for sexual intercourse.

I aminclined strongly to disagree with Kraflt-Ebing’s statement that

“among themost constant elements ofself-consciousness in the individual

‘Quoted by H . Ellis . loc.

‘Lamet , “Annalee et de Hyg . et de Med. Colonialw, p. 494.

Renew-cl, “Annalee d'Hygime,” etc ., 1900, p. 562.

254 Human Sexualityare the knowledge of representing a definitemeal pamwlity, and the

consciousness ofdesire during the period of physiological activity ofthereproductive organs , to performsexual acts corresponding with that pmsanctity)

” It may hold true to a certain extent in the me ofwomen,

with whomsentiment , much more largely than with men,enters into

the sexual act ; but unless love, which may be regarded as the chiefcomer-stone of sexual selection

,be present, it willbe found , I think , that,

both physically and psychically, the sexual impulse responds rather to the

course, exist ; which is but another voicing of the lawofselection ; but tomen

,at least

,themaximattributed to Franklin

,that “ allwomen are alike

fromthe waist down,

” is, sexually, one of pre tty general and truthful

Until there is adequate development in the child of the corti cal center ofsexual emotion

,andwhile the latter is as yet inca pable

Point ofDeflecti on of sexual difl'

erentiation,

all external impression:in Sex remain destitute ofmentalmeaning; sexual neutrality

being destroyed,not through difl

'

erences of dress,habits

,manners, voice, formor occupation, nor even by the growing ihtensity ofsexual desire

,but by the {intelligence which directs the latter into

normal and natural channels .

And,hand in hand with this physical development , marches the pey

chical ; the rudimentary instinct adapting itsel f, gradually and naturally,but not without serious danger sometimes of accidental deflection

, to thoseforms and ideas ofsex which constitute its subsequent standard . If theoriginal constitution be favorable to normal development, a healtt and

harmonious psychosexual organismwill result ; but ifthere exist any ofthose unfavorable hereditary tendencies , which are far easier to talk aboutthan to properly analyze, if environment , education, vicious surrounding .

or inverted habits ofthought , exert a counter influence, or if there be any

anomaly ofthe central conditions , pervers ity may supervme, and a con

trary sexual feelingmanifest itself.That the physical pmcemes taking place in the

Factors Entering genitals are not exclusive factors in the formationInto the Sexual ofthe psychosexual character, is proven by the fact

that,notwithstanding an apparently heal thful and

normal development of these organs,a sexualitymay

result which is at once abnormal in intensity,and radically contrary to

that ofthe sex to which the individual belongs ; but that certain habits of

mind, and conditions of body, are conducive to the development of contrary185~

256 Human Sexualityment for the widowof the Marquis Pescara, his really impan foned lovesonnets, and longings, were alladdressed to the beautiful and gifted youth,Tomaso Cavalieri .

Although Plato hadmade just such an attachment the subject of sublimesentimental reflection

,this homosexuality ofMichelangelowasmisconceivsd

in his day by that blind sensuality which could see no outlet for such emotions other than contrary sexual indulgence. Men did not understand.

aswe understand today,psychic or soul- love ; and there is hardly any doubt

that thismisconception of his character and temperament, as well as h’mown longing for a supersexual

,ideal beauty, lay at the bottomof the great

artist’s deep-rootedmelancholy.

It has been noted that study of the clamic formsSexual Inversi on of Greek and Roman art— possibly through the

Among Artists higher physicalmale beauty already alluded to—predisposes to sexual inversion ; and the idea is very

fairly borne out by the great comparati ve number ofartists in whomithas been observed . A notable case

,on account ofits tragic ending, was

that ofJerome Duquesnoy, who, being accused of sexual relations with a

youth,in the chapel of the Ghent Cathedral , where hewas carving amonu

ment for the bishop,was strangled and burned) Bazzi owed his ni ck

name,Sodoma

,

’ to the fact that he was inverted ; and among the greatartists of the Renaissance period in Italy, fromMichelangelo to Donatelloand Brunellesco

,history is fullofsimilar instances .

Moll,Raflalovich and Ludwig Frey find traces of homosexuality in the

lives of various sovereigns , notably those of theAmong Rulers Sul tan

,Baber ; Henry III of France ; Edward II,

WilliamII,James I and W lliamIII ofEngland ;

and,probably

,also in the lives ofQueen Anne and George III . The sexu

al ity of Elizabeth, the“Virgin Queen ,

”al though undoubtedly strong , ap

pears to have followed normal channels ; but during the regime of the twochief spirits ofthe “Alliance des trois Cotillons ,“ Maria Themes in Amtrie ,

and Madame de Pompadour in France , there is hardly a doubt that, amid

the other vices ofthe times , homosexual practices were not only commonat the courts of the reigningmonarchs, but in the pri vate lives of thosesovereigns themselves .

m v and other writers have traced very clearly,the hereditary ten

dencies inmonarchial families to this species of degeneration ; showing thatWi lliamRufus was undoubtedly a sexual invert ; that at most Orimtal

‘Jahrbuch fir Sa ueIle Zmechemtu’

‘ Indicating that he was a pederast, or eodomist .

Allimce ofthe Three Petticoats. See Guizot, “Hist . ofFrance," 7, 137 .

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 26 :

powers due to sexual debauchery always demands fresh agencies of stimula

Ifthis be so,the labors ofthose who have set inmotion two distinct

currents ofopinion respecting homosexualitymust be pronounced largelynugatory . On the one side, Binet, Schrenk-Notzing and others, seekingto enlarge the sphere of the acquired , in accounting for sexual inversion,have beenmet by the equa lly able psychologists, Kraut-Ebing, Moll andFé ré , with the opinion that it is congenital . Probably a sound and safeway to regard the sexual instinct is to place it upon the same basis as anyother of our instincts— appeti te, for example ; and, pursuing the analogy

,

compare the inverted instinct with the inverted taste; which , as in the caseof clay-eaters for example, sot exists for abnormal kinds of food .

Thus the omni vorous instinct ofthe chicken,devouring everything that

comes in itsway,my be likened to the normal sexual instinct at puberty ;the sexual invert corresponding to the same chicken, carrying into adultli fe its appetite for rags and waste -paper ; or to a grownman pre ferringthe nursing-bottle to roast beef.Although a tacit belief in the idea ofcongenitality seems to be fairly

widespmad, Ulrichs , so far as I know,was the only wri ter to frame a

nomena under discussion . This postulate is, that themale invert ’s bodyco-existswith a female soul : am’ma nmliebris in corpora virili incline ; and,

indeed, some writers , notably Magnan and Gley, partia lly adopting the

phrase, have regarded inversion in the female brain as associated with a

certain degree ofmasculinity in the procreative orgam.

Ulrichs,however,merely crystallizes into an epigramwhat is not only

entirely insusceptible of proof, but opposed by the fact that, in a large

a] the external organs; and that, equally, in male inverts the feminine

psychicmani festationsmaybe, and frequently are,whollyabsentAs I have before remarked

, in all animals thereItsMorphology are certain relics of bisexuality which never whollyand Psychology disappear. The hen retains the rudimentary spurs

of the cock ; the useless nipple oftheman develops,under certain conditions , into the lactiferous breast of the woman ; in thefemale clitoris we see the rudimentary ma le penis ; while in the variousworks on teratologymay be foundmore or less striking evidences to supportUnarmendi ’s theory of “

panhermaphrodism,

” as a principle as universalas sex differentiation i tsel f.But if there be an indeterminate point at which

,by absolutely unknown

Vid. Proceedings Int. M ad. Cow, Rome , 1894.

262 Human Sexualityprom , whether fortuitous or designed , this sex separation begins, untilwe arrive at somemore definite knowledge ofthat starting-point, and themorphological influences of which it is the center, wemust be content toregard these subtle sex-approximations

,and deviations , as, i f not accidental,

at least wholly beyond the domain ofpresent knowledge. Before we classtheminute organi c variations froma given type as abnormalities, however,we should have a distinct idea ofwhat constitutes an abnorma lity . Is

the study ofnomlogy wholly distinct fromthat ofteratology? And howfar are we justified in associating phenomena, which have been known toresul t fromdisease

,with those which are equally well known to be the

product of organic predisposition?We know color-blindness and criminality to be entirely distinct , as dis

eases, fromscarlatina and smallpox ; but where does the diflerence begin as

to symptomatology? And if Letamendi ’s suggested theory ‘of latentmalegerms in the female, and female germs in themale, striving formastery,and thus producing sexual inversion

,be true, is it not equally true

that the same, or similar, embryological action is what produces the normalsex?

So far as the psychic features of inversion are concerned , i t is quiteprobable that they depend largely if not wholly on antenatal influences ;but those influences

,notwithstanding all that has been written ,

are stilltoo problematical and vague to consti tute li ttlemore than what Moll callsmere “ happy thoughts in themorphology ofthe subject .While itmay be regarded as settled , therefore, that sexual inversion is

a product ofdegeneration,psychical and physical , toward the fulldevelop

ment ofwhich a greatmany causes contribute ; while it is a phenomenon,

in themain,ofweakened will power , li centious habits of thought, and a

too luxurious civilization ; while it springs froma false sexual ideal, rather

than deficient intellect ; and while its practice is so destructive of bothsocial and pri vatemorals that the lawtakes almost universal cogniu nce

of it, yet, in the nearly total absence of whatmaybe regarded as adequatescientific data concerning its nature and causation

,I deemit prudent to

touch only very lightly upon the vast mass of speculation,physiological

and psychical , which recent years have produced in reference to it ; limitingmyself to those prac tical phases of the question in which society suflers

from,andendeavors to protect itsel f against , the sexual invert ; and,

withoutassuming that high moral tone which would be distinctly out of place indealing with a pathological problem, to protect the invert himself, or herself,fromphysical destruction, by pointing out the penal ties which this , incommon with every other violation ofnatural law,

must ultimate ly entail.G. de Letamendi , Int. M ed. Coag. , Rome, 189-1.

264 Human Sexuality

asthenia ,are so powerful and real as to pmduce the

sexual climax frompurely psychiealcauses ; and , ainesnature is not always kind tomany ofthese suhjects

of delusional eviration, they pad their breasts and hips , wear tight shoes,use vast quantities of “ tonic ,

” tomake their hair grow ,andmodulate their

voices so as to conformas nearly as possible to the female falsetto .

The cases, however, of psychic invers ion reaching this extreme development are comparatively rare. Kraflt-Ebing cites only three, in his peculiarly extended experience ; Sé rieux , one ; E squire ] , two ; Arndt , one ;

I ,myself, have known only two ; and in the number of cases recordedby

Mr. Ellis, in volume three of his admirable work, we find the delusionalfeatures so undeveloped as to bring the cases where be properly placesthem, within the category ofsimple sexual inversion.

Arndt’s case, as it reverses those already given,

De lusional being that ofa woman simulating the sexual characterMasculini ty ofaman, is worthy ofmention. A sharply cut profile

,

nose somewhat large , general heaviness of feature ,

and short hair , smoothly combed , gave the head a decidedly masculineappearance . Shewas tall , lean, ere ct, with a low ,

rough voice, and lookedlike a man in woman ’

s dress. Asked howshe came to think she was a

man,she replied excitedly— “how? Don’t I look like amau l Just look at

me ! I fee l l ike aman, too l I have always felt so, but I know it clearly

now. The man who passed for my husband only helped to do what Iplanned. I have always beenmasculine

,liked to work in the fields better

than the house,or ldtchen,

but never knew the reason before . Now Iknow it is because I amaman

,and not a woman ! ”

It is regrettable that the case of Dr. Mary Walker,late ofNewYork State , seems never , so far as I amaware

,to have been investigated by any competent

medico-psychologist ; as I feel certain it would haveafforded some enlightenment in this interesting field ofresearch. The , in

many respects , parallel case of “Murray Hall," who died in NewYork ci tyin 1901, ismentioned by Ellis ,’ whose omission of the Walker case ismoreeasi ly accounted for by his foreign residence

,than it is with such investi

gators as Lydston and Kiernan,who contributed so largely to the study

of American cases ofinversion.

Murray Hall ’s real name was Mary Anderson ,born at Govan , Scotland .

Left an orphan at an early age , she went to Edinburgh , where she workedfor some time as aman. The discovery of her sex, through illnem, caueed

Lac. cit , p. 216 . st seq. Lac. cit , n , 142.

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 265

her to emigrate to the United States , where she lived as aman for thirty

York, as well as a rather riotous “man about town.

She seems to have amociatedmuch with girls,being exceedingly jealous

of them; was slight in build , with a squeaky voice,and habits andmanners

essentially masculine. Her first marriage ended in separation ; but thesecond , which lasted twenty years, was only terminated by the death ofthe “wife.

” She smoked,chewed tobacco , drank , and could sing a ribald

song with the best , orworst, ofthem; wore baggy trousers to concealher

sex,and finally died ofmammary carcinoma

,in 1901.

The following description of a female invert isA Classi cal Virago themost classical I have come across ; portraying, as

and bearing in theirminutest details. Whi le wearing feminine garments ,her bearing is as nearly as pomible a man’

s. She wears her thin hair

back of her head. Her breasts are little developed , and compressed beneatha high corset . She walks out alone

, refusing the company of men,or

a ccompanied by a woman,as she prefers; ofiering her arm,

and carryingthe other hand at herwaistwith the air ofa fine gentleman. In a carriage

h er bearing rs peculiar, and unlike that habitual with women . Seated inthe middle ofthe seat

,her knees crossed

,or the legs well separated , with

a virile air,and easy , carelessmovement, she turns her head in every direc

tion , finding an acquaintance here and there with her eye, and salutingwith a large gesture ofthe hand, just as a businessman would. In con

versation her pose is similar. She gesticulatesmuch , is vivacious in speech ,with great power ofmimicry ; and while talking, arches the inner anglesof her eyebrows, making vertical wrinkles at the center of the forehead .

Her laugh is open and explosive , uncovering her whi te teeth , and withmen she is on terms of careless equality.

”

The tendency ofgirls to dress in men’s attire is

Lesser Types a matter ofvery general observation, in large citiesof Inverts particularly ; and I have little doubt that a fair pro

portion ofcases reported by the newspapers, in whichyoung girls suddenly disappear fromtheir homes , for a longer or shorterperiod oftime ,may be thus accounted for. To show ,

however , that thesemanifestations of viraginity are inmost cases purely psychical , though wefrequently find associated with thema certain masculinity of physical

Zuccarelli. “ Inva sions congenita dell’ istinto sessuale in una donna ,” Naples,L'Arwmalo, Feb. , 1889 .

266 Human Sexualitytexture, and coarseness offeature, there is seldomany trace of the moredistinctivemasculine appendages, such as hairy legs, beard andmustacbc.

‘

The inverted woman lacks that softnemand delicacy peculiar to hermmndwill convey amascrdimimpression to thc sme oftoudr; but tswhat extent thismay be due to her assumption ofmanly habits ,with theirnatural coarsening , I amnot aware that I have seen discussed . Flatau ex

amined the larynx in a number of female inverts , and found a decidedapproach to the masculine type, especially in cases of congenital origin ;and this result seems to be bormout by themlkknown love ofsmokingamong women ofthat class.

But this is only one ofa number ofpoints in which the sexual invertdeviates fromthe normal type. The boy- invert seeks the companiomhipof girls, plays with dolls, cooks, sews , and develops a taste for the feminineto ilette . He tabooes chewing tobacco

,smoking

,drinking, and allmanly

sports ; and gives himsel f up almost exclusively to the cultivation of thewethetic. He loves the female r61e inmasquerades ; strives with feminineinstinct tomake himselfpleasing tomen ; and simulates , in amanner oftenquite ludicrous, the peculiar undulatingmovement ofa girl ’s hips in walking,as wellas her attitude,manners andmysterious involutions of dren .

Wi th a female ofthe same class these,and simi lar, symptoms are of

course reversed . She plays with the boys , seeks to rival themin gym.

nastic sports,has a romantic passion to play the robber

,or the soldier,

and likes especially to be ridden by, or to ride, a boy in the game of “ horse.

"

Wi th reference to the sexua l feelings ofboth,they are so identified with

the sex the individual has assumed, in his or her thought, as to become,

subjectively, quite real . The girl feels hersel f to be a boy, and the boy , agirl . They are antagonisti c to their own sex , when the latter is M y

constitrded, like themselves, showing the jealousy of women for one another ;but are attracted to those oftheir own sex who are ei ther sexually normal,or homosexual.When contrary sexuality is perfectly developed , natural union is te

garded pretty much as we regard the unnatural. INormal Sexual have a young friend who tells me that he is being

Love Incomprchen courted at the present writing by a youngman and

sible to the a young girl,the latter of course normal , with equfl

Invert ardor and pertinacity. These betray the utmostjealousy ofeach other, the former ridi culing and dis

paraging the latter, with even more than feminine vindictivenm; and,

without enlightening me as to the possible encouragement afforded the‘Vid. L. Harris-Liston,

“Cases ofBeardedWomen ,

"Brit. M ed. Jwr..June 2, 1891.

268 Human Sexualitya act rcvcrse ofall three. In the forrner case, it has the focce ofa con

geni tal phenomenon, innate sexual inversion ; while in the latter, the formin which I amabout to consider it , a normal sexual beginning is inferred ,

to which has been added,by various definite external influences, a second

ary character which brings it within the realmof acquired homosexuality.

Of course there are various degrees ofthe abnormality , ranging all theway fromsimple hermaphrodism,

through the partial homosexuality ,which nfiects only the physi cal li fe, to thow typi cal cases in which boththe physi cal and psychical elements are involved ; but , since any moreminute subdivision wouldmake the subject far too complicated for presentpurposes, I have deemed it prudent to follow,

in themain ,the established

classification.

It is a fair inference , although unsupported , so far as I amaware, byany previous testimony, that whatwe call congenital

Congeni tal homosexuality is really a developmen t, inmost cases ,Homosexuality rather than a primal condition ; being a concomitant

of,andmost probably preceded by , an utter absence

of sexual sensibility for the opposi te sex, yet not necessarily wi th a syn.

chronous love ofthe same sex. When we invade the realrn ofinstinctivc

beginnings,we shall find ourselves on very misty and uncertain ground ;

but, if Lamarck's conclusion be correct , that habit is the outgrowth of aprimal need

,we are in a fair position to trace homosexuali ty to the two

apparent factors in its causation— sexualneed, and absence ofnormalca rnal

In defence ofthe proposition assumed , it is proper to point out that,in homosexuality , there is noweakening ofthe sexual imtinct, nowecble

ment ofwill,no failure ofdesire ; the impulse simply takes the wrong road ;

following that road,however, with an intensity quite equal to, if indeed

not greater than, the normal .Such intensity is shown

,not only in the radically changed mode of

feeling,manners, dress, calling and character, of the individual , but in so

complete a modification of the very aspect and facial expression ,as to

suggest, not somuch the depaflwe frmn an old typc, as the fmatioa olanewone. In this respect I aminclined to difier, somewhat , fromWestphal‘sdefinition of the abnormality as “

a congeni tal reversal of the sexual feeling.with consciousness of the abnormali ty of themanifestaticnf”most of the

‘Fma c u ison ofviemon thh inters tingmbjwh themdsr is ra pecfiunyreferred to the works ofTar-dieu, Hofmann , Magnan, Shaw and Ferris . Krafit-Eb

'mg.Chevalier , Lombroso, Tammia , Brouardel, Haveloclt Ellis and Im am. as fairlyrepresen ting the best class ofthinkers along sexual lines.

Archie I. Psychiatric , n , 73.

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 269

such belief in,and identification with

,the an assumed as to constitute a

very commets psychical actuality.

Kraflt-Ebing has endeavored to associate this peculiar condition withfunctional degeneration, and a partialmanifestation ofamum-psychopathichabit which is in most cases hereditary ;‘ showing slight divergence,though in away diflerent frommy own ,

fromWestphal ’s view ; who, whileadmitting his inabi lity to decide whether the symptoms are ofneuropathicor psychopathic origin , still holds fast to the idea of congenitality in every

While not denying the truth ofthe latter idea, somuch as our abilityto prove it, I shall , for convenience, still continue to use the term congeni talinvert ,

” just as I purpose using the name urning, to designate thwe homosexual inverts having desire for their own sex exclusively ; al though I amnot entirely in sympathy with Ulrichs’s somewhat fanciful clamification.

But,however viewsmay difier as to its beginning

,it cannot be denied

that the sexual life ofthese individualsmanifests itself at an abnormallyearly period ; not infrequently the perverse tendency exhibiting itsel f inacts and fee lings quite outside the rea l sexual sphere . There is, for instance,inmany cases amarked and gre atly exaggerated development ofthe psychical character ; exhibiting itself in re ligiousmysticism,

artistic aptitude,love of poetry , romance, and frequently that intellectual genius whichapproaches dementia

,which Lombroso so ably defines,’ and to which Dry

den’s immortal couplet so graphically applies :Great wits to lunacy are nea r allied,

And thin partitions do their bounds divide.

"

Coexistent with the numerous psychical hallucinations of contrarysexual feeling, will be frequently found such actual neuroses ashysteria ,neurasthenia and the several epileptoid conditions which have been thought,as a rule, to have their root in heredity ; at least , until the recent revolutionagainst Lombroso’s pet theory has given the cumnt ofscientific thought awholly contrary direction as to the influence of prenatal condi tions on

" ‘The Man ofGenius.

'The rernarlr ofAristotle , nullummagnumingeniumainemizturd dementia ,bears

out the same view; and that the sexualpassion is not wholly destitute ofa similardanentia is supported by the statement ofJosephus , that a celebrated Roman prodigalgave a hundred sesterces for a single night with La is ofCorinth ; and that ofGelhn duceata dmchm mmillih pro unicdmcte, which represented ths price paid by

Mundus for a M lar season with the divine Paulina . (Joseph. Antiq. Jud. , lib. 18 , 4 ;

Genius , n , On the insanity ofgenius , see also Moreen , PsychologiesMorbide ;"Lélut,

“Demon dc Socrate ; ” and Nisbet , “The Insanity ofGenius ,” London , 189 1.

270 Human SexualityThe somatic ‘ character ofcontrary sexual feeling is shown by the fact

that the dreamof themale urning has always for its object ama le companion ; while the dreamofthe normalman

,which brings sexual passiom

erection and ejaculation through amental picture of a beautiful , voluptuous,ormuch loved woman—ao real that the very acts

,movements and plesant~

able sensations of intercourse are unconsciously reproduced—is never knownto the invert .So the female finds her satisfaction only with a female ; but it must

notbe assumed that the invert’s pleasure is the less intense on that account,in either case ; facts being abundant to prove that, before the sexual neurasthenia culminates in weakness, and irritability of the ejaculation- center,in the male urning especially, enjoyment is sometimes abnorma lly iatouss

,and onlymarred hy the socialand legalbarrierswhich atand in the

way ofits open indulgence.

As I shallfind occasion frequently tomake use ofthisword ‘‘urning,a reproduction here ofUlrichs ’s classification, fromwhich it is derived,maynotbe out of place .

“w e em amomThe Human Male 2. Urning

4. Hermaphrodite

We see in this diagramonly three distinctions necessary to observethe dioning, normal man ; the urning , abnormal man ; and the hermaphrodite

,bisexua lman ; the same rule, only reversed

,applying to women. So

far as the present work is concerned the second individua l of the p oup

In this connection and before proceeding to d'm

Waa Man Orig cuss the psychology of the subject , it is curious toinally Bisexual? observe that the notion of an original hermaphrodit

ism,or bisexuality, in the human species is of his

torical as well as physiological antiquity. In the book ofCensus we aretold that God createdman in His own imsge,male andfemale created Hehim— not them,

as translated,since the creation of the woman, fromthe

‘It is necemary to ranark that both here and elaewhere l uae this word in ita

medicd sM M meaning what pertains to the entire organh n, bothmentalmd

See “Memnon , etc Karl H. Ulrichs , Schlcia, 1868 ; also 11. ElliaJx . cit ,n

,m.

2 72 Human SexualityThis somewhat fantastic them-y of the sexual creation , which Ulrichsmade the partial basis ofhis speculations, andwhich samemore of highly

is cited rather to showthe devious trend ofthe human intellect , in dealingwith the psychology of sex, than for any practical purpose to be subservedby its deductions.

And the samemaybe remarkedoftheproposition ofanother author ,“togasse ,‘ who endeavored to account for contrary

Mantegazza’s sexuality by an error of nature, in distributing to

Theoryintended for the genitals ; thus reversing the seat of

lustful sensation, and accounting , or endeavoring to account , for sexualabnormality on a pure ly , physiological ground .

Not to mention the well-known fact that manymen are inverted towhomintercourse by the rectumis avowedly abhorrent , this ridiculoustheory ofa usually acute reasonermakes no provision whatever for thepsychical side of the subject ; nor any effort to explain those numerousphases of inversion where men are passionate ly attached to men, and

women to women , without , as I have heretofore shown, the slightest desire

for sexualinta course.

The explanation of contrary sexual feeling by Krafit-Ebing , tin t it isa peculiarity bred in the descendants but rootsd in

Views of the ancestry ,’ strikesme as being not only the acutest .Kraft-Ebing but most conformable to reason, that I have yet

encounte red . The hereditary element may he an

abnormal tendency toward the same sex, in the parent , strengthened and

developed by external causes into positive inversion , in the child ; but, untilwe know something further of theseminute andmarvellous procemes inreproduction, by which the egg

-cell deve10ps, either directly or indirectly,into its parental analogue and resemblance , repeating , through long cyclesof syntheticmetabolism, peculiarities and characteristics which may havearisen originally fromspontaneous variation, wemay as welldesl almoawholly with exte rnal causative influences, and content ourselves with thevulgar apothegmthat “ like begets like ,” restricting our inquiries to facts

The remark ofRichter that “ the clue of our idenHeredi ty Further tity , wander where we will , lies at the foot of theConsidered cradle ,” a repetition ofwhich is found in the common

saying that if you want to re forma child youmustbegin with its grandfather , is doubtlemtrue, within certain limits ; but ,

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 287

While homosexual tendencies may be traced inGeneral Remarks the history of almost every people, it is extremelyon Homosexuali ty dificult, as I havemore than once remarked, to sep

arate acquired homosexual vice fromtrue congenitalhomosexua lity. And yet, the cases quoted, as well asmany others readilyto be reca lled , present somany features or points of true organic impulsethat a total den ial ofthe latter seems impossible ; although I still hold thatthe classification ofmodemwriters on this point is by far too arbitrary)Thme is not the slightest evidence to show that homosexuality in Greece,

where it may be said to have reached its zenith , was an inborn, or con

geni tal , perversion . Parmenides,Aurelianus affirms

,believed it to be hered

ita ry ; and Aristotle also, in hisway on physical love, seems to distinguishin a hazy kind ofway between the acquired and congenitalforms ofthe

abnormali ty ; but, on the whole,so far as definite scientific data is con

cerned,the evidence appears to be almost entirely negative .

I have care fully selected the cases presenting the strongest evidencesofcongenitality for purposes of absolute fairness ; and those who fail tofind in themsuficient internal proof to establish the theory

,while not

repudiating it altogether,should withhold judgment until further research

,

asmtimsted in the preceding note,shall have material ly enlarged our

knowledge respecting it. Meantime, Imerelymtimstemy own agnosticismby an acceptance only in part of the establishedmethod of classification .

A condition in which the normal heterosexualPsycho- sexual impulse contains a trace of homosexuality

,or the

Hennaphroditimr latter a portion of the former. In probably plainerterms

,when

,along with habitual dedre for the same

sex,desire for the opposite sexmay occur, or when habitualdesire for the

opposite sex is associated with transien t desire for the same sex,one desire

being secondary to the other in degree,and the weakermanifesting itself

only episodically , or under conditions of unusual sexual stimulation.

Thus.marriedmen,who wi ll be found , however, to have usually some

'Inmore than one place in thiswork the readerwilldoubtlembe struckwith the factthat the author,while recounting the various views ofothers , refrains , for themost part ,fromexprming his own. This is intended to imply that further rssearch is not onlypu rible but neoessary. When allarguments are exhausted, only, is thewriter justifiedin formulating a oonclusion ; in allother cases , as 00ethe wiselym ka, the inquirer

being“simply one ofa jury . Alldepartmmts ofhuman knowledge necessarily blend

with one another ,md in order to a complete viewofany one.wemust takemore or lesscognin nce ofallthe rest. I take it that themain purpose ofawork ofthis character isto reviewwhat has alreadybeenwritten on the subject , addwhatever is pomible oforiginal knowledge , suggest probabilities , as wellas the application ofgiven principles , andthen leave his work to the judgment ofhis readers ; particularlywhere, as in this case,those readers are presumed to be carefulstudents ofthe same subject.

288 Human Sexualitypro-existing homosexual taint

,will frequently sustain sexual relations with

men ;' andmarried women with other women ; although I doubt whetherthe occurrence ofsuch phenomena, or thedefinitenesaof the feeling involved ,warrants the separation ofthe latter fromthe sphere of simple sexual inversion ; or bestowing upon it very difierent treatment

,or consideration

,

than the latter calls for.

Many cases ofuxorial andmarital coldnessmay, pomibly, be thus ao

cormtedfor ; but it is always wellto remember that, even to the pronormcedhom mhst, intercourse with the opposite sex is rarely, if at all, whollyimpossible ; and also

,that to many who have forsaken the homosexual

,

and adopted,permanently

,the heterosexual role

,traces of the older instinct

will frequently appear ; so that a difl’

erential diagnosis between simpleinversion and psychosexual hermaphroditism

,so long as any vestiges of

normality survive in the abnormal,or any symptoms of abnormality, appear

in the normal,is not only difficult

,but impossible

,froma standpoint of

strict scientific accuracy .

Amanmay be a confirmedmasturbator, and yet enjoy fairly heal thyintercourse with a woman ; anotherman

,by themere vigor of his vita

sea-unli t,may be led into pederasty , or fellatio; while a third

,though nor

mally homosexual ,may be drawn into heterosexual relationship by somemathetic, or ethical

,factor which he found lacking in the contrary case.

Thus, everything considered , the line of demarcation seems so faintlydrawn between the two conditions as not to justify , inmy view at least

,the

separate treatment which Krafit-Ebing, and other writers, have accountedthem. I have seen fit

,therefore

,to include the phenomena of both, where

I judge themproperly to belong, among those of simple sexual inversion.

There is probably no other cause which has beenAcquired more potent in developing homosexual practices

Homosexuality among men than the dread ofdisease . Among theGreeks

,Romans

,Babylonians and Egyptians

,it lay

at the very bottomof their pederasty andmasturbation ; and in the Proverbsof Solomon

,

’as well as various other places in the sacred text

,we have

unpleasant suggestions of what night-visits to the prostitutes of the timesmight produce in theway ofpainful remembrances .

The Hebrews had the depraved tasta and habits, as well as the diseases , of the Asiatics . Wi thoutmentioning the awful fate of Sodomand

Krafit -Ebing.lac. cit , p . 231.note.

Prov . v, 11 :

“Et games in novisdmis quando consumer-is cameo tuoc et corpustuum.

” I give the Latin version ofthe Hebrew text as themore forcible . And again

in the fourth verse : “Novissima autemlllimamara quasi abey'

nthum, et acuta quasi

gladius biceps” (the consequences are bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two edgedsword) .

290 Human Sexuality

the Contagium that few, if any, escaped its penalties . The twolatter formsmay require a word ofexplanation .

‘ Byhospitable prostitution ismeant that primitive customof putting a guestin the host ’s place, as amark ofhonor ; outdoing in this respect even the

proverbial hospital ity ofScotland and Ire land . Now customrequired thatthe traveller who occupied for a night his host ’s bed, with “

the privilegu

and appurtenances thereunto appertaining,”shouldmake the obliging wife

a little present of some kind, in recognition of her courtesy; and, Oriental travel lers at that time being as a rule always better supplied withchancres than shekels, it is easy to see how the former, particularly ifthe traveller made many stops by the way, should have come into a

very wide circulation.

The fact is that , while in later years the JewsAmong the became noted for their sanitary cleanliness , at the

Ear ly Hebrews time ofwhich I write, it was difficult to find, as italways is among the Orientals, an undiseasedwoman.

Fromthe East , then , the cradle of sexual vice , as well as religion, homosexuality spread to Greece, Rome, and other countries ; and it sca ns strangethat, as far as I have observed, nomedicalwriter has hitherto given it the

Even Dufour, in his voluminous work on prostitution, and Ricord and

Burst, in their equally valuable treatises on the diseases incident thereto ,seemto have overlooked the sanitary feature of the case, in their keensearch for psychological causes ; and, as the hen will always reach for thegrain of corn farthest away , to have gone back to the orign of civrhsap

tion, and the very brain of Jove himself, for what lay right beside them.

The threemost celebrated courtesans of antiquity ,Another Means and possibly of the world, with all due respect toof Propagation later pre tensions— Aspasia , Phryne. and Leis— were

all diseased ; and as their fabulously high prices forsexual enterta inment— as high as five hundred dollars a night— renderedthemonly accessible to the very rich, and as the nobleman of Athens wouldnot degrade himself with the common diaeriada , or ladies of the publicbawdy houses instituted by Solon, who were subjected in some slight degree

Hospitable Prostitutionwas loaning thcwife to an honored guest. Legal Prostitutionwu thatwfiedonmths hosnn dbawdy houmd eligiou timfionm the

oneringofthemaiden’svirginity to the god.usually through the pria te , but sometimes

through one selected by the girlherself.

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 29 1

t o sanitary supervision , the happy thought occurred to himto shift theduties ofthese delightfirldamsels to one ofhis own sex ; and it is fromthats tarting point that acquired homosexuality, I behave, took its rme inG reece .

rarely anything congenital , at that period at least , in the

art ofthe Sodomite . It was purely one of acquisiRoman Pederasty tion ; as it was also in Home at a correspondingAlmost Always period, where the terms cinrsdi , pathici , and pediCul tivated cones , represented a class ofyouths who, for a given

sum, and not always because they had a taste for it ,surrendered themselves as passive instruments to the unnatural lubricityofthe debauched Romans .

But along with these debased creatures, who gave their hands ,mouths ,and re ctum indiscriminately and passively to the sexual act , were theactive participants, the fellatores and [slu r-ices, who, male and female,played the active rdle in the revolting vice. In additionwere the immator

habit which, under the caption of sapphism, or Lesbian love, I shall deal

Thus , as the tmtimony oftheRoman poets clearly points out, in theirmadeffort to escape the venereal plague which infected the genitals, they onlysucceeded in transferring it to other seats, themouths and throats ofthe

[diatoms becoming so foul frominfection as to justify the exclamation ofMartial— “ thou sayest that lawyers and posts have a bad breath ; but,Zoilus , it is still worse with the fellatorl

” ‘

Perseus speaks of a certain individua l whose tendermouth concea lsa putrid ulcer,“ and Cotta Mmalinus ,

“ who had exhausted himself by allthe excesses of debauchery, the progenitor of that celebrated nymphomaniac empress, who , deserting the couch of the imbecile Claudius , usedto spend her nights in the brothels, leaving nextmorning, as the poet says,“exhausted but never satisfied ,

” carried , himself, on his face and eyelids ,the distinctivemarks of the “

rotten race ofMmsala .

” a

But leaving these far fromsavory or enticingphases of Roman civilization, and coming down tothe prwent, I wish first to consider perverse sexualacts not springing fromactual perversion ofinstinct ,

asmost nearly typical of the acquired habit . Among thesemay be classedthe homosexual attempts ofhalf impotentmasturbators, or worn out libertium; thwe of imprisonedmen, and women , denied the legitimate outlet

Lib. xx, Ep . 30. Sat. rrr, v. 113.

"M ea d e h’

ppa promo, Aulus Perseus Flaecus , Sat. 11 .

292 Human Sexualityof their passions ; and, for the same reason, the homosexual contacts of

sailors, soldiers, and boys and girls herded separately in boarding schools.

Dr. H . D. Wey, physician to the Elmira Reformatory , NewYork, writes ,sexual ity is one of themost troublesome elements with which we haveto contend. I have no data as to the number ofprisoners who are sexuo

ally perverse. Inmy pessimisticmoments I should say allwere; but probably 80% would be afairmtimate. Theway some ofthemen,with featurmsuggestive of femininity, attract others, reminds me of a bitch , in heat.followed by a pack ofdogs 1

and, in reference to the vice among pupilsin our common, and advanced schools, it has been remarked that al thoughmany pass through school- life without forming any pamionate sexual relationship, there yet remain a large number who date the deve lopment of

Next in causative importance, possibly, is masMasturbation a turbation . Every masturbator reaches a point at

Potential Cause some time when , startled at the discovery ofthe evilswhich inevitably follow the vice, he stri ves to abandon

it , and to return to that normal habit of sexual inte rcourse for which hispsychical and physica l condition renders himpeculiarly, for a time , at least ,unfit . When he does attempt the naturalsexualact it is very apt to resultin a fiasco; and disappointed , ashamed , and disheartmed, he has reachedthe

“ psychologicalmoment ” for intercourse with his own sex, should opportunity or temptation occur. Instead of auto-onanism, mutua l masturbation with a friend presents not onlymore highly exciting surrounding ,

but a greater degree ofpsychical pleasure ; and frommutua lmasturbationto reciprocal pederasty is not only a frequent , but a very easy transition .

Where a stronger aphrodisiac efi'

ect is exercised by one ofthe same sex,

than one ofthe opposite sex, a suspicion ofcongenitaltendencymay reason

ably exist ; but in cases of simple reversal ofsexual feeling, the phenomenonis far oftener one of cultivation and habit , of which the following rs typica l .

“My sexuallife began inmy tbirteenthyear. 1 hadmy first ejaculationwhen fourteen. M uced intomasturbation by two older schoolmates. Ipractised it , partly alone, partly with other boys ; and, in the latte r case,always with thoughts of the opposite sex . Later, at the university, I wenthome with a friend one evcning, and in his room, both being in amildstate of intoxication, I grasped himby the genitals. Hemade slight opposition , and I accompanied himto hismmwhere we spent the night in

mutualmasturbation. Fromthat timewe indulged in it quite freely , andshortly after began to practice fellatio, ormouth-intercourse, with resultant

Quoted by H . Ellis , foe. cit , n. 16, 17. Ibid . p. 190.

294 Human Sexualitywas nursing had sustained regular sexual relatims with his si ster , but,being only eight years old, does not think her talk produced an erection,or any erotic thought .She used to speak freely about his “ little tassel ," but attempted no

further liberties with him. At ten he fell desperately in love with a girl

oftwelve, whomhe had seen in a theatrical performance ; bought a photograph ofher, andused to kiss it passionately in secret .

“ At twelve,” he says , “my father’s footman, whomust have been edu

eatingme rapidly in sexual matters , came into my roomone night andtried to put his hand uponmy penis . I had an ere ction, but resisted himfor a time, until , overcome by the sensation, I yielded . Stopping amomentin his proces s ofmasturbatingme , I remember pushing his hand away andfrantically finishing the actmyself. When I sank back exhausted , he tookout his penis and deliberately masturbated himself before me , until theorgasmoccurred . I could hardly sleep afterward fromexcitement . Ifelt I had been initiated into a great and delightfulmystery. Fromthaton, I fell readily into the habit ofmasturbation, theman tellingme he wassurprisedI had n

’t learned ofitbefore.

”

Thisman afterward developed homosexuality in all its forms ; a development clearly traceable to the footman ’

s first tuition ; but, al though desirefor the opposite sex became necessarily feeble , as a result ofhis abnormalsexual practices, there were no manifmtations of true efi

'

emination, or

psychical reversal , such as are usually found in cases ofso pronounced a

type .

The exceedingly early age at which homosexual habits first manife stthemselves, renders it extremely diflicult to deter

Difi culty of mine, with any degree of certainty, whether a specificDetermining case be one of exclusive acquirement , or assisted byCongeni ta l Type prenatal influence. Sometimes the acquisition is

forced upon the unwilling victim, almost vi a armis ,by the constant solicitations ofa friend , particularly in the cases ofboys .

An instance is recorded , as to the acquisition ofA Disagreeable the habit ofmasturbating, to which the school ex

Quick—step perish es of more than one reader will furnish an

almost parallel example, of a boy asking his parentsto withdraw himfroma certain school , and giving as a reason the shockingfact that the other boys in his dormitory, eleven in number,made a regularpractice of waylaying himin the hal lway, at night , andmasturbating him

While one or two held himdown, another was selected to performther H . 228 , clseq.

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 295

operation, who rubbed his penis to the tune ofsome fast, comic song, ordance, the fellow being admitted to this privilege who could do it to thefastest and most rollicking air, producing a quickstep which , howeverenjoyable to the audience , was little relished by the victim, who found,however , not somuch fault with the temmor themusic as the character ofthe dance.

‘

There has been so pronounced an attempt , in late years, to associateevery physica l andmoral abnormality, sexua l inver

A Sc ientific Hobby sion especially , with ao- called “ degeneration ,

” that aConsidered fewwords in re ference to the latter termmay not be

out ofplace . Accurately speaking, every individualwho deviates froma common standard is a degenerate . In this sense thesexual invert is a degenerate . So is the color-blind person, the religiousfanatic, the kleptomaniac, the incendiary, the misogynist , the man whoparts his hair in themiddle, and themanwho eats toomuch .

Much has been said and written about the “stigmata ofdegeneration

bypersonswho profess to regard the culmination of tha n as an accidental ,or episodical , syndrome of hereditary consti tutional taint ; without pausingto consider just what such a vague generalizationmeans, or involves.

When we are brought face to face with a number ofwell-defined ab

norma lities in an individual , though they may, as I have before stated ,have an hereditary basis, they are quite as likely to be the result of simpleobsession fromwithout ; and in any case, there can be no greater tendencyin the parent impulse to manifest itself in increasingly concrete forms ,than to become diffused into diminishing minor abnormal ities ; the sug

gestion ofNsake, that an inverted impulse is an obsession, developing froma neurasthenic root, appealing to themind with a considerable degree of

If acquired characters were under all circumstances cumulative , therewould be no normalbeing in the world ; and if heredity were half so potentin the production ofsexual invers ion as literary and journalistic cant wouldlead us to suppose, heterosexualmarriage would long ago have disappearedas an inst itution fromthe earth .

’

We find in the pecul iar notion of the Scythians,that themenwere allwomen, as recorded by Herodotusin

“Clio,"andmentioned elsewhere in this work, a

case ofwholesale sexual inversion due to psychicalinfluence alone. Notwithstanding the explanation of Hippocrates, who

-48 .

‘All things considered, I aminclined to agree with tbe dictumofa certain wittywriter ,

that the only vice whichwe really and unmistakably inherit fromour ancestorsis that ofgsm'

ngmn -ied.

296 Human Sexualitybeing a physician naturally felt disinclined to admit other than natural

causes for the phenomenon, that disease of the jugular veins , fromcontinualriding, had produced it ,‘ there can be little doubt that it was, ab initio, asimple case of psychical invers ion, in which their supposed impotencewaslooked upon as a divine punishment .

It is unquestionable that themind is capable of“ Instinctive Test” producing not only such, but even greater, sheetsof Inversion upon the physical mechanism; but , on the other

hand , those who find the beginnings ofhomosexualfeeling in environm& t, defective education, and other psychological influences, will equally fail in satisfactorily accounting for every instance ofitsmanifestation. A normally-mindedmalemay be reared amid themostfeminine surroundings, and associations, and yet preserve his sexualmmculinity ; while, if he be otherwise predisposed, through neuropathic or

prenatal taint, no association withmen will prevent his lapsing into inversion. It seems tome, in allamphibolous cases, in viewot the e tiologicaldifficulty which confronts us when we attempt their classification , thatwhatwemay call the instinctive test ” ought to prove themost conclmive.

When a person ieels , withord any prcvious habituda a pcgcho-smmlattradionwward an individual ofthe samc sa —producing dcsin , and s-vs»

m is homossrwl by instind , and no gueuion ofacgwisition need bemtcr

Butwhen aman orwoman is seduced into, or pcrforms homosmal ads

without his, or hcr, own initiativs, andwithord prcvious instinctivc prclm

The following is a cwe in which , upon aweakenedClass ical Case of vita semiotic, the latter due to pro longedmasturbation,Cul tivated with neurasthenia and partial impotence, was graftedInversion the homosexual habit

Patient healthy, strong, l ively, and of a senmaltemperament . Masturbated while a boy . Had intercourse with a female

‘The Scythians spent their lives in the saddle. Thewarrior drank the blood ofthe

proven ;ifhe obtained a suit ofthe king , it entitledhimto drinkwine fromhis enemy'

s skull; and

the peculiar sex-belicfofthe peOple , it is not unreasonable to suppoae,was strengthmedand fostered by the idea that theywere autochthonous , descmded froma union oftbs

godTargim ith the five a cipa ,md themfomhfted above themdinaq wndith nsand necessities ofsex . For a further account ofthis remarkable people , the sex - legendofwhom, as related by H ippocrates (Dc is undoubtedly apocryphal. see

Herodotus , rv, 1-82 , 97- 142 ; Diodorus , n , £3 , d rag ; and Pliny , H . N”

latter ofwhomalludea to the Scythians as Aroteres.

298 Human Sexuatbut simply because he believes himself to be a girl, and naturally selects,so far as he can , feminine companionship and pursuits .

It is a typical case ofeviration.

The corresponding condition of defemination among women, althwgbnot so frequent, is far fromdifficult tofind in any large city ; andmy purposein treating themboth together, as well as the phenomena ofEliminationandViraginity, their antitheses, will be obvious to the intelligent reader.

The following classical case of cultivated eviration is taken fromM t

Ebing’

s valuable treatise,‘ and is remarkable as one in which the sexualimpulsewas originally directed in normal channels

“My parents were healthy . When eleven years old I was taught tomasturbate by a playmate, and gavemyself up to it passionately . Unti lI was fifteen I learned easily at school , but on account ofmy frequentpollutions became Iw capable, andwas uncertain and embarrassed whencalled upon by the teacher. Frightened atmy loss of capability I triedto give upmasturbation , but the night pollutions became even more frequent . Then I sought houses ofprostitution , but with little satisfaction ;for, though the sight of a naked female pleasedme, neither erect ion nor

orgasmoccurred, evenmasturbation by a woman being incapable oi produeiag

I grew ashamed before the girls , and ceased to visit such bones , and

my incl ination toward the opposite sex grew less and less .

“One evening, at the opera house, an old gentleman sitting near mebegan to courtme . I laughed heartily, and entered into what I conceivedto be his joke , when he said hewas in lovewithme. I had heard, however,of hermaphrodites , and, thinking hemight be one, felt curious to see his

genitals. The oldmanwas entirely willing, andwent withme to the watercloset . Contrary to my expectation I found his penis normal , large and

This man followedme with his proposds for some time , fruitlemlyalthough I had heard ofmale-love formales , and feltmy sexuality excitedby his advances . Fina lly I went to the Promenade , where I had learnedmale-lovingmen were in the habit ofmeeting. Here Imade the acquaint»ance of a blondeman, and allowedmyself to be seduced . The first steptaken, I have found , since, that kind ofsexual love particularly satisfyingtome. Our intercourse consisted ofmutual masturbation ; occasiona lly ,in osculumad penemalterius .

“ I was then twenty- three, studying medicine; and sitt ing beside mycomrades , on the beds ofthe patients , during the cl inical lectura , eacited

me so intensely that I could scarcely listen to the lectures . The same yearLoo. cit , p. 197 at seq.

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 299

I entered into a formal love-relation with aman of thirty-four. We livedasman and wife. He played theman, and fell greatly in love withme .

After a time I grew tired ofhim,was unfaithful ; and, he becoming jealous,there were terrible scenes, which led finally to our separation . He becameafterward insane, and died by suicide.

I'h'

omconstant rectal intercourse I developed disease of theanus , whichthe profemor thought was ‘

the ra ult ofsitting toomuch while preparingfor the examinations .

’

In the society of gentlemen, I amsilent and embarrassed ; while withthose likemyselfI amfree, witty, and as fawning as a cat, ifaman is sympathetic . In other ways I amfrivolous, not ambitious,my profession isnothing tome, andmasculine pursuits do not intermtme. I amefieminate,sensitive, easilymoved , easily injured , and very nervous . A sudden noisemakesmy whole body tremble, and I have to collectmyself to keep fromcrying outThe following case, fromthe same author, presents somewhat parallel

featurm. The familiwofboth parents were norma lly heal thy, to the extent ,at lewt , that nomental disease had appeared in either. The father, however, whowas said to have l ived fast ,was inclined to be nervous andmelancholic . The boy developed , sexually , at a very early age ; being greatlytroubled and frightened by nocturnal emissions at his fourteenth year .

Remembers, while feel ing some attraction toward men, of forming loverelations with little girls at as early as his thirteenth year. He took pleasurein

“ looking under the petticoats ofhis sister’s friends , he says, and haderections when be touched the persons ofhis female playmates . As his

sexual life developed, his inclination for boys became more pronounced .

He fell in love with a boy playmate, andhad lustful feelings when he touchedhim. Thought he was difi

'

erent in some way fromother boys , and did notlike to undress before them. He did l ike , however, to look at their penises,the sight of which gave himerections . About this time he learned both

At the age ofnineteen, when he went to the university, his sexualappetite powerfully excited him; and at night he used to run about thestreets , especially when partly intoxicated , looking formen . The difficultyoffinding invertedmen , he intimates , was what saved himat that time .

He began to find pleasure in women, and had a love sfiair with a younggirl of spoiled character, in which , he says , he spentmany “ wild nights .

His homosexual nature, however, afterwards developed itself, associatedwith some symptoms ofeviration ; and, being an intelligent, as wel l as amoral -minded man, the frightful experiences he underwent in trying toovercome the abnormal instinct , when, as he says, he used to watch at

300 Human Sexualityhis window, when night fell , for someman to urinate against an oppositewall , so that hemight see his genitals, are peculiarly pathetic .

In the more pronounced stages of eviration, amounting almost toparanoia in the sexualmetamorphosis, the peculiar feeling of fema le lust,as difiicult to describe as would be the taste ofan applefis sometimealmost agonizing in its intensity . The strange, hot, nervous, itching,copulative desire , with wetness ofthe vulva, and the spasmodic , a rchingmovement ofthe vagina , so wellknown to every lustfirlwoman, are so real

and uncontrollable with this class ofinverts , that psychica l satisfaction isoften obtained bymerely assuming the dorsal decubitus, spreading out thelegs and imitating, with corresponding voluptuousness of thought, thepassivemovements ofthe female in intercourse.

The reality, if Imay use the expression, of these delusimalsex-trans

formations is so great that the subject is totally incapable of sexual gratification by any other than the female rule ; but although comparativelyinfrequent, as phenomena inmental pathology, as stated elsewhere, suchinstances are by nomeanswanting in the annalaofpsychiatry.

Corresponding with the foregoing are the cases

Eflemination which make up this category, the man undergoingand Viragini ty transformation into the woman , psychically, and the

for ofcourse there can be no other, theman acts the woman ’a part, and

the woman theman’s. In the first case, the indulgence takes the formof

simple succubus,‘passive intercoume between the thighs, or ejmdatr’o vin'

Somet imes pamive masturbation is resorted to ; but the commonermethod is that ofmouth-suction. The female of this class is amazonian,with a love formanly sports , and sometimes a very amazing show oftruemanly courage and fearlessness . She wears her hair ahort, and sirmrlatesmen in the fashion of her clothing. She has pleasure in assuming maledress ; and her character ideals are always eithermale , or those feminine

‘The termauccubua recalls to us the demon in mythologywho wu auppoaad to

have the power ofasauming awoman'a ahape in order M M n xuany ,withm

“Th is is the doctrine ofthe incubi andmecubi male andfemale noctm'

naldmomvhieh

consort sexuallywithmen andwomen. Wemay aet outwith their deacriptiona amengthe ialandeu ofthe Antflla ,

where they amthe ghoau ofthe dead,mhhing whoclutched ; in NewZealand,where ancestral dei ties formattachments with fund-, and

pay themn peatad visiu ; and in 8amoa ,whm auch intemomae cauaedmanympu~

natural conceptions.” etc. Tylor. Pr im. Cult , 1873, rr, 189—00. The belief thatW m dmmm mln xudmma thh chmw,m ammnm d

M aydmedicine u wellaa oflegendarybetief.

302 Human Sexuality

plify, the entire subject ; giving it not only a greater degree ofcorrectnembut such a division and arrangement as will make it easier both to studyand to follow, with a proper consecution ofthought .A normal abnormalitymay sound at first blush like a contradiction ofterms ; but I think a little consideration will suffice to convince the primafacie objector that the termis scientifically proper. The accepted defini tionofnormality is correspondence to a given type; and as types are the productsolely of observed uniformcontinuance, by parity of reasoning, it is not

hard to see that , where an abnormality , so called , can be shown alwaysto have existed in the individual without change , normal abnormalitybecomes not only poss ible in idea but strictly corre ct and rational in ex

pression. If any bas is ofargument exist , it is tobe found ia the limitationsword normal , itself, rather than its synthetic associate .

Psychologically, the love ofa male for amale is just as real, just asexalted, just as normal to the natural invert ,mentally,morally and physically, as the love of aman for a woman. He deifies, idealiaes , worshipsthemale object ofhis passion, just as theman does the female ; has neverknown any other kind oflove ; makes the same sacrifices, endures the samejealousy, sufi

'

ers the same agonies fromunrequited attachment , and behavesin allthings exactly as does the subject ofthe orthodox heterosexua l pamion.

The bodily contact ofa sympatheticman produces the same thrill thata sexually-minded normal man feels when he touches a woman whomhedesires ; except that , the impulse of the normal invert is even stronger,

he usually sofi'

ering froma sexual neurasthenia in which both ere ction and

ejaculation aremore easily induced.

I state these facts in a spirit ofscientific fairness to this unfortunateclass ofbeings ; to soften , if possible , the existing prejudice against them,

and to show that , being nomore accountable for their condition than the

normal individual is for his, apart fromthemoral phases ofthe question,society has nomore right to visit themwith its opprobrium, or punishment ,than it has to punish the demented, the idiot or the epileptic . I amnot attempting to justify homosexuality, as did many Greek and Roman, as

well as later and abler, writers ofFrance, England and Germany . I donot think it can be just ified on any ground . It is a dangerous , damning,demoralizing and widespread pathological vice ; muchmore widely spreadthan commonly supposed , which should come within the purview of thelaw, not in the vindices flammo: ofthe Roman Code,‘ but according to the

‘WhileOonstantine .

'

l‘

heodoaiua and Valentinian pamed lawsagainst homosexuality,but little reading ia required to ahowthat the provisions oftheae lawam very feehlyenforced. The Code Napoleon omitted to puniah it ; and in the Fr-ench lawof today

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 303

sublime principles ofChristianity ; and demanding, not alone the firmestmeasures of repression, but , that charity and intelligence which wil lunderstand its nature, while disarming it ofits dangers .

These dangers are, briefly : loss ofaelfrespect, loss ofpublic rsspcct, lossofhealth, loss ofdomestic happiness, loss ofthe joy offatherhood, loss ofthe high ideals oflife, and, ifreligion be a verity, loss ofthe immortal soul.I put the penalties in italics , to impress themupon the reader’s con

sciousness at the outset ; for, in the pursuit of a scientific theme, thewri tefsmind is usually too closely engaged with the phenomena ofrationalfact to paymuch attention to questions ofmere ethicalmorality .

The normal invert , if hemarry, as is not frequently the case , is , ormay be , relatively potent ; but instead of thinking ofhis wife, during theact ofintercourse, he calls Up the image ofamale ; just as it is possible occasionally for a normal man to have psychological intercourse with amale,by fancying the latter a female. There is never natural heterosexualdesire , however ; andmarriage is always entered into , if at all, for someulterior purpwe, financial , social or other. I have known suchmen, whenpartly intoxicated, or otherwise aphrodis iacally stimulated , to attemptconnection with women ; but in nearly every case fruitlessly, as they afterward informedme, the erection disappearing immediately at contact withthe opposite sex .

At the same time, those very men were capable, at the meat touch

ofa sympatheticmale, ofthemost powerful ere ction, and even ejaculation .

Indeed I amsurprised that anyman should remain long in doubt on thequestion ofsexual inversion, as many profess to have done ; thematterofpleasure frommale contact alone, without the concomitant inclination tocontrary occupations, and associations , which usually accompanies suchcases , being adequate proof of its existence . The following will illustratethis, as well as other features of the abnormality :

“ In my eighth year, inclination formy own sex

Case I made its appearance . I experienced pleasure in

looking atmy brother’s genitals , and, inducing himtomutual fondling of those parts , had an erection at once . Later, rn

bathing with school- children , the boys excited a lively inte rest inme ; thegirls none . I had so little interest in the latter that , as late asmy fifteenth

year, I believed they also had penises .

In company with boys likemyself I took great pleasure inmutualmasthere are only three oonditiona underwhich itbecomes a crime : outrage public a pudeur,when it rs performed with a possibili ty ofwitnesses ; and, in absence ofconsent , withViolence It rs penal in Germany, Austria , Russia , England and the United States , andwith variousmodifica tions ia Spain , Portugal and Holland .

304 Human Sexualityturbation ; and, at the age of eleven and a half years,my comrades in this way, and by imitation- intercourse

act into the belief that Isixteen. He quieted my apprehension, and we entered into a love—bondtogether. We were very happy in this, satisfying ourselvw by mutualmasturbation ; and, even after a separation of some ym , when I meethimnowthe oldfire lights up anew .

Later a physician, a friend ofmy father , seducedme by caressingmeand practisingmasturbation onme. He advisedme to give up solitarymasturbation, as itwas injurious to heal th ; expla ining thatmutua l onanisrnwas not only harmless but the only way in which he could performthe

sexual function.

“He had a horror ofwomen, ant lived very unhappilywith his deceasedwife. This physician was a pompous man, the father of two som,

aged fourteen and fifteen respectively, with both of whomI , in the fol

lowing year, entered into love relations similar to those I had with theirfather.

While I was in relation with the latter, in our practice ofmutualmasturbation, he showed me both of our spermatozoa under themicroscope,as well as various pornographic works , and pictures ; fromwhich, however,I got little pleasure, as I cared only formale forms.

On the occasion ofa later visit to him, he askedme to do hima favor

which he had never yet enjoyed, and which he greatly desired to enjoywithme . He then dilated my arms with an instrument , and hadma sculin ethatway, at the same timemasturbatingme, so that I hadpainmdpictu re

at once.

“ By this time Iwas quite grown, and had allsorts ofsignsmnde tomeby women and girls ; but I fled fromthemas Joseph did fromPotiphar's wife.

“ I was inmy eighteenth year when , in a mild state of intwi catiomltried to have intercourse with a woman. 1t was awompliahed by fv cing

myself; but I felt as guilty and degraded after it as I did aftermy firstmanustupration, and fled fromthe home rn disgust . On another occasion,

while perfectly sober , in spite ofevery efl'

ort ofa beautiful, naked firl togiveme an erection, I remained— no doubt to her unspeakable dig estperfectly cold and unexcited , although at the same time themascot touchofa boy, or the sight ofhis naked genitals, would throwmy penis into themost violent erection .

306 Human Sexualityout anew. I sought then, as before, to force myself to intercourse withwomen ; and it wil l seemstrange to some that I ,who at the sight or touchofthe dirtiestmale ragamuflin, hadpowerful erections, could notbe broughtto one by the coaxing andhandling ofthemostbeautifulnakedwoman. Iknew a young girl , ofwhose respect and love forme I felt convinced, andmarried her, in the desperate hope that , through esteemand honor formywife, I should be able to performmy conjugal duties and forget the past .

“The boyish appearance ofmy wife greatly assistedme . Icalled her

my ‘Raphael ,’and, forcing intomy fancy the image of a boy in embracing

her, to induce erection, I actua lly became the father of four boys .

“ But, if this fancy caused [or amonwnt, thc crectionloiled. Final ly I wesunable to sleep withmy wife; and, finding coitusmore andmore dificult,for two years past we have not slept together. My wife knowsmymentalcondition, and her esteemand love forme may become a tmnged; butmy sexual inclination formales is unchanged ; and, unfortunately, too oftmforcesme tomoome untrue tomy wife.

“To this day, the sight of a youth ofsixteen will put me into such aviolent erection that I amcompelled to masturbate . The suflerings Iendure are indescribable. I have induced my wife to masturbate me,hoping to overcome my dwire in that way ; but what a boy ’s hand willaccomplish , with infinite pleasure , in a fewseconds, is only produced by herin half an hour, and with pa in instead of pleasure. Thus I livemiserably ,a slave of lawandofduty tomy wife .

”

It is interesting to note that , according to theauthority quoted, this physician claims to have had

Cass ! intercourse in his timewith no fewer than aix hundred

normal inverts ; and that only ten pa cent. of thesecame, subsequmrtly, to sexual intercourse with women ; possibly these fewwith the unfortunate pseudosexualexperiences just recorded . Another portion did not avoid women, althoughmore attracted to their own sex ; whilethe overwhelmingmajority were lostiagly andwdusively homom al.

He found in no single case abnormal formation of the genitals ; al thoughquite frequently there were distinct approaches to femininity in form, voice,complexion, manners and absence ofbeard. Development of the breastswas not infrequent . Indeed the physician himself, fromhis thirteenth tohis fifteenth year, hadmilk in hismammaawhicbhis boy~lovers suckedout .

All his acquaintances seemto have been aficcted with abnormal sexualdesire ; which I have not found to be the case in the instances, comparative lyfew, however, coming undermy own observation .

I have found the abnormality to be that of fashion, rather than force;‘Krafl

‘

t

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 307

the vita sexualis distinctly weak, as a rule ; and its satisfaction farmorequickly accomplished than in normal heterosexual intercourse . The majority of this physician

’s cases felt an inst inct for the octane ormascul ine

role , theminority for the passive, or subjective part .I have given a very full history of this single case, in all its details ,

for two reasons. One is that clinical histories possess a considerable degree

ofsameness and tedium, even when given with the greatest heed to literarygrace, and the other is that the case, better than any other I have met ,embodies every feature and phenomenon which belongs to the true, normal,

Betta , therefore, than if confused with a hundred others , the readerwill be able fromthis alone to fix the type in hismind .

Aman with no desireforwomen, either innate or possible of cultivation ;with congenital and lifelong desire for his own sex; and with or withoutthose minor abnormalities which constitute the secondary characters ofthe class ; this is the true,male, normal invert .The cases appended, in condensed form, and fromthe same author ,

are only useful as confirming the two prime featumofnormal homosexuality, as indicated above ; and in illustrating certain psychological phasesofthe question not so well set forth in the fuller history .

The first of thme, an Hungarianmerchant , whenCase II three years old, got hold ofa journal offashions , and

used to kiss the pictures ofthe men in it until thepaper, he says,was torn to tatters, but paid no attention to themost beautiful female figures . When a boy, he would lurk for hours around available

please, to obtain a sight ofmale genitals ; when he succeeded, a strangefeeling of dizziness coming over him, with partial erections . At thirteenhe bep n tomasturbate ; and fromthen till his fifteenth year had oppor

tunity to sleep with a very handsomeman, which afforded himunspeakable

For hours at night he would wait for his bedfellow’s return, with constant

erection ; and if, in bed, the latter touched his genitals. it afforded himthe greatmt delight . At school he encountered a boy with instincts simi larto his own, and they used to sit together on the fence for hours, holding

just to obtain a glimpse of the other boys’ genitals . This always inducedviolent erections , which were relieved subsequently bymasturbation.

In his eighteenth year he attempted intercourse with a prostitute, butshewas filthy in her person, anddisgust andfearmade it a failure .

‘

‘Amtable rsfutation ofArimto’s saying that “himgry dogs wfll eat diny pudGina

”

308 Human SexualityAfterward he tried it again, witb success ; bla the ach outside ofthc

satisfaction of feeling that hewas at least aman, afiorded himrather dbgust than pleasure. Subsequent attempts , however, were allunsuccemful.When the woman was undressing, he found it necessary to put out the

light to overcome his feeling of repugnance for her , and in dancing , ifa

woman pmed against him, he always felt the same feeling of avers ion.

But if, in a joke, he dancedwith a gentleman, the contrary was the case.

He liked to prms and rubagainst his partner, and danced frequently withmenfor that purpose .

“There must be something peculiar about me, he says , “for oncewhen lwas eighteen a gentleman who came into the ofiice remarked to a

friend— ‘that ’s a fine boy over there; in the East he would bring five dollars, every time !Another gentleman used to like to joke with him, and stole kisses from

himwhen going away, which the other says he gave very gladly . His firstactualseduction was by a priest. The lattermade a rendezvous with the

youngman, and took himto his room, where an intercourse wss bqunwhich lasted , with great feeling of satisfaction to both, for five years . The

boy took the passive , or woman’

s part, and grew so attached to the pria tthat his life became filled with jealousy, and fear of ultimate desertion . He

remains utterly incapable of normal intercourse with women ; but is quitepotent , indeed lustful , withmen .

The next is a casemarked by the highly neurot icCass III tinge of romantic idealism, which, as I have before

shown , is so frequent a psychological concomitant ofhomosexual ity. He is undoubtedly a normal invert ; his first sexual impulses having been directed, at thirteen years ofage, to themale sex . He

masturbated at twelve ; but , in spite of his later andmost heroic attempts ,women have always been impossible and inaccessible to him.

His impulse took the formofdesire for boys about his own age ; whom,having no opportunity to approach , he used to follow about the streets .and in the aquarm, practis ing, when it was possible to do so unobserved ,

privatemasturbation while looking at them. He never dreamed of oral orrectal intercourse ; his desire being bodily contact , embram

'

ng, mutual‘In China, Persia andConstantin0ple the boy pets arcmually boum. Among the

Romm, Egyptims andChaldesns theywcmslorse,md hadwsubmit to theirmnmHenry III offi ance kept hismalemignons very expenaively; but it is related that thewiebrated u samin ofthe Duke oq in had “mly thcmM rmmu o/ a choia ammgths young lords who surroundsd him. Itwas as towkich one ofths court butta flies ,

u theywere caned,would fimt ofler his comph isance to tbemyd psderu t,m mlasa flagilfloqus domm, as fi audisnmremarka ofthe hbert ine, 01mtim. (EnigmamataJ nCwm'

um.)

310 Human SexualityDuring the vice crusade in the city ofPhiladelphia, begun in

under the auspices of the Law and Order Society, in which a number ofdens ofhomosexualas wellas heterosexualvicewcre raided hy thepolice, and their inmates arraigned in court , I was privileged to come intoexceptionally close contact with a number ofthe former. Thema les livedin houses,mostly in the notorious RedLight district, precisely as did thefemale prostitutes, being visited by theirmale patrons and lovers fromwithout , and indulging their homosexual passions, itmust in stri ct justicebe admitted, on a farmore ideal istic and venal basis than that foundin the average female brothel .Social disorders, alcoholic intoxication, pro fanity, brawling and noc

turnal orgies, according to police reports, were far lessmatters ofpubliccomplaint in these than in the other types of bawdy house ; the indulgencecarried on in thembeing apparently a matter of love, rather than liners,and as a rule conducted within strict lines of, at least, external social pro

These young men, corresponding in many cases very closely to thefeminine type, in features, forms andmanners, are variously known totheir patrons and outsiders, according to their different profemions , as

“ tasters,” “ fruit,

” “ lady-men ,

”and

“ Dolly Vardens,” whose intercourse

is bad by orastupration ; and “ brownies,” when the recta l method is em

ployed .

I was unable to ascertain the derivation ofthe latter term; but it re ca l lsan apropos anecdote . A number ofgentlemen were discussing themeritsofvarious poets , and thinking to chafi an Irishman present , whose literaryattainments were not ofthe highest, one of themtmcn remarked tohim— “ I used to admire Shelly and Keats verymuch ; but here lately Ihave fallen in love with Browning. I think Browning delightful , don

’t

you?“ Faith, it may be deloightful, but it’s a domdhirty practice, was

the startling and unexpected response.

The arts ofcoquetry employed bythesemale prostitutes are interestingas showing greatmental alertness in selecting those articles of dress , ornament , perfumes, etc . , peculiarly attractive to their brother pederssts . Theirimitation of feminine peculiarities in walk, rolling ofthe hips , and swayingof the body, is, ofcourse , natural to themas normal inverts ; but they displayalong with these a keen knowledge ofothermeans of exciting the sexualcupidity of their class, keeping the mouth dripping with saliva , and fre

quently cultivating the heard about the buccal orifice, in imitation ofthe

hair on the female genitals .

Coffingnon divides these inverts into three distinct ch um—amateurs,

Inversion of the Sexual Impulse 31 1

M onsters, and souteneurr.

‘ The first are debauched persons of good

position and fortune, norma lly inverted, who are forced by social conven.

tions to guard themselves against exposure in the gratification of theirhomosexual desires, andwho visit themale houses ofprostitution by stealth .

The entrelencurs are hardened sinners, who keep their male mistressesopenly ; andthe souteneurs are pederastswho, in the fashion offemale prostitutes , keep a

“ pimp,” or solicitor, for the purpose ofenticing customers.

Sometimes they live in bands, or communities, contract formal marriages with each other, preceded by regular betrothals , and introductionsofthe

“ bride ” to the wedding- chamber, just as is customary among certainraces at a regular wedding ; and in their social capacity they often giveballs and public functions which, l ike that annually held by themin Philadolphin, in a large hal l on Washington Avenue, are exceedingly interestingfromamoral and sociological , as well asmedical point of view. One whichI attended- pray believeme, wholly in pursuit ofmaterial for this workwas very largely patronized by the general public ; and, as itwas a counterpart in every particular of that described in the Berlin National of

February, 1884, and quoted by Krafft-Ebing,’ I shal l conclude with its

substance this section on male homosexuality, in what I have venturedto te rmits normalaspects.

For the‘Grand Vienna Mask Bal l — ao ran the notice— the sale of

tickets was rigorous . They wished to be exclusive. We entered the hal laboutmidnight . The gracefuldancingwas to the strains of a fine orchmtra .

Thick tobacco smoke veiled the lights, and only through its folds couldwe obta in a pawing glimpse ofthe dancers. Masks were in themajority,and black coats and ball-gowns seen only here and there.

But what is this? The lady in rose tarletan who has just nowpassedus has a lighted cigar in hermouth, puffing like a trooper, and wears a

small , blonds beard , nicely pointed . And yet she is talking with a verydecode“ angel in trfcots, who stands with bare arms folded behind her ,also smoking.

The two voices are intenselymasculine, as is also the conversation, thelatter being about the ‘d—d tobacco smoke that vitiates the air .

’ Plainly ,twomen in feminine attire . A conventional clown leans against a pil lar , insoft conversation with a bal let-dancer, his armaround her faultless waist .

She has a blonde , Titus head , sharply cut profile, and apparentlyvoluptuous form. The brill iant carv ings , necklace, with amedallion, and full ,round shoulders and arms, do not permit a doubt ofher genuineness, untilshe suddenly disengages herself fromthe embracing arm, andmoves away,yawning, and remarking in a deep bass voice Emile, I declare you are

too tiresome tonight 1La Corruption h Paris , p. 327 .

‘Loc. sil. , p. 417 , et seq.

31 2 Human SexuatYe gods, the ballet-dancer is also aman.

Suspicious, now, we begin to look about . Is the world topsy turvy?Here goes, or rather trips, 3 man— no, noman at all, even though he hasa carefully trainedmustache; for his hair is curled, his face painted, hiseyebrows blackened, and he wears ear-rings, an elegant black gown, anenormous bouquet , reaching fromhis shoulder to his breast , bracelets on

his wrists , and his white gloved hands toy negligently with a beautifulfeather fan.

“Ah, how he turns and lisps, and trips andflirts. Andyet,kindlyNaturemade this doll aman ! He is a salesman in a great millinery store, andthe ballet-dancer is his chumbehind the counter.

“At a little comer table there seems tobe a select social circle. Severalelderly gentlemen press around a group of décollette ladies, who sit overtheir glasses ofwine, and, in the spirit of fun,make jokes that are far fromdelicate. Horrors ! Who are these ladies?

‘Ladies?’ laughsmy knowing friend ; ‘well , the one on the right, withbrown hair and the short skirt , is called

‘Buttericke ;

’he

’

s a hairdresser .

The second, the blonde, in singer’s costume, with the necklace of pearls,

is known as Miss Ella .

’He

’

s a ladies’ tailor. The third is ‘Miss Lottie.

’

What ! ’ I said,‘that person aman? That waist, that bust, those classic

arms ! Why the whole air andperson are femininel’‘But belonging to aman, nevertheless .

‘Lottie ’ takes pleasure in deceivingmen about his sex , as long as possible. He is singing a song nowthat wouldn’t sound well in a drawing-room; but, you notice, the voice isone thatmany a sopranomight envy . He is a bookkeeper ; and has en

tered so completely into the female rdle that he appears in the street infemale dress , exclusively, and only sleeps in an embroidered night-gown .

’

Tomy astonishment , I nowdiscover acquaintances on allsides . Myshoemaker, whomI never should have taken for a woman-hater, is a troubadour, with sword and plume; and his Leonora, in the costume ofa bride,sellsmemy cigars everymorning.

There ismy collar and cufimerchant, also,moving about in the veryquestionable garb of a festive Bacchus ; and the gaudily bedecked Dianabeside himI recognize as the waiter in a beer restaurant . The real‘ladies ’

of

the ball cannot be described here . They associate only with one another,and avoid thewomen-hatingmen ; and the latter are quite exclusive, amusingthemselveswith themselves, and utterly ignoring the charms ofwomen .

”

The most striking sexual manifestation of theseNorma l Female women is that known as sapphism, or lesbian love . Not

Homosexua lity withstanding the very general belief that sapphism,so

called fromtheGreek poetess, Sappho,who is said to have

314 Human Sexuality

E sthetic Refina women as significant, inmany cases, ofan unsatisfiedment as a Cause hyperresthesia sexualis ; but, frompersonal study of

of Sapph ism the subject, under somewhat favorable circumstances,I amledtobelieve that, as it iswellknown to be a vicc

of the higher classes ofsociety, it arises farmore frequently froman unsat

isfied aesthetic feeling, and a longing for the refinements , softnws and lovewhich are associated with the female character, as against the customarybrutality and coarseness ofman.

I amfully aware that I stand alone in this position; but find it extremelydiflicult to account in any other way for the well- known preva lence ofsapphismin the higher ranks ofmodern society ; where, it is unfortunatelytrue, the vices of alcoholic intoxication and other forms ofphysi cal indulgence do not tend to the highest types ofmanly gentleness and refinemant.It would astonish most persons to know the number of women who

are living together in this kindofsexualrelationship in every highly civilired

community . There are fewwho cannot recall at least one instance ofthe

sort ; and, in a matter which appea ls peculiarly to social secrecy , theremust be an infinitely greater number who are not known.

In a certain court in London a woman was arraigned on the charge of

beingmarried to no fewer than three other women, and, on conviction , wassentenced to sixmonths’ imprisonment .‘In the same city two women lived together quite happily as man and

wife for thirty years, the secret only being divulged in the death-bed con

fession ofthe husband andHavelock Ellis records a case, as pau onally

known to himself, where a congeni tal ly inverted Englishwoman ofdia

tinguished intellectual ability, nowdead , was attached to the wife d a

clergyman, who, in full cognizance of all the facts rn the case, privatelymarried the two ladiesmhis church .

”

Traces of this formof sexual aberration have been found among thepeoples ofNewZealand , Brazil , India and Arabia , as well as almost allthe older European civilizations .

In Bali , according to Jacobs,‘ themethod ofgratification is either digital or l ingual ; but, among theOrienta ls , and the Japanese , an ivory or (thou)?

artificial penis is used, sometim& with a head on each

end, so as to serve two women at once. It'

s

hollow, and filled with warmwater, to bring it to the heat of the naturalorgan. and is regarded as an Arab invention, fromwhichmany women

Krafft-Ebing , loo. cit . p. 429 , 430. Ibid.

‘Loa citm, 14am.

‘Quotedby Ploo m

Inversion of the Sexual Impulse 31 5

profess to derive greater enjoyment than they can fromman ; while, ofcourse, the danger ofconception is entirely eliminated.

That this formof sexual gratification is quite common among the

Hindus is proven by the fact that their language contains no fewer thanfive words to denote woman addicted to it—dugana, sand/the, solar, chapeMai and chapatbas .

‘ The most frequent method of the art, which theycall chapel, or chapti , is by bringing the female organs together, althoughthe phallus or aaburah is sometimes used . Jan Suhat , a female poet , singsenthusiastically ofthe joy ofthis kind ofintercourse, exalting the woodenpenis far above the one offiesh ; and the same idea seems to have beenpretty generally held in the days ofthe Roman, Catullus, as well as in

Under our modern factory system, where hunInfiuences Tending dreds ofyoung girls are housed together, and where

to Female sexual themes are constantly uppermost , such attachHomosexuali ty ments would seempeculiarly apt . to be formed . In

deed , Niceforo relates that , in Rome, where a greatnumber ofthese girls were at work in one room, frequently without drawers,and even unbuttoning their waists during the heat of summer for purposesofcomfort as they sat cross- legged at work, their privates fully exposedto inspection, and with the sexual idea constantly in their minds, it isscarcely a wonder that when the forewoman went to sleep, during the noonhour, as he innocently remarks, that “

all the girls without a single ex

ceptionmasturbated themselves .

But hemakes themore remarkable addition to themortion that thesegirls who couple together formutualmasturbation are not lesbian lovers .

Tribadism, he says, is not a vice of factories and workrooms . He evendoes not believe it to exist among working-girls ; although I am, with all

due respect , comd ed to dissent fromthe view . Among the type offactory“ Short History ofAryanMed. Science ," Buchanan , p . 44 .

It is probable that Ovid’s couplet “Mans erit apta capi tumquumle timimarerum, ut sages in pingui luxuriabithumo , applimwith even greater force to homosexualview than to the ordinary forms oflasciviousnm dependent on idleness and luxury.

The historic debauchery ofkings is without doubt due to this cause . Galen speaksofthe number ofadulterers in Rome , in connection with thewealth andluxury ofthe

city ; and in Corinth, also noted for its affluence, where “a thousandwhores did prosti

tute themselves in the temme ofVenus ,” Strabo writes , “ as wellas Lais and the rest

of better note ,” the luxury ofthe hot southern climate is spoken ofas conducinggreatly to “ lust and incontinence . Itwas said ofHenry VIII that “ he sawfewmaidstha t he didn ’t desire, and desired fewer that he didn’t enjoy ; and Solomon with histhousand concubines , and Ahasuerus with his “

ge lded eunuchs ,” and Nero with hisTige llinus and boy-prosti tutes . and the grandmogulswithwhat Jovius calls their “

adultery , incest , sodomy, buggery, and other prodigious lusts ,” furnish forcible evidence ofthe cflect ofluxury and idleness on the scxualpassions .

316 Human Sexualityoperatives to which he refers, itmay be rare , or even entire ly absent ; butamong working-girls, as a class, it is wel l known to exist , andquite la rgely , atleast in America .

He further speaks ofthe girls in another roomretiring to the fittingroom, and, fastening their chemises around their legs to imitate trousers,playing at beingmen, and pretending to have intercourse with the others}The same, or kindred experiences,may be recorded in this , and every

country, by forewomen of factories where large numbers ofgirls are employed ; and while such amusements among themmay be looked uponasmeremanifestations of animal spirits , both innocent and indeed wholesome, itmust also be evident that habits and ideas thus formed, and con

tinued into adult life,may assume a far less trivial character.

Thus, at Wolverhampton, England, some yearsJea lousy in ago, a woman in a store indecently amaulted a young

girl lately employed , under circumstances which goHomosexuality . to show that homosexual vice was no new thought

with her ; ’ and in the great tobacco factories ofSe

ville, Spain, lesbian re lationships are by nomeans uncommon.

In the Fabrics dc Tobacos, at the latter place, some years ago an incidentoccurred which drew public attention to the fact just recorded . One morning, as the women were entering for their daily task, one of themdrew a

small clasp-knife, and attacked another with the greatest fury, inflict ingsix or seven wounds upon her victim’

s face and neck, and threatening tokill anyone who interfered . The firs t reason assignedwas tin t the attackedwoman had “ insulted the other’s son ;

” but fuller investigation revealedthe fact that a lesbian friendship had existed between the two women,

which was threatened by a newattachment , formed by the victimwiththe forewoman in another department ofthe factory .

’

The same writer says that the characteristic love-dances ofSpain are

performed by young women who never sell their persons, but who are saidto frequently formhomosexual relationships among themselvm; and witha people ofso amorous temperament , and jealous disposition, it is easyto account for such furibundmanifestations as that just re corded .

Not all the sexual relationships ofyoung girls,Relations Between however, are entered into with a distinctly viciousGirls Frequently or sexual purpose . The same inherent instinct whichVague Rather makes the youngmonkey handle his penis , the dogthan Vicious to lick his , or the boy to masturbate in sleep , will

frequently prompt , even with the most harmlw or

vague intent , young girls to play with themselves, or with each other ; andNiceforo,

“IlGorge ,

"cap. vr, Turin, 1897.

H . Bilin, loa cit , n, 128, 129 . [N‘

318 Human Sexualityupon her during one ofher periods of il lness . Themother of the girl , andthe woman’

s husband, both apparently cognizant of the nature of theintimacy, tookmeasures to terminate it ; but the girl , when the obstacleto its gratification became insurmountable, deliberately bought a revolverand shot herself in the temple, dying almost instantly in her mother’spresence.

The latter was ofan aristocratic family, and the girl herself ha ndsome,cultured , an energetic re ligious worker, possmd of a fine voi ce , fond of

outdoor sports , and amember ofmany fashionable clubs andsocieties .

Itmust always be remembered that attachmentsWomen Sometimes of this character between women are much moreUnconsciously difficult of analysis than similar attachmmrts betweenHomosexual men, on account of the frequency of very close ia

timacies and friendships between the former, whichare not founded on sexual motives ; and yet, I amconstrained to believethat verymany ofthe close intimacies existing between highly bred , andentirely pure women have, it may be without the remotest suspicion on

their part , a distinctly sexual basis. When a woman, therefore, feels herselfso drawn to one ofthe same sex that she is willing to pass hours, and days ,in her company ; feels repugnance to the society of others ; or begins tosee in her friend qualities ofmind, or body, not possessed by other women.

she would better examine herself closely, with a view to determine the realcharacter of her feelings.

Among the numerous confessions sent to Krafl’t-Ebing of sexual aburation, it is interesting to note, not one come froma

Female Reticence woman, and I think the experience ofother writers,on the Subject as well as undoubtedlymy own, will be found va

'

y

similar. Whether women are more secretive , morediflident ofpublicity , or less prone to fully developed sexual abnorma lity,thanmen , is a question on which psychologists differ,‘ and which I do not

think it here profitable to discuss ; but, while young girls , by sleepingtogether, touching each other’s genitalia , or breasts , may awaken a pre

cocious play ofthe sexual feeling, inmost cases perfectly innocent , andfollowed by shame, this must not be clmed with that intentiona lly produced homosexuality which is indicative oftrue acquired inversion.

Themost passionate lesbian attachments among girls will usually befound in theatres, between chorus and ballet-girls, where the erotismof

the play, the romantic character of the surroundings , and the pri vacy

On this subject compare H ippocrates ’ treatise “Of Generation ;" H. Ellh ,

“ManandWoman

,

"chaps. xmand xv ; Maudsley, “Re lations Between Body andMind? Lea

a t.May, 1870; and Beaunis,“Les Sensations Internes ," p. 151.

Inversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 319

of the dressing-rooms, furnish ready incentives to the growth and gratifi

be found a circle of girls , usually avoided by the rest , who, althoughthey frequently flirt , and even have intercourse withmen, are particularlydevoted to their own especial girl “ chums ” or

“ pals ;”

never being seenin the street without them, and both ofa pair eating and sleeping together.

Such passionate friendships , frequently of no conscious sexual character,are also common in boarding-schools, col leges , and wherever g irls are

segregated for educational purposes ; although rn such institutions , sexual ,as well as other forms ofknowledge, coming rapidly within the intel lectualpurview, contrary relationships are often formed of the most intelligent,

Homosexuality among women in this country isIncrease of Sap no doubt on the increase ; as it certa inly is in England

phian in America and continental Eumpe. In France it has alwaysbeen endemic ; but up to recent years, so far as I

amaware, there have been fewcases in Eng lish society, or indeed outsidethe regular houses of prostitution, where it is always to be found . In

America, there are many influences at work to promote and foster itsdevelopment . The domestic emancipation ofwomen, the movement infavor of equa l social and political rights, the consequent decadence of

legitimate marriage, and the fear ofbegetting children, while they havewithout any question augmented the ratio in criminality, and feminineinsanity, -always grouped with homosexuality among the sex,

— it seemsonly a corollary that the latter vice should show a proportionate increase.

Coe ducation inmedicine , and other sciences, while opening newavenuesof knowledge to women, has retardedmarriage, taught independence , andreduced the former healthy intercourse ofthe sexes to trivial and passingflirtatiom. But, notwithstanding all this, as the great lawofsexualityis too firmly ingrained to be overcome by Darwin’

s almost equally potentone— that all organs deteriorate and finally disappear fromdisuse— it isa safe assumpt ion that the evolution inmerica ofa race ofmen withoutpenises . and women without corresponding organs, is not a peril of the

According to Moll, the proportion ofprostitutes in Berlin showing decided Lesbian tendencies was about twenty-five per

Its Prevalence cent . of the whole number. This is prechely the

Among Prostitutes result arrived at by Parent-Duchatelet with respectto Paris ; and according to Cheval ier it is even larger.

Bourneville believes that 75 per cent . ofthe inmates ofthe venereal hos

pitals in Paris have practised homosexua lity ; while in London, according

320

to H . Ellis , fromwhomI partially quote, andwho has had amplemeamof ascertaining, the vice is comparatively rare among that class of unfortunatm.

Whether it be that the Anglo-Saxon race, by constitution, is lms proneto sexual abuses than the Latin, I feel diflident ofasserting , although someevidence points in that direction ; but the fact is very obvious tha t , inParis, lesbianismis almost normal. The Chahut dancers of the MoulinRouge, Casino, and other balls ofthat character, almost invariably go inpairs , and there are fewhouses of prostitution which do not keep an ex

clusively lesbian article offurniture .

The homosexual ity of prostitutesmust arise fromProbable Causes some radical cause , or causes ; and it is quite probableof Sapphism those enumerated by Lombroso are in the main

correct : (a) excessive , and often unnatura l venery ;(b) confinement in prison, with separation frommen ; (c) class su onino

tion, in brothels, with individuals ofthe same sex ; (d)maturity andold ageinverting the secondary sexual characters ; and (e)disgust[ormanon accountof his repulsive grossness andbrutality , produced by the prostituta ’

profu

sion, and combinedwith a longing for genuine love.

‘ The last elment ,morepowerful withwomen than ordinarily supposed , I have already hinted at .

Mantegazza finds the chief cause in a pathologica lly unsatisfiable bypamsthesia sexual is ; ’ and I think that to this, along with Lombroso ’

s list ,might very properly be added the somewhat anomalous sexual position ofthe modern woman, which , through the facts recentlymentioned , is so

peculiarly favorable to the development ofa neurot ic habit .As to the influence which suggestion exercises in

Heredity Near ly this connection, there can hardly be a doubt that inAlways Involved most cases ofao-called seduction, themoving principle

maybe found rather in the revelation of a congenita llyinverted nature , than in external influences . If the contrary were true,men and women would practice indiscriminate ly the vices revealed to M ;

whereas fewdo so ; the perverted idea always assuming such definite linesas to indicate a preexisting congenital impulse , or, as Fere properly says,‘when “

an invert acquires , under the influence of external conditions, itis because he was born with an aptitude for such acquisition, an aptitudelacking in those who have been subjected to the same conditions , withoutmaking the same acquisitions .

”

In support of this view Leppmannmentions the case of a little girlofeight, who used to spend her nights hidden on the roof,merely to see

“La Donna Delinquen te ,

” p. 410, at seq.

“Anthmpol. Cult. Studien, p. 97 .

“L'

Instinet Sexuel,” p. a s.

32 2

It is amistake, also , as I have before remarked,P laton ic Attach to assume that all attachments between women havemeri ts Between a lesbian, or even sexual , basis . There is a vein ofWomen platonism, or highly etherealized romance in many

women ; and I have known cases where the highestpleasurewasmutually derived fromsuch an amociation of two girls , withoutthe remotest suspicion ofseruality cnta -ing into it. In this assertion l amglad to be in agreement with the views ofso renown

ed an investigator

as Mr . H . Ellis , whose Case X LII fully bears out the opinion.

At the age offour this girlused to enjoy seeing the buttocks ofa little

girl who lived near. When shewas six, the nurse-maid, sitting in the fields ,used to play with her own privates, telling the child to do likewise, andsaying it wouldmake “

a baby come.

" The latter touched herself in conse

quence, but without producing any sensation.

When about eight , she used to see various nurse-girls uncover thafrchildren’

s geni tals, and play with them, and used to think about it whenalone. Her firs t rudimentary sex- feeling developed at the age of eightor nine, being most vivid at about fourteen, and died away on the firstappearance ofher aflection for girls . The earliest of thmattachmentswas for a schoolfel low, a graceful , coquettish girl , with blonde ha ir and blueeyes, for whomher aflectionmanifested itself in doing various small favors .

At the age offourteen she had a similar passion for a cousin, and ueed

to look forward with the keenest pleasure to her visits, especially the rare

occasions when the cousin slept with her. Her excitement was then so

great that she could not sleep ; but with it all there was no sexual feeling .

At sixteen she fell in love with another cousin, with whomher experienceswere full ofdelicious sensations , she thrilling if that cousin only touchedher neck, with an excitement which unquestionably reached the borderlandof sexuality, but with no distinctively sexual purpose or result .On leaving school, at the age ofnineteen, shemet a girlofabout the same

age who became verymuch attached to her, and sought to gain her love .

She was attracted to this love, and an intimacy grew up which fina llyresulted in contact, but ofa vague character andwithmd sezuolplm e.

They used to touch, and kimeach other tenderly, especially on tbe

privates, experiencing strong pleasurable feeling in the act, with sexualerethism, but with no orgasm; which latter, indeed , appears to have onlyvery rarely and at a later period occurred. Therewas neithermssturbation, use ofthe tongue, pressing of the organs together, nor any other ofthe methods commonly used in sapphism; and the attachment seemedtobe one offeminine tenderness rather than sexual passion.

In lesbian love the re lation is anthropologically and clinically simi lar

Inversion of the Sexual Impulse 323

to the corresponding relation betweenmen ; and whi le the sapphist rarelyacts frominnate impulse, being, like the male invert , most commonly a

creature ofcultivation, it still cannot be denied that instances occur wherethe congenital impulse can be very clearly traced, both in its history and

In the case of the Scythian Enarians (see Index),mentioned bymedicoliterary writers,‘ and with which Imay properly end

Religio-mystical these remarks on sapphism, the phenomena of sex

Inversion aberration, being of a religio-mystical character, comemore properly within the realmofpsychiatry. Hero

dotus gives it as amyth that the goddem, Venus , angered by the plunderingofher temple at Ascalon by the Scythians , hadmade women not only of

the plunderers themselves but oftheir posterity ; and a careful reading ofauthorities will convince us that a reverse delusion, on a strictly paranoiacbas is , not only prevailed as to women among the Enarians, but is perpetuated among the Pueblo Indians and other tribes ; as well as inmen ofour own race who, losing their procreativc organs, lose at the same time

A careful perusal of Sprengel ’s “Apologie des Hippokrates, on thissubject , will , I amsure, prove interesting, as well as profitable, to thosedmiring to give the subject fuller investigation.

Comp. La llemand , “Des pertes Séminales,” r, 581 ; Marandon ,

“De la Maladiedd Scythmf’ Hammond , Am. Jour. Neural. and Psych , Aug , 1882 ; andKrafit-Ebing ,

lac. cit. . p. 200-221 . Reineggs observed similar symptoms, with the same relegationofwomen , among certain NogaiTatars on theKubm

CHAPTER SEVEN

PERVERS ION OF THE SEX UAL IMPULSE

HE firstofthese anomalies to be noted is the association of activecruelty, or passive physical suffering, with sexual desire . In this

such as negro child-rape, and the debaucheries of the RomanNero, in which the infliction ofpain seems to be an essential element in thegratification of sexual lust . One ofthe strangest phenomena ofthe entiresexual sphere , and thatmost difficult of analysis, the attempts to accountfor it have, of course, been various, and, in some cases, curious .

The impulse to inflict paimon the part of the

male, and tosufler it, on the part ofthe female , as

an element in the expression of love, reduces courtship, as Colin Scott well remarks, to littlemore than

a refined and delicate formofcombat, in which themale finds pleasurein the consciousriess ofpower, and the female in submimion to ruflcn

’

ng

as a part ofthe passion which that power excites.

Marro has thought that there may be a sort of

Theories of Marro transform ofemotion, in which the impulse of vioand of Schafer lence against the rival is turned, more or less un

consciously, agairmthe beloved object ; while Schaferis inclined to regard the impulse as atavistic.‘ batt le andmurder beingso predominant an instinct , among themake of both animals and primitiveman, that it is impomible not to see a close connection between themand

innatemale sexuality.

As Darwin, Spencer, MacLennan and other investigators have clearlypointed out,marriage by capture is not only so closely identified with thehistory of allearly peoples, butmodern courtship itself so largely dominatedby the factor of physical force, that Marro

’a theory, as illustrated, for in

stance, ia the biting ofamare by a stallion, during copulation , seems a fairlyplausible one ; the question ofatavismnot seriously assa iling it , since onemay be, and very probably is , in rational corre lation with the other.

J chrbflclwr fur Psychologie , n , 128.

394

326 Human Sexualityin the struggle ;

‘and in the Kama Sutm, in a chaptcr givcn to the Indian

art oflove -making, theman is instructed to strike the woman on the back,

belly, flanks and buttocks, both before and during intercourse, to increasethe sexual desire.

’

It is impossible to deny that, although the conventions of modernsociety enforce its repression, the primitive association between love and

pain , themascul ine tendency to del ight in domination, and the feminineto equa lly delight in submission, still exists ; and on that ground alone is

explained the not infrequent cases in which the gmtle, timid , but, intellectually andmorally, far superior lover is thrown over for the one whois rough and uncouth, to the no smal l bewilderment of the former .

Plutarch says that Flora, themistress of Cneius Pommy , found thelatter so lovable that she could never leave himwithout giving hima bite;

and Heinementions, in one of his Romancero, the scars in the neck of

Harold ,marks ofthe bites ofEdith Swan-neck, by which she was ambledto recognize him.

’

It is noticed that dogs and cats will show their affection by gentle bites,and the grip ofthemale animal on the neck ofthe lmnale , and the cock

on the crest of the hen, during intercourse, probably springs fromthe sameprimitive instinct . In any case the tendency to bite during the climaxof the sexual excitement is very widespread, being associated by somewriters with the origin ofthe kiss , and giving rise to the homely sayingabout loving a person well enough to eat him, or her. Indeed, there are

lascivious kisses , tamimm-coco are, as Lucian says, viz labia detmhavrt, interdcosculandummordicantesJ umd os aperienta quoquc d mammas attn c

tantes, etc . , which partake more ofthe character of biting than Ris ing ;in which the hearts and souls ofthe lovers seemtomingle, and which are

not the ambrosial salutes which Jupiter gave to Ganymede , or Jason toMedea, or Troilus to Cress ida, but what St . Thomas calls contactus osculumsit mortals peccatum, obscene, meretricious kimes, forerunners always oflust and sexual passion, and with that clinging, sucking, and biting ofthe

lips with whichmany ofus are pleasantly familiar.

Archivio di PaycIu'

atria , xx , 5 , 6—528 .

Vatsyayana,“Kama Sutra ,

" French Tm ,m- v.

In Glovatski'

s novel, “The Pharaoh and the Priest , a storyon ypt in the timedaccording to the novel

ist , atleast , the idea oftlie love bite is no newthing“He oeised fl ebron in his arms andwent toward the couch ,whiapering~Howbeautiful thou art to dayl Each time l see thee, thou art diflarentf—a eh

timemore beautiful than ever !”In tme go ,

”whispered fl cbron.

"At times lamafrnid that thouwilt biumfi

Bite? No; but Imight kin thee to death !”

Perversion ofthe Sexual h pulse 327

In 1894, amanwas charged in the London police-court with ill-twating

Defendant stated he “ had bitten the child because he loved it.

Ferrisni reports a case in which a youngman is thus spoken ofby his

mistrem: “He is a strange , maddish youth, who, though he likes sexual

intercourse, has worn outmy patience with his bites and pinchings. Lately,just M ore going withme, when I was groaning with desire , he suddenlythrew himelfuponme, going withme furiously, and at themoment ofemission he bit intomy right cheek till the blood camc. Then he kissedmeandbeggedmy pardon ; but the fact is he does it every time.

“

Shakespeare, whose keen observation even the most minute sexualmatters did not escape,makes Cleopatra say, at her death

— “The stroke ofdeath is as a lover's pinch , which hurts and is desired ; and Ellis recordsthat a woman once remarked, while viewing Rubens ’s “Rape of the Sabines” “ I think those women must have enjoyed being carried 06 likethat .”

As Moll very well observes,‘ even inman a certain degree ofphysicalpain is quite compatible with intense sexual pleasure ; as when a smallvagina contracts violently upon the penis, at themoment of ejaculation,the physical ecstasy transforming the pain under such circumstances intoa part ofthe pleasure. In this connection, also, may be mentioned thevarious appliances which have been used by different peoples during sexualintercourse, mostly at the suggestion of women themselves , to heightenits pleasure. These seemto have been chiefly of Indonesian origin, usedfirs t by the peoples of Borneo, Java , Sumatra , the Malay penimula and

the Philippines, and spreading thence into China , India andRussia.

In Borneo, the palang, a little rod of bone, isThe “Palang” inserted transversely through the ha d of the penis ,

the hole being previouslymade by a surgical opera~

tion, and kept open bymeans ofa qui ll until it has healed . This smoothcross-bar is used during intercourse, ofnecessity with considerable painto the female , and not infrequently a small brush is attached to each endof the instrument in addition. The palang

~onus is a ring, or collar , ofplaited palm-fibre, furnished with a pa ir ofstiff horns ofthe samematerial ,and is worn by the Dyaks around the neck ofthe penis . In Java , stripsof goat-skin, in the formofa hairy sheath, are similarly worn ; and in

m, 73 .

‘Archivr’

o di Psi copatic Smack , 1896 , r, 7 , 8—107 .

‘Loc. cit. , rn ,75 .

328 Human SexualityFrance, in the eighteenth century, rings, set with wooden knobs , and

known as“aides,

” were used to heighten the pleasure ofthe woman.

TheChinese “ hedge

The “Hedge-hog” the quills firmly fastened to a silver ring, is slippedover the penis in inta course ; and in South America

a similarly constructed horse hair brush is used . This latter instrumentis commonlymade by the women tha nselvesmnd is ofverydelicate workmanship. Most of the accounts agree that the women attach great importance to this appliance ; and Brook Low remarks that “

no woman,habituated to its use, will dreamof permitting her bed-fellow to go without it .”

In Germany, the cundumis frequently made with similar “ frills, toheighten the woman’

s excitement ; and in evidenceThe “Frilled that they did so heighten it, Maurine tells of a patient

himbest with them.

”

These artificial aids to sexual enjoyment, while regarded now, inmanyof their forms, simply as ethnological curiosities, were once, and indeedare yet, almost universally employed among Oriental peoples ; but whilewe can conceive that the pain they of necessity producemay be lost in,

or even heighten, the pleasure of connection, it seems almost incomprehensible that a delicate, refined woman should subhct herself, or that achivalrous,manlyman should subject her, to physical violence and sufi

'

ering

as a part or element ofmutual love. Yet, however it puzzle us as a themeofacademicaldiscussion, the fact is very realand indisputable.

There are groups ofhuman feeling which frequentlyJudgment the run counter to human reason, judgment and impulse,Foe oflmpulse being in themain hereditary enemies ; but it seems

strange that a fact ofsuch deep psychic importanceas that under consideration, eluding the research of the professed psychologist, should have been first revealed in the pages oftwono

velists . Sadmtakes its name fromthe peculiar formofsexual pervers ion first laid barein the romances ofDe Sade ; andmasochismfromthe corresponding psa

version, ofa passive nature , displayed in those of Sacha -M b.

The definition ofKrafit-Ehing, that sadismis “the impulse to cruel and

violent treatment of the opposite sex , and the coloring of the idea of suchacts with lustful feelings ," fails of absolute correctness , for the very same

Suggesting the shrewd inference that die had hadOppofi tmitiu ot compaflng the smu timwith thatmeduced by other penhu du timot such vernrcous adm-nment. But that

’

s anothsr story.

330 Human Sexualityperversion ofthe psychical vita sezualis in which the individual afiected,in sexualfeeling and thoughtfls controlled by the idea ofwng completelysubject to the will ofa person ofths oppositc sex ; and ofbeing treatsd

by this person as by amaster, and.

humiliated and abused .

”

It was fromthe peculiar character ofthe Austr-ianSachcr-Masoch novelist , Sacher-Masoch, who first discovered his pmand De Sade version by the pleasure he experienced in being kicked

in the face by his mistress, that Krafft~Ebing was

have previously remarked , a careful consideration of the phenomena ofboth conditions willlead us to discard even an imq inary line ofdemmtion. De Sade, himself, was not a pure sadist, any more than SachetMasoch was a puremasochist, the sexual algophily of which Fete speaks ’

being equal ly applicable in both cases ; and the termalgolagnia — painwithsexual excitement— which Schrenk-Notzing invented to cover both sadism

active forms of the perversion.

I amnot sure that I amabsolutely correct , indeed , in applying thetermabnormal to either of these perversions ; the instinct to bits , for ia

stance, in sexual excitement being so universal as to fall readily within thelines of normal ity ; and it is only when we go beyond this , and into themore pronounwd forms ofinstinctive cruelty, that the adopted classificationappears justified . The impulse of furibund passion , asmanifested in thelove-bite ,may ormay not be to shed blood ; if it be the latter, and not

themore emotional outburst of sexual detumescence, common to allanimals,it is a perfectly natural manifestation ofthe lawwhichmakes courtshiponly amodified formofcombat , of which blood is the natural concomitant .

Thus, the heroes of De Sade’s novels plan scenes

Countess Bathory ofdebauchery in which the shedding of blood is a

and necessary element of the fullest sexual en joyment ;Gilles de Rats and with the Hungarian, Countm Ba thory, and

Marshal l Gilles de Rais , we find lust only satisfiedwith the death ofinnumerable victims .

‘

The intimate re lation between whipping and sexual pan ion has already“ Psychopathia Sexualis ,” Set h German Edition , fromwhich , when not other

wise stated , allmy quotations aremade , p . 89 .

“L’Instinct Sexual," p.m

Zeitsclu'iftNTHM M M , 1899 , ix, 2.

Jacob , “Curiosites dc l’histoire dc fi ance ,” Paris , 1858. H . Ellis , lac. m, 1m.

Countess Bathory could only satisfy her hrst by the death olha sictim:shall Gilles de Rais explained the horrible mutilationa,murders and crueltia , he had

practised upon upward ofeight hundred children , by the examine ofthe Roman (hen rl.

He claimed to have bea r led into such sexualharbarity bymding in Suetonius ths

Perversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 331

been noticed. Oases were cited in which castigation was the onlymeansof produc ing tumescence in certain persons, and Carnevin corroboratesthe same fact in reference to animals, in his case ofa Hungarian stallion

in which application of the whip had always to be resorted to to produceere ction. Notwithstanding Fé ré ’s attempt to associate this phenomenonwith the tonic effect ofpain on the nerves, I amof opinion that wemustseek its explanation rather in psychic causes ; in the same influence, forinstance, which arouses fear and anger, both ofwhich, being fundamentalto courtship and rivalry,may very well enter evenmore largely into the

Indeed ,many lines ofevidence directly lead to such a conclusion. The

whipping ofone boy has frequently been known to excite the sexual passions of another; the phenomenon being one of such general observationamong school- teachers as to constitute their stronp st argument againstcorrectional castigation in educational institutions. Rousseau gives us anaccount of

.

the development ofhis own masochistic tendency , fromwitneesing the punishment of children ; and in the sadistic cases re cordedby Re gis andKrafit-Ebing, similar causative factors are observed.

The latter writer tells ofa neurasthenic girl who derived the grea testpleasure frombeing spanked by her father, andwhose subsequent longingwas “ to be the slave ofaman, lying in fancy before him, he putting onefoot uponmy neck, while I kiss the other.

”

Anthmpology tells us that there was a time whenSchafer's Theory women were only won by blows, force and robbery ;

Critica lly and it is quite possible that the relation between loveExamined and pain is , to some extent at least, as assm'

ted bySchafer, atavistic . The pleasure , indeed necesdty, of

battle,murder and rape, in the animal world,makes it extremely probablethat sadistic outbreaks such as the terrible Whitechapel outrages , Lombroso

’

s case oftheman, Philippe, who, arrested for strangling prostitutes,afte r intercourse with them, said ,

“ I amfond of women, but it’s sport tochoke themafte rwards, andmany others , of similar character, are onlylingering remnants ofa primitive law. However that be, there is scarcely

description ofthe savage orgies ofNero , Tiberius andCar-scans , deriving therefromthe

fiendish idea oflocking children up in his castle , torturing , assaulting sexually, andafterward killing them, with feelings ofthemost inexpressible pleasure. The bodies ofthechildren were burned , only the heads ofa fewparticularly beautiful ones being preserved , pou ibly as souvenirs .

‘“Les Confessions ,” r, l.

Vid. Kran't-Ebing, loc. cit , pp . 89 , a seq.

“Geschlechtstrieb und Verbrechen in ihren gegenseitigen Beziehungen . See alsoArelrs

'

o di' Psychiatri c , vol. xv ; C. F. von Schlechtegroll,

“Saeher-Masoch und Masoch

ismus ;” andGoltdammer’s Archie, Bd. xxx , for further instances.

332 Human Sexualitya doubt thatmany, ifnot all, ofthemodern lust-mmders ofchildren are of

sadic origin.

The Menesclou case is fairly typical of these.

“Menesclou wasarrested on a charge of abducting a four-yearfl ldgirl

The “Menesclou fromher parents ’ residence; and, when taken intoCase" custody, the forearmof the child was found in his

pocket . The head and entrails, in a half-burned condition, were discovered in the stove, but the genitals ofthe girl could not be

found , being probably secreted and used by himfor sexual purposes .

"

“These circumstances , as wellas the finding ofa lewd poemin his pocket,left no doubt that he had violated the child, and thenmurdered her.

”

Another, that of the clerk Alton, is distinctlyAlton's Case sadistic . He was a profemed violator andmurderer

of little girls , luring theminto thickets , and vacantbuildings ; and, on his arrest , entries like the following were found in hisnote-book “Killed a young girl today ; it was fine and

“ Jackthe Ripper, of Whitechspel fame ; Holmes , who was executed in Philadelphia in 1896 , convicted ofthe murder ofnearly twenty women, and

Johann Hoch , the Chicago Bluebeard , hanged in Feb. , 1906 , formore thanan equal number of femalemurders, furnish remarkable instances of thesame sexual perversion.

The confession of the pellagrous vampire , Verseni ,’ is intermting as

affording an example of sadistic anthropopagy.

“ IVerzeni ’s Case had an unspeakable delight in strangling women,

”

he remarks, “experiencing during the act erections.

and intense sexualpleosurc. It was a pleasure even to smellfemale clothing. The feel ing ofpleasure while strangl ing themwasmuch grea ter thanthat which I felt when masturbating. I took great delight in M y

theirblood, and in pulling the pins cut ofthe hoi'

r ofmy victims . Mymotherfirst came to suspect me fromnoticing the spots of semen on my shirt ,after eachmurder. I never touched the geni tals of the women . Itmafiedmc sexually to iust seice thcmby the neck andmk tlieir blood. Duringthe strangling, I pressedmyself against the entire body, but did not thinkof one partmore than another .

”

He further states that he came to his perverse condition entire ly independently ofoutside influences , his first experience of sexual pleasure comingfromthe wringing ofchickens ’ necks .

That active sexua lity is not at the bottomofalloutrages , however. iswell shown by the case of the Spaniard , Gruyo, who, while physically

Vid. Krafi'

t-Ebing , loc. cit , p. 63 . Ibid.

Vid. C. Lombroso,

“Versen i Agnoletti , Rome , 1873.

334 Human SexualityThe following represents only an exaggerated instance of this tendency,

so common as to furnishmaterial for a dozen books .

Aman finds satisfaction , when he vfi ts a whoreStrange Sexua l house, in the following strangemanner : He has a

Appliance porcelain ring, similar to those used in hanging cur

tains , which he puts over the head of his penis . Twocords are attached to this ring, which are drawn backward between his legsand attached to the foot ofthe bed. He then tells the woman to beat

himunmercifully upon the buttocks, and cry“whoa ” to him, constantly ,

as a person would to an unruly horse . Themore the woman whips himon to pul l ,with shouts and blows, the greater his sexual excitement becomes.

Erection occurs, and with increasing erection the penis ismore andmoretightly compressed by the ring, until , finally, ejaculation takes place , withexceedingly lustful feelings.

”

Only by the wildest flight of fancy, certainly, could the slang term,riding a woman,” he applied to such a procedure ; but, just as in sadismmen excite their lust bymaltreamwomen , or girls, ormales, when the

actor is homosexual, so inmasochismthe same sexualstimulation is ewghtin endurance ofsimilar abuse as in the above case .

With this definition ofthe terms,masochismand sadism, whi ch makathe conditions , I think, fairly clear, and in illustration ofwhich numberlmcasesmight readily be adduced, I shall pass to the consideration ofa far

The association of certain parts of a woman'

s

Feti chism body, or dress, with sexual desire in men, and ofcorresponding articles andparts inman , with the same

desire in women. This abnormality , necessarily psychologica l in character.so rare among women that itmay properly be omitted entirely , as u psetsthem, presents features ofconsiderable clinical interest , fromthe fact thatit may pass froma mere physiological preference for some particularportion of the female anatomy, or attire , to complete psychical impotencein the absence of the fetish.

That this interest not infrequently centers in porDefini tion of tions of the female body not sexually related , as they

would he were the breasts , legs or external genitalsinvolved , is important , as leading up to the knowledge that in such cases

recorded ofthe religious enthusiast , Antoinette Bouvignon de la Ports , as showing theconnect ion between themystical and sexual passions , and themasochistic tindmcy olboth, that she habituallymixed human fa ces with her food . (Rum-M g , lac. cit . p

ThebeatifiedMarie Alacoque , to“mortify herself,” is also said to have licked up

with her tongue the fecal dejections ofthe patients, and sucked their toes , corn ed withputrifying sores .

‘Krafb hingJoe cit . p. 113 .

Perversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 335

normal direct intercourse is not essential to sexual gratification ; some formofmanipulation ofthe fetich , or thought- concentration upon it , taking theplace ofthematerial act .

Fetichismof inanimate objects is not only a perverse but always a

pathological phenomenon ; but the samemaybe said, indeed , ofallpmcwseswhi ch fall without the circle of natural sexual excitation, and within that

In the sexual ecstasy ofaman over a woman’s shoe, glove or hand

kerchief, instances of which are so common as to fairly identify it withthe normalimpulse,we find a very different condition fromthat offetichism.

The first is merely an ecstati cmanifestation ofpleasure in themnemonicsymbol of a beloved personality ; that personality being reproduced rn its

M in ty , whereas, in the other case, the memory is in nowise concerned ,the fetish constituting the sumand substance ofhis idea .

In Zo la ’s

“Therese Raquin,”for instance , where the lover goes into

raptures over his lady’s boot, the condition is quite difi'

erent fromthatof the shoe fetichist ;who, at sight ofa shoe worn by any woman, is throwninto violent sexual excitement , with , in some cases, erection andejaculation .

It rs quite physiological to love not only a woman, but everything whichreminds us of her; but concentration of the entire sexual interest uponone object , or deta il , of every woman’

s dress, and finding sexual gratificationin it to the extentmentioned , is assuredly pathological .

Like the other forms of sexual perversion, pre

Variations of viously considered, erotic fetichismmay frequentlyImpulso in express itselfin strange, and even criminalacts , such

as theft ofthe objects of fetichism, secret pollutionwith such objects, asmasturbating against them, ormaking violentmaults

upon women for the purpose ofobtaining them.

This latter formof the obsession has only recently been very clearlyillustrated in Phi ladelphia , where the fetichismtook the formofa littlegirl ’s shoe, and numerous children were more or less seriously injured and

frightened by an unknownman forcibly cutting the shoes fromtheir feet ,after dark ; but withoutmanifesting the slightest desire to otherwise violateor assault them.

Fetichismmay apply to any part ofthe female body . Binet ’s case oftheman who evolved the idea that the nostrils ofa woman are in someway the seat of her sexuality, is interwting fromits exaggerated absurdity .

This man ’

s liveliest sexual desires were always associated with a woman ’s

nose ; and, being an artist , in sketching profiles ofGrecian female heads ,he alwaysmade the nostrils so large that sexual intercourse by that channelwould have been nearly possible, in life.

336 Human SexualityBinet , probably,more than any other wri ter, studied and ana lysed the

whole fetichismof love; developing the fact , along with Tarde , that thefetichmay vary just as widely with nations as with individuals . Throughfetich

'mmhe explains the attraction of the blonde for the brunette ,nullifying the law of opposites in sexual selection, for a particularexpression ofthe eyes, for a perfume, a hand, a foot , a boot , an ear ;

fil ling up the whole complicated chain of menta l procsmes involvedin sexual love, andmaking clear the otherwise inexplicable problemwhylove is sometimes a paedon and sometimes a coldmental process ; sometimes inspired by the beautiful , andsometimes by the ugly ; and, in addition,

pointing out certain deep-seated psychological principles which, if perfectlyand generally understood, would vastly, I think, promote not only domestichappiness, but amore intelligent administration of legal justice .

Hand, glove, hair, clothing, foot and handkerchiefForms of fetichists are themost common of the entire group.

It is easier to account for foot-fetich ismthan thst

ofthe hand. The female foot, unlike the hand, is commonly seen covered,

and the early direction of the sexual thought toward it is partly due tothat charmof novelty, heretofore noted, and partly to themore intimateassociation of the foot itself with the sexual parts . Shoe fetichisrn mayalso, probably, be partly explained by the latter hypothesis . Ha ir fetichhmis forensically important fromthe seemingly greater frequency ofits manifestation in acts of public violence, as wel l as the pomible involvement ofone ormore ofthe physical senses in thosemanifestations .

it to the perfumed groves and flowers of Paradise ; and there can be no

doubt that difi'

erent fashions ofwearing the hair, froma mere ly c sthetic

standpoint, produce difi’

erent efi'

ects on different men. Moll reports the

case of aman who became violently excited , sexually , whenever he sawa

woman with her hair in a single braid ; and Meg han, a similar instancewhere a man constantly dreamed ofwomen with braided ha ir , and whonever was potent for intercourse with one who wore her ha ir loose or in

any other fashion. He never dreamed of the sexual parts of women ; butonly the braid ofhair ; the idea of touching which , or better, sleeping withit , producing themost powerful erections and ejaculation )Public ha ir despoilers are quite commcmin every great city ; the fol

lowing case taken fromthe Annalee d’

hygr’

lne, April , 1890, being fairly representative of the classThemanwas a locksmith , aged forty , who was arrested at theTrocadue ,

in Paris, in fiaqmnti , as he cut ofl a young girl ’s bair in the crowd . Be

Crim. ,v, 28

338 Human SexualityMollmentions a casewhere a patient could not performthe sexuslact

with a completely nakedwoman ; and in the same place, ofa homosexnalistwhowas subject to the same dress fetichism. One ofthemost interu tingcw , however, in this connection is that taken fromHouband’

e“ Traite

de l’

impuissance.

"

At the age offourteen the subjectwss initiated into the joys ofsex

ualintereourse by a young ladywith blonde ringlets ;

Rmarksble Case who, to escape dete ctionmore eam’ly, should anyone

enter the room, was in the habit d wearing her usualclothing while accommodating him. Sho wore gaiters, a corset and a silk

dm ; and, later in life, to awaken thisman’

s sexualdesire every womanhad to haveblonde ringlets, gaiters and a silk dress .

Many of thwe articles ofclothing, owing to their private use, or thepart with which they come in contact, are ofcourse peculiarly fitted to

awaken sexualassociations. Hammond records a number ofcaess inwhichthe pa ticoat, corset , stocking and other undergarments , were made the

and ejaculation in the act .

‘ This, however, might pomihly be hetterclassed as a case ofsadismwith inanimate objects.

Charcot and Magnan telld a youngmar-rwho, “Apron

”and fifteemwas sexually attracted by aprm hrmg cd

“Wet-Skirt” to dry. He used to bind one about himselfandmssFetiches turbate behind it ; and could not see an apmn on

H

either man or wornan thereafter without repesting

fromlooking at a wet dress, hanging froma line. Dry clothing did not

afiect him, but the sight ofa wonran liftinn d M on a rainy day,

Cases ofhandkerchisffetichismare vu y numemus ;Shoe and Other that of linen, velvet , fur, etc. , less ao;

' which. as

ship between the shoe and the feminine body, ths

“ ‘Der 8elbstmord, p. 24.

‘AW k NM M p. 12.

‘As a fur feticht Sacher-Masoch was himselfprobably chief. He rmarb d ofa

could not imagine her in furs.

”His writing paper bore the figm'e ofawoman in “ Rm

sian Boyar costume. her cloak linedwith ermine , and brandishing a scomge ; a lpedaofdoraphilia which scems to have clung to himsllthr'ough life , snd to have beerr s-oeiated with his groo sst sexual imsginations . Raphael in

“ Fomu ina,” andRuh-s in“Helene Faurrnent,"made costly furs the frame andfoiloffemalebeauty ; but towhat

Perversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 339

former has always been prominent as an object offetichism. Indced, I amofthe opinion that fewmen are not to some extent aflected by it; the

masculine pleasure derived fromlooking at a small, handsomely shaped

lady’s toot , in the street , along with certainmasochistic possibilities involved, being due probably as much to abstract fetichismas to the association ofthe foot with the sexualparts. In the following csse there is

quite an apparent connectionbetween the shoe and sexualexcitation.

A youngman was brought to the very verge ofsexual intercourse by

a French governess ; the act itself, for some reason, not being permitted,intemely exciting mutual masturbation being the only result . In this

to have an interest in ladies’

boots in general, andwent about the streetswatching thern. This kind offetichismgaining on him, he had the gov

erness touch his penis one daywith her shoe, the act immediately producing

Afterward, this becamc amgularmeans of gratification ; or, when hehad voluptuous dreampollutions, it was always with a pair of women’

s

shoes . Hewas, and is, absolumindi/7m to a woman’s nakedloot.

‘

The following, also , is clearly fetichistic . At school themistress’s shoesexcited a boy intensely, and one day he could not refrain fromgraspingthem. The act caused himgreat sexualpleasure, and, in spite ofpunish

m t, he could not resist repeating it. Finally itwas recognised that theremmt be sorne abnormalmotive in operation, and he was sent to amaleteacher. Here he reveled rn remembrances of shoe-scenes with his formersehoolmistress ; having erections, orgasrm, and, after his fourteenth year,ejaculations . Masturbating at the time, he always did it while thinkingofawoman ’

;s shoe and, finding it to increase his pleasure, he came finallytomasturbating with the shoe ilself. Nothing else about a woman excited

hirn, and he regarded the normalactwith absolute horror .

’

Still more remarkable is the fol lowing case of

An Odd Case night-cap fetishism, with which I sha ll dismiss thesubject : A man remembers that his first erection,

at the age offive, was caused by sesing an aged relative put on his night

extent , ifany , the ietichistic idea prevailed over the resthetic , is at hest amatter ofconjecture. Cae ogt ventures the suggestion that fur-fetichismmaybe an atavistic retrogrerl ion to the hairy delights ofour anca tors ; an opinionwhich I quote for whst it isworth ; but as the cretin feels an immrlse to touch °

whatever pleasss him, and the softsilkiness nffine ftrr being almost tmiversally pleasing , the act ofstroking a cat

's back,

whieh is pksu nt tomost ofus ,may , asKn fit-Ebing rmn h , bewidelywparatedfiom

‘Kraflt-Ebing, lee. cit , p. 176 , a seq. rm.p . 178 .

340 Human Sexualitycap. The same thing occurred later, when he sawan elderly woman inher night

-cap ;

and for years afterward, merely thinking ofan oldman,or woman, in a night-cap was sufi cient to produce an erection, while , ifhe could toush the cap itself, he had an immediate ejnsulation. Hemnot a masturbator, and had never been sexua lly active until his thirtysecond year, when hemarried a charming young girl with whomhe hadfallen in love. On his first night with the bride hewas cold and impotent ;until , by a happy inspiration, he called up a picture of the ugly oldmomfn her m’

gM-cap, when erection came at once, and he was enablcd to dbcharge his newly assumed duty, we are led to hope,

“ with neatness and

despatch .

”

If the captions reader object that I quit this section on fetishismwitha somewhat “ fishy ” and incredible case, I can only reproachfully refer

himto our worthy friends, and professional colleagues , Ma rs . Charcotand Magnan, fromwhomit is quoted .

‘ I amfrank to say, however, inendorsement ofsuch an objection, that I have found the kind of “nightcap

” I amin the habit of using myself of considerably more efliu cy

along the lines alluded to .

While sexual ity in idiots is usually but veryThe Sex- impulse slightly develomd, being entire ly absent in typicalin Imhecility cases, there are yet occasional instances where its

manifestations are ofthemost violent intensity.

At an army post where I was once stationed, in 1902, a ymmg girlinitiawd the “ village idiot ” into themystery ofsexual indulgence, givingher life as a pennlty.

As nearly as I could ascertain the facts , the idiot , during an abnormally

of psychic impetus, had become furiously maniacal , and strangled her.

In fact, it is the opinh n ofalienists that when sexualda ire when it doesoccur in these unfortunates, is opposed, the fiercest pan ion is excited, andmurderous attacks are very likely to bemade .

’

Fortunately, both intensity and abnormality of the sexual life are ia

frequent with this class ofpersons ; otherwise, the total absence ofmoralinhibitory restraint would render themexceedingly dangerousmembersof society. Giraud re lates three cases which fairly represent the psycho

The first , at eighteen years ofage , enticed a little girl into a barn, by

giving her nuts. There he exposed his genitals, and, lying upon her,made‘Arcln

’

s ds NeuroL, 1882 , No. 2.

W eb’s Blotter. 1858 . p. 50. For further cases see , also, Combes .An al. N d .

PM . 1868 ; CaspebLiman, Hammond , Bartok , Kraft-Ebing, and otherwritss's.

342 Human SexualitySo, Case 150,

‘subsequent1y to being injured in the skullby a hom,

developed an inordinate and beastly sensuality. His last act was to rape

a girl oftwelve, and afterward strangle her, to prevent discovery of thelesser crime.

The most general experience is, 1 think, that whatever the caumof

the mental weakness, whether traumatic, idiopathic, or inherited , thesexualmanifestations will be found to be very simi lar, being those chiefly

In senile and pare tic dementia, while episodical and highly intem'

fied

manifestations oflibido occur, the tendency, fortunately, is toward gradual

In the prodromal stage ofmental obnubilation, however, loose talk , asuggestive picture, touching a woman, or manipulation of the genita ls,may readily evokefin the lessening light ofmoralconsciousnma a ped on

whichmay culminate in grossly immoral acts.

Thus a patient,whom1 hadunder treatment and surveillance for paretiedementia , arose one evening during the nurse's absence, deliberately rm

hellof amagnificentmansion, in an aristocratic neighborhood , handed hiscard to the maid at the door, and immediately followed up this politeconvention by seizing the girland attempting to rape her in the vestibule.

Fortunately the latter, a pretty German, wasThe Value of experienced ;

" otherwise, American social prestigeExperience Illus might have suffered by the occurrence. fire toldme

trated afterward that, at her last place, in Bavaria, the youngCount, her employer, used to do “ shun like dot .

Many cases are reported to show the unbridled nature of the pan ionsin this condition. Legrand relates one where a hitherto respectableman,the father ofa family,was foundmasturbating tn the street , and swallowingthe semen ,

" Krafit-Ebing, another ofan officer, prominently connected ,whomade frequent daylight attempts to rape little girls at a watering place;and both Mendel and Tardieu, the former in “

Promsive Paralyse derIrren,

”and the latter in his “Attentats aux Moeurs ,

”agree inmaking this

mentalmalady the basis of verymany cases of bigamy.

As in dementia and the associated psychoses. not

of Epi lepsy reckless and intense emotional manifmtations ofsexual passion, but the epileptiformseizures are often

made the occasions oflawless violence. Usua lly, however, the epileptic willsatisfy himself bymasturbation, natural intercourse , or, if opportunity ofler,

tm “La folie ,” p . 5 19,

“ Psychopathia Sexualis.” r»m.

Perversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 343

pederasty . It considerably complicates themedico-legal aspects of thesecases thatmany acts of violence are recorded, rapes ,murders and criminal

activ ity ; leaving it open to inference that such attacks were the resul teither of accidental emotional impulses, or, possibly, poste pileptic reflexes,transitory in character, and not forming an element ofthe original condition.

In an epileptic seizure the cerebral disturbance is so profound , andgeneral , that it would be strange did the sexual nerve-tracts escape some sortof stimulation ; and that they are frequently so stimulated is proven bymany facts within our observation, as well as by the positive statements

Arndt says that he has known epilepsy to express itself in amost sensualmanner toward the snfierer

’s ownmother ; and Krafit-Ebing relatwthe

case of a young epileptic, of bad heredity, who always , after his epilepticseizures, used to attack hismother and try to violate her.

’ Simonmentionsthe case ofan epileptic girloftwenty- three, ofgood morals , andwell eduosted , who, during her attacks , would shout out obscme words, raise her

men to approach her ; ' and Kiernan records the equally peculiar one of

a youngmanwho always had, as his aura , the vision ofa beautifulwoman,

inmost lascivious attitudes, which induced intense pleasure and ejaculation .

‘

In the case examined by Casper, a respectableman attacked four womenon the street , one after another, actua lly succeeding in violating one ofthemin the presence of two witnesses ; and notwithstanding the fact that“ his young, pre tty, and healthy wife lived hard by.

”

Tamowaky relates a case which , along with the epileptic significanceof the act involved, illustrates the fatal passion among noble famil ies inBumps formarrying within their own social class, whatever the physical ,mental ormoral hindrances .

The gentleman had led a dissolute l ife, and was subject to occasionalepileptic attacks . On the evening of the wedding he appeared before theammbled guests , leaning upon his brother’s arm. Bowing to right andleft , he was the beau-idealofhigh-bred aristocracy and refinement . Whenhe came before his bride , however, his loftymoir vimtook a sudden and

inordinate tumble . He opened his trousers, took out his penis, and began

ysrn had passed , he had only a cmfusedmemory of the events , and couldgive no explanation of his acts .

‘

Lehrb. d. Psych .p. 410.

“Psychopathia Sexualis , p. 364 .

“(h-imes et Delits ,” p. 220. Alissa'

s! andN eurologist, Jan . , 1884.

Tamowsky, op. cit , p . 53.

344 Human SexualityIn both the permanent and peri odical phasu of

the malady, the sexual sphere is frequently invaded.

Sometimes themaniacal outbreak, in the periodicalform,

will assume the sexual character almost exclusively, in which conditionmost revolting acts are quite unconsciously committed, commonly followedby a period ofgreatmorosenemand depression .

While it has been quite generally remarked that themaniacal impulsein women almost invariably takes a sexual direction, we are sometimes ata loss to dete rmine howmuch ofthis rs due to heigrtening of the sexualfeeling, and howmuch to withdrawal of rational inhibitory rmtraint ; pas»sibly the latter factor, quite as much as the former,may be regarded as

In the“masturbatory insanity” ofasylums, it is frequently dificult

to separate the cause fromthe effect and, although the statement ofSirWilliamEllis, that he had no hesitation in ascribing a great proportion of

the cases ofmental disease to masturbation,

‘ is partially discredited inthe l ight ofmodernmarch , it is yet undeniable that verymany cases ofmania , idiocy, epilepsy and diseases ofthe spinal cord do result fromfl.

Thus, at the State Hospital for Criminal Lunatics, Matteawan, NewYork , from1875 to 1897 , as I have elsewhere stated, masturbation wasthe sole assigned cause of insanity in 120men , out .ofa total of 1630;being auxiliary to other causmin numerous other cases ; while Dr. ClaraBarton found, among 121 cases of insanity in young women, no fewerthan ten in whichmasturbationwas the sole discoverable cause.

’

Griesingerwas the first to point out, however, in this apparently strongpresentment against the practice, a factor hitherto overlooked : that notsomuchmasturbation itself , as the feeling aroused in sensitiveminds bythe altitude ofsocidy toward the vicc, was productive ofbrain dissass ; and

the general prom ofcultivated opinion seems, at present, rather awayfromthe earlier and more arbitrary view. Nevertheless, I repeat, it isundeniable that self-abuse, begun early and long continued, may bwoms a

In confirmedmania, accrua l delusions and re ligious hallucinations seemto play the strongest part ; while in the simpler forms ofmaniacal exaltat ionthe deeper sexual purpose is commonly lost in the frivolities which attenditsmanifestation. Thus, amaniac will take the greata t delight inmockcourtship, lewdness of speech, tickling women, or even feeling their 1m,

“Treatise on Insanity," p . 335 , clseq.

“ Insanity in YoungWomen ,

” Joar . a] M eat. andN ew. Din , June, 1mIn confirmation ofthis view, see Mam,

“La Puberta,” p . 174, and Spitaka ,

“(h a s

ofMu turbation ,

”Jaw. M eal. Science, July, 1888 .

346 Human Sexualitystant irritation of the external genitals—pruritus pudendi , or even oxyuris

disposed in this direction thanmen . In those cases of whatmay properlybe called chronic satyriasis , the malady commonly results fromvenerealabuse, masturbation , and sexual neurasthenia , with augmented sexualdesire . In these, themind rs occupied with owcene nuages , thoughts anddesires, fromwhich even themost solemn and exaltedmental conceptions

of the boy who committed frottage with the gown ofthe priest who wasconfessing him; and pagesmight be cited to show with what force and

frequency the satyric factor has entered into religion; but these havealready been , or will be , suficiently noted elsewhere . While satyriasis israrely permanent inmen the corresponding condition is quite frequentlyso in women , leading as a rule to confirmed prostitution; although Legrandrecords a number ofcases in which themalady led, apparently, to no violation of sexual purity .

In this neurosis the sexuallife is very frequently implicated. Contrarysexuality is often deveIOpcd; and, as in all casss cf

Giraud tells oLawornanwho, in an hystericalattack.

administered a narcotic to the family, in order to give her own deughtento her lover for sexual amusement ; she looking on while he performed theact . Up to the time ofher hemianesthesia , and first convulsive atta ck ,she had bssn a moral and trustworthy woman; but afterward became a

most shameless prostitute ; andmost writers concur in the opinion that, inall cases of hysteria , the sexual sphere is very largely involved , M M

ing its activity ei ther in such growforms as last outlined , or in themoreharmless acts ofonanism, lewd encouragement ofmen. or , as Kraflt-Ebingremarks , in such fantastic acts as going about the house naked , wearingmale appare l , or smearing the person with fe ces or urine.

’

Schfile finds in themalady, frequently, an abnormally intense sexual lnpulsewhich disposes girls, andeven women, happilymarried , to pose as M ea

alinas; andfewmsdicalpractitioners do not knowofsome cass oi hysteriain which similar abnormal manifestations have occurred, such as sloping

on the wedding-eve with anotherman, adulterous liai sons aftermarriage , or

fierce exhibitions of jealousy without a definite cause. Hysterica l women,

on the whole,make exceedingly dangerous as well as disagreeable wiva .

Comp. H . Ellis , loc. cit , r, 231 , st seq. ,

“Auto-erotismin Relifionf’Friedrelch.

Gerichtl. Psychologe ,

”p . 389 ;

“ Diagnostik der Psych. p. 247 ; and Neo

mann ,

“Lehrb. d . Psychiatric ,

” p . 80.

Psychopathia Sexualis , p. 375 . Klia . Psychiatric , p .m7 .

Perversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 347

Pmnoia-erotica exhibits itselfin ahnormalactivity ofthe sexualsphere ;developing, chiefly , fromcentral sexual excitement,as a sequel to sexualabuse, and usually in personspsychically degenerate. In both religious and sex

ual paranoia, the excitation expremes itself, not so

much in direct sexual gratification as in admiration of a person of the

opposite sex who is pleasingmtheficany.

‘ Thus , the paranoiac will oftenfallin lovewith a portrait, or a statue ; and cases

o

are recordedwhere theforms have been slept with, to the accompaniment oferotic dreams, andwith voluptuous sexual embraom.

This pygma lionism,

’as Ellis happily calls the love of pictures and statu

ary, so frequent amongmen that the poeta Heine and Lucian, andmanyeminent scientists, such as Eulenberg andTarnowsky, accord considerablespace to it, I have ventured to include under the head ofParanoia, as

semingly themost appropriate place.

gin, as we are informed by the manuals of confessors ; and Tarnowslryrecords the case ofa youngman who was arrested in St. Petersburg for

paying nocturnal visits to the statue ofone ofthe nymphs, in a gentleman’s

garden )

Iwould also class as paranoiacs those youngmen, andwmnen,who are

unduly susceptible to the influence of lewd pictures , and other forms of

Moll terms the phenomenon of finding sexual pleasure in witnessing

Krafit-Ebing , lac. cit , p. 376 .

H . Ellis , “ Samue l Selection in Man,

” p. 188.

Luc ian tells (Dial. Amorum)ofa youngmanwho fell in lovewith a portrait ofVenusin her ternple. ooming everymorning to the latter , and staying allday, to feast his eyeson it . Apollesbecamemamoredofthe ‘pictme ofCampaspe which he had just painted(Pliny 33 , as did Zeuxiswith that ofHelm; and other similar incidents arementioned in the present text. But themost poetic account ofpygmalion ismI havemetwith is that ofFlorilegus, awriter ofthe 11th century, who tells ofa young gentleman ofRome who , the day hewasmarried, while playing in the tennis-court , slipped his ring

upon the finger ofa statue ofVenus . When he had finished his garne he went to gethis ring , but Venus had closed her finga on it, andhe could not remove it. That night,who he came to performhis nuptialduties , the goddess interposed between himand his

wife, unfelt by the latter, andcontinued to do so every nightuntilhewns finally deliveredofher presence by themagician ,

Palumbus . The latter gave hima letter, addressed toSaturn ,

telling hirn to stand at a certain place, at a certain hour,when the old godwouldappear to him. He did so, and received fromthe deity a command to Venus to deliverback his ring , which the goddess finally did. The same legend is recorded in Phlegon’

s

tract . De Rebus Mirabilibus .

” “The Sexual Instinct ,” Eng. Ed. , p . 85 .

Those youngmen,and even youngwomen ,whomake such “art galleries ” oftheir

sleepingbrooms, and they are farfromfew,maybe justly suspectedofa paranoiac taint.

348 Human Sexuality

pictures ,mixoscopy, and gives considerable space to an short to establishits re lation to masochism; but, if Krafit-Ebing’s definition of paranoiaerotica be correct, that ordinary sexualmethods are not necemary to itsgratification, I fail to conceive of any clamification under which to placeit more appropriate than the present .Whore -houses are so constructed in Paris, NewYork, and London, as

to accommodate patronswho desire only to look on; and it is rmrarkable

the sexual act between others. One gentleman informedme that whsnin Paris hemade frequent use ofthese hidden peep

-holes, always findingsexual pleasure and ejaculation, the first of the very highest order. in

watchingmen and women copulating ; and that his pleasure was alwaysconditioned by that ofthe otherman.

‘

Once, when the womanwas remarkably beautiful of form, and themanunusually “ heavily hung,

”and vigorous, he says he was so excited, and

the convulsivewrapping of the girl's legs about the man, and the wor

mous size of the latter’s penis, that he almost fainted .

An amusing confession, bearing upon the same point,was recentlymadeto the present author by a gentleman farmer of his acquaintance. The

first time he ever sawa stallion covering amare hewas so overoome withsexual excitation in watching the proceeding that he started hurriedly forthe house, intending to repeat the performance with his wife. In h

’mhasteto get upstairs, however, he unfortunately slipped, and had his laudableambition disagreeably dampened by landing in a tub of wash-water on

the floor below. The gentleman pleads for secrecy on quite obvious grounds.

Cofignon remarks that persons frequently hide at night in the bushesofthe Champs Elysees in the hope ofwitnessing, l ike the

“ voyeurs ” inthe brothels , this interesting act; and Ellis records that he came across,during a country walk in England, an elderly man with afield-glam, en

sconcedbehind a bush, intentlywatching themovements ofa pair ofyounglovers, reclining upon the grass some distance away . It is dificult totrace in such acts any evidence ofthemasochismwhich some writers claimfor them; but not at all difficult to detect that psychical aberration which

‘Such cases as that recorded in Genesis xrx, 38 ,where a daughter is immegnatsdhyaswellas others elsswhere hinted at in thiswork, tobs far lemfabulous than ccmrna rlysupposed. Thsmind alone is quits capable ofpmducing bothmd ioamdmand it is fairly possible for such impreg rations to taks placs in the guiss ofa vohrptmdream, although thematterwould require very delicate handling on ths part ofths hdy .

350 Human SexualityThus we find, in the great majority of instm the exhibi tionist to

be affl icted with either senile or paretic dementia , epilepsy, impotence,following prolongedmasturbation, or one ormore of the neuroses incidentto alcoholism.

Pelanda records five cases, allofwhich fell unda ' the conditions named.

‘

One, a paralytic, at the age of fifty-e ight began to exhibit himself to womenand children , was lascivious and attempted fellatio in the asylumwherehe was confimd. Another, a predisposed drunkard, mfiering with ialic

service. His brother, also, was an exhibitionist. The third, sexuallyexcita ble, was confined in an asylumon account ofchmnic alcoholism, and

exposed himself to every woman he saw. The fourth, rachitic, micracephalic, married, father of fourteen children,m given to exhibition inspite of repeated punishment; and the fifth , a merchant ofmiddle age,

single, used to exhibit himself to children by urinating with them, underan assumption of innocence. Once he was known to kin a little girl onsuch an occasion. Had a severe attack ofmentd dim with an apo

plastic seizure ; and, losing his fortune, gave himself to drink .

His condition was that of alcoholism, with ces iumprance , andmenta lweakness. Penis small and testicles atrophic .

Although widely separated fromthe actuality, pomibly to this alsobelong those individuals of low morality who defile water closets , and

even decanter places, with pictures of male and female genitalia , amociating themwith such literary offal asmightmonably be expected frompersons who choose such fields for the display of their talmts. It is littlewonder that the Muses, being self-respecting young ladia , should abso

lutely decline to show their favor to one who courts themin such an un

The following is a case ofexhibition plainly due to insanity. A gentle

man, aged thirty-seven, had frequently given offence by exhibiting himselfto girls in the street , and even in schools , intowhich he forced himself.On these occasions he would ask a girl tomasturbate him, or per1nit

himto gowith her, performing the first-nsmed act in hmpresence, himself,when she refused to serve him. Hemed tomp upon windowe havinghis penis and testicles exposed, so thatwomen and childrenwere foreed tosee themwhen attention had been thus attracted . When he had expcsedhimself, be knewnothing more ofwhat he did. As precursors of hil

attacks, he complained ofvertigo, and fiames before his eyes .

’

In the following cwe, taken fromKrafft~Ebing’s valuable treatiss, theQuotedby Ka nt-Ebing, lac. cit , p . 384.

Dr. Hotsen, M’s BM , 1890, H . 0.

Perversion ofthe Sexual Immlse 351

irrepremible impulse to exhibit the genitals bdore chfldrcn seems a speciesofsexualdegeneration due to chronic alcoholismin the father, as wellas in

Had first natural intercmrme at sixteen years ofage ; later, gonorrhea

and syphilis. Continued normal intercourse until his twenty-first year,when the exhibitionist tendencywas developed fromseeing children lookingat himwhile he urinated in a playground . He noticed that their lookingct him, partic1darly when he exposed his penis , caused himsexual excite

ment , with ere ctions and even ejaculation.

Afta 'ward, he continued the practice ofexposure in every availableplace. He says his impulse to approach little girls is primary ; and onlywhen he has succeeded in fully fixing their attcntion upon his expwed genitals, do ere ction and ejaculation occur.

Father sufi'

eredwith chronic alcoholism, and is said also to have been an

exhrbitionist. Head abnorma lly broad, penis small, left tmticle deformed ,patella reflex absent , symptoms of neurasthenic .

With re ference to these psychopathic sexual conditions, the importantpoint to be borne inmind is that in almost allcases, just as in dipsomaniaper

-indies , the bulk of the testimony goes to show that remarscmlramcmndregret [allowthe act. This, no less than those clinical features of degen

should always be considered as of primary importance inmedico-legal invmtigation of all sumof exhibition.

Socially , rather than forensically, important , as,Frottage in my view, a simplemanifestation of the mastur

batory instinct , with strong sexual hal lucination.

ity of the sexual center which makes possible erection and ejaculationwithout anymaterial aid, seems to be the sole groundwork ofthis puerile

It finds gratification principally in crowds ; and fromthe disgustingfrequency with whichmen are known to press vulgarly against ladies , insuch situations, it would seemthat ao-called frotteurs are by no meansscarce . The act itself consists in finding sexual gratification in themanipalation of, or contact with , some portion of the female dress, thus evidencinga high degree of sexual hyperesthesia . Magnus recites a number ofcases ,as do also Moreau andMoll ; but as they simply illustrate vary ing degrees andcircumstances of the vice, I do not deemit profitable to reproduce them

Frottage is an act exceedingly unclean, offensive, distinctly pathological ,and contrary to publicmorals ; standing closely related, inmy view, with

352 Human Sexualitythe pygmalionism, or statue-love, already noticed ; and, being a moralaberration, only psychically and physically disgusting, pmesses littlescientific interest. Those who desire to study itsmanifestatiominma n

will find themvery fully treated in Cofiignon ’

s“La Corruption AParis.

”

The American legal definition of rape, as sarmi lknowledge of a woman by force, agairwt hmwill , domands some modification, froma strictly scientificstandpoint . That adopted in some Europmn coun

tries, as Austria and Germany , seems more accurate and complete . The

latter country understands as rape sexual intercourse, complete or partial ,outside of the marriage relation, with an adult, enforced by means of

threats or violence ; or with an adult in a condition of dcfcncclmnem; orwith a girl under a specific age.

The growing frequency of this crime in some Ameri can communitim,

as wellas in certain parts ofEurope, andwhich I have already rd erred to

in the preface ofthis work,makes its further discussion at this time both

In reference to negroes, who are unquestionablymost largely identifiedwith this species ofcrime in the United States, I have already shown thatin a state of nature they are not sexually vicious .

‘ Indeed, the averagencgress is ordinarily cold and indifierent to thc pleasures ofsexual love,

particularly with the white man, whose comparative smallnm of penis ,and precipitancy ofemission, are incapable of exciting her to adequatesexual passion. Nor are themenmuch difierent except in the ostentationofthe act. They are urariaus, but the scrual instinct is far feebler than

with the white races generally ; rn the latter, the growth of sexual passionhaving kept pace, aswe have seen, pretty evenly with that of civ ilization .

This fact did not escape the keen insight of Lucretius,’ and has beenmade the basis ofinteresting observations inmgard to the breeding ofanimals , as well as among men. Thoroughbred horses soon reach sexualmaturity ; and in attempts to improve the breed of cart-horses , it is sa id,the sexual inst inct is very apt to be specialized and, finally, impaired .

‘

This being the case, ifthe negro by nature is not sexually amormrs,theremust be some underlying cause for his present unenviable reputationas a violator and lust-murderer.

H . H . Johnston ,

“ Brit . Cent. Africa , 1897 , pp. 409 , ct seq.

De Rev-ma Nature ,v,1016 .

The orgmswhich in the feralstate . remarh Adlera,are continually exercised in a severe struggle for existence , do not , under domin

tion , compete so closely with one anotherfor the less nwded nutriment . Hence .organs

like ths reproductive gland-arc able to avail themsclves ofmore food.

”

(Ede-ta ,

May 16 ,

54 Human Sexuality

ject, thatmy last and strongest argument against thewhites , in vindicationof the negro, and in attempting to o account for his sexual depravity, isfounded on an entire ly differentmotiveon his part, not emanating fromthesame source . That argument is the spirit of race M M , and revenge,

engendered in the hean ofthe nep o by the frequent lynchings, and violent

acts ofwhich he has beenmade the victimin recent years at the hands of

the whites, particularly in the South . To these, I think, are very fairlychargeable fully two-thirds ofthe sexual crim recently committed againstwomen of the latter race.

The negro knows no otherwaymndpomesses no othermeans , ofstrikingback ; and, while Iamneitherwilling, nor perhaps competent , to enter into adiscussion of the theme, froma sociological or legal standpoint , I amstillconvinced that, until we learn to regard this species of crime, as we doevery other, as an exclusivematter for legal inquisition and punishment ;

instead ofbeingmade the target ofa blind and unreasoning animosity, islifted by education and rel igion to a higher plane ofmorality and socialselfrespect ; just so long will such crimmcontinue, and humanity and civilisation be shamed by counter-crimes, as shocking in their ferocity as they areunavailing in theirmults .

But the psychological features ofthese sexual ofiences , not remedies fortheir prevention, are what invite our present attention.

It has been discovered by Villermé , and I.acsssagne, that rapes, and other offences against chastity,aremost numerous in May, June, and July , showing adecided seasonal influence ; and Legludic, in his

record of159 cases, places themaximumofthme at tbsJune-August period, and theminimumat that of February~-htfarch .

t

It is a remarkable fact that sexual outbursts occur among prisonersduring the spring period ; and Dr. Hamil ton Wey , writing fromthe Elmira(NewYork) Reformatory , says—“ beginning with themiddle of February .

and continuing for about twomonths, is the season of an ascending sexualwave.

“

I aminformed, also, by custodians of criminal court records that the

facts in their possession corroborate, in themain, Ie gludic’s statements .

“Attentats aux Mmurs ," 1896 ,p. 16 .

Quoted byH. Ellis , lac. cit . r, 101.

n is remarkable that these statistics correspond closelywith thoeeofsuicidemerimewhich, strangelyenough , ismore prevalent in the bright , clear days ofsummer , than inthe gloomand drearlness ofwinter . See Durkheim,

“IA Suicide ;” Tissot, do IsManic 414 Suicide. W 60, 149 , 150; Hawkins’s “Medical Stathticsf Winslow’s“AnatonwofSuicide,

” pp. 131- 2, andEncy. Brit , 1 1 11, 629-3 1.

Perversion of the Sexual Impulse 355

Oribasius quotes fromRufus to the sheet that sexual'feeling is strongestin the spring ; ‘ as Aétius also states . Wichman remarked that pollutionsand nymphomania aremost common during the same swan; and Laycock makes a similar statement in his work on the nervous discm of

women.

’

But, apart fromthis seasonal influence, and those racial and temperamental instincts which cannot here be discussed , the crime of rape presup

or some other highly stimulating cause. Krafl'

t-Ebing considers it quiteimprobable that aman bothmorally andmentally intact would attemptso brutal and unsatisfactory a crime; ' and Lombroso, with his well-knowntendency to lay every vice in themoral catalogue at the doors of our foreparents, makes everyman who attempts it a “ degenerate.

”

The fact is, while rape is very frequently the result of congenital influences , disease, or imbecility, it is quite as frequently the result of alcohol ,vile amciations and acquired depravity, on the part of whitemen, and

The crime ofrape, following themurder of the victim,must be clearlydistinguished fromunintentional murder , committed during the act , or

murder to destroy evidence ofthe crime , as aflording the very strongestproof ofmental disease.

‘ Wherever very young children are made themotives , as well as the victims, oflust-murder, a reasonable presumptionofmental as we ll as sexual abnormality naturally arises ; many ofsuchcases presenting themomhorrible post-mortemevidence, in bruises and

lacerations ofthe genitals , of failure to performthe act.A remarkably cyni cal instance of this kind was reported to the Phila

delphia police in 1904, in which the negro fiend deliberate ly enlarged thegirl ’s vulva with his pocket-knife , to enable himself to commit the crime.

But, while there is usually a sadistic element in those cases where unnecessarywounds are inflicted upon the victim, part icularly when the body is opened ,or certain portions of it maltreated , or abstracted , all lust-murders committed with accomplices, or with elements ofprwmmgemcnt, are necessarilyexcluded fromthose which occur as a result ofpsychopathic conditions.

Thus , the following , the act ofan epileptic , is clearly that ofa diseasedmind. The boy-victimwas playing with other children , when an unknownman entiwd himinto the woods. The next day hewas found , in a ravine ,with the abdomen slit Open— sexual inte rcourse by the incision be ing presumed— and with two stab-wounds in the neck. Before this, aman, an

swering to the description given of the murderer by the children , had

i “Synopsis ,” r, 3, Nervous Diseases ofWomen,

" p. 69 .

‘Loc. str. .p . 397 .

‘Krafl'

t p . 398 .

356 Human Sexualityattempted violation of a girl , six years old ; but as she had an eruptionon her head , andwas crying loudly , his desire cooled , and he fled. Afterhis arrest he confessed to the boy ’smurder, giving hismotive . When theboy had accompanied himinto the woods , he was seisedwith a desire to

abuse him; and when the victimbegan to cry out , he stabbed himtwicein the neck . Then hemade an incision above the pubes , in imitation ofthe female organ, with the intention ofsatisfying his lust ; but , the bodyseeming cold, he lost his desire and fled.

Marro in Italy , and Garnier in Paris, very imeniously discovered thatallcrimes of blood are six timesmore frequent in adolescents than in adults ;so that , while the aged libertine ismischievously active alongminor sexuallines, the lust-murdere rmay usually be looked for among the young , tony ,

and sexually vigorous. There are men indeed, as we sawin discumingthe questions of sadismandmasochism, to whomviolence in some formis an indispensable adjunct ofthe sexual act ; a survival , pos ibly , aswashinwd, of that primitive formofcourtship which , Herbert Spencer declares,was once universal , and which was condi tioned by the power of themaleto both overcome rivalry and subjugate the female ; but this primordia linstinct should be carefully discriminated against , in investigating acts dueto pervertedmorality , disease, or degeneracy ofthe sexual instinct . Casesoccur in which satyriasis, either congenital or pathological , is the underlying cause ; but that imbecility, and defective moral sense , frequentlyfigure as causative agents is proven by the fact that even the bond of bloodis not always respected , mothers , siste rs and daughters being made thevictims ofsuch brutal sexual attacks ?

By this termis understood immoral sexusl ects,ofevery character, with persons under a given age

usually fourteen years. It diflers fromrape in the

presmnption , which the lawrecognises, that the act of violencemay beexercised against an alre ady deflowered woman ; while that ofseductionnecessarily applies exclusively to cases in which virginity still exists, andparticularly to persons sexually immature .

A frequent feature ofviolation is its extreme silliness ; it being under»

taken , in some cases, where there is not the remotest pou ibility of succemful coitus , and where whatever gratification the act affords immneces

sarily be of a pure ly psychical character. It is the act. except in rare

‘Marro,

“Ls Puberta, 1898 , p. 223 ; Garn ier, “ La Crimina lité Juvenile ,

”Cou p.

Read. Cong. Int , etc . , Amsterdam, 1901, p . 296 .

‘Armal. M odico-Psycltol. , 1849 ,p. 515 ; 1864. p. 215 ; 1866 , p. 253. Cornp. ah

the cases recorded by Feldtmann,

“Marc-Ideler ,” r, 18, a seq. ; and those ofHan an

Amwl. M edico-Psychol. , 1885 .

358 Human Sexualitycan hardly be a doubt thatmany are pathological ; particularly thmcan

of ravishment where oldmen are the aggressors.

The termsodomy , so often looeely applied to both

Bestial ity pederasty and intercourse with animals, is a verbalexcrescence , so confusing and useless , in a scientifie

sense , that itmay very well be discarded entire ly in these studies. In its

correct scriptural sense it meant originally, however, intercourse by therectum, a theme already sufficiently treated under the head ofhomosexuality ; and the early theologians , as a rule,mognized, and gave the word

jurists, as Krafit-Ebmg , remarks brought confusion into the te rminologyby establishing a codomwmtione scxus , and a eodomrh ratwnc gmm'

e .

Monstrous and re volting as the vice is , human intercourse with animahis by nomeans uncommon , nor in the regularmanner alone. Not long agoI was called to treat an injury of a youngman’

s penis , which , he finallyconfessed , had been re ceived fromamare ’s teeth while he had his org u

in hermouth ; and there are fewphysicians who will not eas ily reca ll casesof habitual sexual intercourse with heifers , sheep, goats , and even sows.

’

Polak affirms that in Persia the vice is practised under the belief thatit cwrec gonorrhca , just as in some parts ofEur0pe a similar delusion exists

as to the curative effect in such diseases of intercourse with children ; andthe action ofFrederick the Great , in the case of a cavalryman who hadcommitted bestia lity with hismare , in

“reducing themboth to the infantry

ranks,”is a well-known joke in history.

In the case recorded by Schauenste in, where the act was undertakenwith hens ,' there was plainly an element of insanity ; but , on the whole,little attention seems to have been paid at the time to an examination of

mental condition involved rn such absurd proceedings.Boeteau tells ofa case in which a basis ofpsychical degeneration is

plainly evinced . A boy oftwelve , seeing how other boysmasturbated a

dog , fell into the habit of performing the same act upon cats , rabbits andother animals ; developing such a passion for the filthy sport that he cameto feel sexual pleasure in it , and finally to attempt regular neu ra l intercourse with the animals. Rabbits, for which he had an especial pre ference ,

“Psychopathia Sexua lis ,” p. 404, note.

’ A farmer’s son , personally known to the writer , had,with condderable care and

labor, trained a young heifer to thus submit to his sexualattentioos . The actm per»

formed by the boy in a sitting posture ,while the animalwas lying down ; and ofme of

the performances lwas privileged tobe an actualunseen eye-v im

Comp. Olfus ,“ Pastoral Medicine ,

" p . 78 ; Krauss , Psycho]. d . Var-brash . p. 80;

Maschka , Handb. , p . 188 . and the numerous briefs ofcases recorded in the “Americanand English Encyclope dia ofLaw,

"Art . Sodomy.

Perversion of the Sexual Impulse 36 :

humanity, there can, it seems to me , be but one explanation of the

On the same ground , and for identically the same mason, that twochildren who have been born and reared together, notwithstanding whatnovelists say to the contrary , rare lymarry , so the pairing instinct— love,tumescence , and sexual desire—dulled by constant association, is exciwdby novelty , by the powerful sensory stimuli proceeding froma strangeperson of the opposite sex, culminating in tumescence and erethism, is

awakened and developed by newimmlccs , always, rather than by thoseof previous knowledge and habitude .

Sexual attraction for dead bodies , horrible and

Necrophilia monstrous as itmay appear, is by nomeans unknown.

Moreau re cords a case in which aman, in attemptingto rape a woman , killed her, and threw her body into the river. He thenfished it out again, repeatedly violated it , and, being convicted of the terrible double crime , was executed . Other French writers give us similarinstances of evenmore pronounced necrophilia . One ofthemwas that ofa monk who assaulted the body over which he was holding the deathwatch ; and another , an idiot , after his committal to an asylum, habituallyviolated the female bodies in themortuary .

Mr. H. Ellis , usually a very acute observer ofsexual phenomena , isdisposed to regard this abnormality as amociated with what he calls pygmalionism, or love of statues ; but, whatever the cause ofitsmanifestation,

theremust be some obviously perverse impulse of sexuality , ofconsiderableforce , to overcome the natural repugnance we all feel for even the touchof a dead body ; and to enable aman to enjoy inte rcourse with a cadaver.

That such an act can be compatible with perfect mental soundnem,

nothing but an acquaintance with the horrible vagaries of the sexual appetite would, as Krafit-Ebing well observes , permit us to believe ; but thatit seems to be so inmany cases , we havemuch testimony , especially thatof Brierre de Boismont ,who tells of a corpse-violator bribing the watchmanto give himentrance to a dead girl for sexual purposes ; ofLegrand ,whodescribes the case of a man who experienced inexpressible pleasure in

violating corpses , and in disemboweling themafterward ; ofLacassagne ,who speaks ofa respectable tradesrnan who was never intensely excited ,sexually , except at a funeral; and ofnumerous other writers of equal credibility, among whommay bementioned Michéa , Tardieu , Lunier and Taxil.One case recorded by the last-named writer is peculiarly interesting

fromthe psychological feature involved , and with it I shall quit the sub

jcet . Aman would , fromtime to time , visit houses ofprostitution, andGord ieMedicale, July 21, 1859 .

a “La folie devant les Tribunaux ,” p. 524.

362 Human Sexualitymake one ofthe girls lie upon the bed dremed all in whitefl ilce a corpse.

At an appointed hour he would appear in the room, which in themeantimehe had caused to be elaborately pre pared, and draped in black , like a roomofmourning ; he would begin to read amass for the re pose of the dead,and, in themidst ofthe ceremony , would suddenly throwhimselfupon thegirl , and copulate with her , she playing the role ofa corpse throughoutthe entire performance .

‘

I need not say that the correct classification of such unusua l sexual

phenomena is one ofconsiderable difficulty . It would seemthat the defencelessness ofthe body , contrary to the accepted rule of selection , formsthe sexual stimulus in such cases.

Possibly one of the most disturbing factors inNegrophilia in the American society today is the growing tendency of

Un ited States white women to cohabit withmess , in preference,apparently , tomen oftheir own race and color. The

causes underlying this sexual anomaly are somewhat difficult to trace,clearly and satisfactorily. Sensually , they might be found in the largerpenis andmore protracted coitus of the negro, as compared with the average

white man, if it could be shown that such conditions constituted a trueand constant basis ofsexual enjoyment to the woman; but such is by nomeans always the rule, the smaller organ being frequently pleasanter, evenpure ly physica lly , than the

“larger ; while a sthetically and psychica lly thepreference ought certainly to rest with the Caucasian.

But that such is not the case, and that the frequent violations ofthis

lesst in themajority of instances, are facts too obvious to admit ofquestion. What , then, are the causes andmotives which are suficiently strongto prompt acts, on the part ofwomen , which they well know to be not

only degrading to themse lves, but repugnant to society , and subversiveof both self-respect and social decency?The frequent lynchings , burnings, and other illegal and horrible pun

ishments habitually inflicted upon negroes , for this species of sexual crime ,as well as the recent serious discussion ofcastration, as a remedy for theevil , prove conclusively the importance andmagnitude which the latterhas assumed in the community ; and since , so far as l amaware , nothing

has been ventured on the subject save what , founded on a vindictive race

hatred on one side , or a too easy Christian forbearance on the other , is

necessarily either too pre judiced , or too pious, to be of much mvice in

any rational attempt to analyse or deal with the problem.

“La Prostitution (bumper-sine,” p. 171 .

364 Human SexualityA young lady of Philadelphia, beautiful , respected , rich ; a W e

daughter ; went to Atlantic City , a fashionable seashore ream-t, for a season

of recreation. What happened to her thcre is amystery, buried with herin the grave ; but when she returned to Philadelphia it was by a special

train , in the company of two attending physicians and a burly negro ,with the latter of whomshe was coupled , precisely as a dog with a

bitch . Both were taken to a hospital ; and, the girl having an intractable

vaginisrnus, I have understood , although the greatest secrecy surroundedthe whole proceeding , that the negro ’s penis had to be amputated to sep

arate them. Both subsequently died .

With the horror and shame ofsuch a calamity fresh in that W e

mind , had he the voting ofnegro castration for allsuch ofiences , I venture the assertion that black eunuchs would bemore plentiful in Americathan in the Sultan’

s seraglio.

The negro boasts that he can conjure a white woman ; and indeedhis exploits in that direction are such as to afford

Is the Fault that of some ground for believing him; if by “ conjuring ” hethe Negro or of mean that species offascination , born of terror. em»

theWhiteWoman? ployed by the serpent in capturing the bird ; but Iaminclined to think , in the to tal absence of any

better solution ofthe difficulty , that his undoubted succemwith a certainclass of white women, sexually hyperesthetic , possibly permanently or

temporarily nymphmnaniac, lies in the greater boldness and din osaur

with which , on the principle that fools rush in where angels fear to tread ,he approaches the sexual subject .Sexually hyperesthetic wmnen frequently spend as much time , energy

and diligence, in courting theman as theman ordinarily does in courtingthe woman ; and, in plain language , when she wants the penis, and wantsit imperatively , she is quite as apt asman himself to follow the point ofleast resistance , availing herself of the first one which ofiers, whether itbewhite orblack.

The woman , inmost cases at least , I believe , would prefer awhiteman ;but the whiteman is comparatively timid in love-matters, fearful of ofiend~ing , and lacking in the braggadocio and self-assurance which are distinguishing traits of the negro character. Therefore the latte r, in living ex

amplification ofthe proverb that faint heart neverwon either [air or dark

lady , brings down the game by promptitude and daring which the othermisses throughdiflidcncc and fear.

Perversion ofthe Sexual Impulse 365

always on the woman’s part , I think constitute the chief indictment in these

deplorable and frequently criminalacts.

‘

Plautus held that awhite skin has a peculiar charmfor women ; but Desdemonarefutes him. She found in her “sooty blackamoor ”a being as fair as the lame Vulcanwas to Ve ins. It is only a part of the naturalmystery ofwoman ; andwhenwe havediscovered why Mary Stuart fell in lovewith the deformed Rizzio,

the noble RomanJustine’s wifewith a strolling player, the queen in Ariosto with themiserable dwarf ,and the beautiful empress, Faustina ,with a common fencing-master , then , and not tillthen , shallwe be able to account, on physiological and rational grounds , forwhat Ihave ventured to termNegrophilia— the love ofwhitewomen for blackmen. In the

meantime the law, and public Opinion far more resolutely, are dealingwith the problun as best they can.

CHAPTER EIGHT

ARTIFICIAL EROTISM

HE difficulty which confronts every investigator of this clan ofsexual phenomena is sufficiently indicated in the admitted iaadequacy ofthe caption I have chosen to represent this section.

I amaware that the latter is unsatisfactory , and that it onlyimperfectly covers manifestations which are artificial only in the sense

that they are unnatural; but l have chosen it as, tomymind, the besofiemd, by the somewhat limited capabilities of our language, to definecertain sexual phenomena not included within specific psychopathic or

reversed sexual bounds.

The term“auto-erotism, which Havelock Ellis applies to this group

of phenomena , while sufficiently suggestive, seems faulty fromthe factthat it does not provide for the large element of re ciprocity inmanymasturbatory acts , self-excited love,

” which re the approximatemean ing ofthe term, being simply that formof autogenous erotismwhich rs not de

pendent on external stimuli , and which is perhaps limited , in an absolutelystrict sense , to those exclusively psychical manifestations , of which daydreaming is the best example .

Thus,masturbation , which Ellismakes an important feature ofautoerotism,may be mutual; in which case it certainly loses its autop nous

character ; and in the case of the“rin—not ama ,

”the

“ dildo ,”mthe carrot

or banana , when used bywomen in place ofthemalc penis, while wemaytermthe act auto-crotic , it seems tome farmore rational to allude to it

The te rm auto-erastia , which Letamendi suggested to cover theme

field , is open to similar objection ; and Hufcland’s even vaguer caption

“ geistige onanie ”—meaning “the filling and heating of the imagination

with voluptuous images, without unchastity of the body , besides the

misuse ofthe word onanismin such a connection, is condemned by the

fact that it only covers , and that imperfectly , a sing le side of the subject.Kasn’

s term— “onania psychics "— fal ls under like condemnation , for

the same cause ; and Jaeger, in proposing“monosexual idiosyncrasy ” to

366

368 Human Sexualityby using the forelegs as a stimulus ; and stage, in the rotting season, rub

themselves against trees for a similar purpose. Sheepmasturbate ; camelsre lieve themselves by going through the movements of copulation withinanimate objects, and ebphants rub and compress their penises betweenthe hind legs, to bring about ejaculation .

‘ Fé ré remarks that mammarymasturbation is found in certain female animals ; andmalemonkeys, foreverfiddling with their forever erect penises , are so addicte d to the habit as torender quite natural the nearsighted old lady ’s wonder, when she sawinthe Zoo amonkey, holding a cake in one hand and his littlemd penis inthe other, why he didn

't “ eat his radish with his cracker.

”

In the human species, there is probably no field

to which Solomon’s aphorism—nihc

’

l subcola now» !

—more appropriately applies thanmasturbation. As

sexuality itself is congenital , its perversions and

abuses are without doubt prehistoric . When we find in the literature of

a country like China, whichmeasures its life by e ons rather than centuries,distinct reference to masturbation at a period thirty-two hundmd yearsprior to the Christian era ;

’among the Hindus almost , if not quite , as

early ; and among the Greeks, Hebrews and Babylonians, at the verybeginning oftheir written history ,

‘ it is but fair to assume that we are

entering upon the study of a subject to which the word , pre , very properlyapplies.

Indeed the East—which Beaconsfield called the “ cradle of religionis not less the nursery of sexual vice.

turbation to be indigenous among the girls oflndia ; and Ellis records a

wealthy Mohammedan widow , ofthe same cormtrfi oas admitting to amissionary that she began tomasturbate at a very early age,

“ just like all

other women.

”

On the facade ofa Buddhist temme , in Crime , are has-reliefs , representing men and women masturbating, and women masturbating men ;and, in a country where Lingampractices , already alluded to , haveflourished fromtime immemorial, it can scarcely be wondered at that this,

the simplest ofall forms of artificial erotism, should have been so early

For the practice ofmasturbation among animah , see Moll, “Libido Sexunlh .

”

r, 76 ; Tillier, “L’Instinct Sexual,” p. 270, andH. Ellis, lac. cit , r, 114.

“Nothing newunder the sun. (Eccles. r.Dabry, “La Médecine chez les Chinois,” Paris, 1863.

Boyle,“Antiquity ofthe Hindoo Medicine ,” London, 1857.

Burst.“Syphilis in Prehistoric Timu ,

" Vol. r. Loo. cit .

Artificial Erotism 369

In Cochin-China , according to Lorion , it is practised by both sexes,but bymarried women particularly ; and, among the Visayans and otherraces ofthe Philippines , not only wasmasturbation found to be commonwhen the Spaniards first arrived there , but the artificial penis, and othererotic contrivancss , were in habitual use.

The ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans , we have no difficulty ingathering ,were confirmedmasturbators. Aristophanes, Hippocrates, Galen,

Oribasius , Alexander ofTralles, and particularly the Greek and Latin poets,while giving greater prominence to the hete rosexual abuses of the times,and regardingmasturbation as a merematter ofcourse , do not by any

means neglect the latter vice in the irmedical and satirical writings ; whilePlutarch , Herodotus, and Lucre tius , are equally candid in reference to it .Themonstrous debaucheries ofthe Orient , what St . Augustine calls “Asiaticluxury ,

” which in Athens and Thrace had only gangrened society , foundin the wealth and idleness ofRome a soil admirably prepmd to re ceive it .The nobles ofthe Eternal City , intoxicated with conquest , and finding,

in the rivers of tribute which flowed in fromthe ends ofthe earth , ampleresources to support the most extravagant voluptuousness , distanced , ina short time , even their Asiatic teachers in this respect ; the famous cry

of the populace—pom et circenscs lk being a fair index of the commonmind on the question of pleasure .

A courtesan ofthe name ofFlora , having booms

In the wealthy in her profession, and desiring to perpetuateFloral Games her posthumous fame in her own line , just as one

man builds libraries, and another endows colleges,for the same purpose in our day, gave a large sumto the state to pur

her. Thus arose the Floral Games ; in which , with the worship of thenowde ified Flora as a cloak , such debaucheries were i ndulged in as woul dbe a startling revelation even to the “

red- light” districts of our large cities .

“La (h iminalité en Cochin-China ,

" p . 116 .

“ Fames arnica virginitati est , inimica lascivia ; saturitas vero castitatemperdit ,st nutrilillecebras.

”(Ambrose )

For similar reasons, wine, in those hot countries,was forbidden to women for fear ofexcit ing their pmions ; and its use punished as was adultery itself. “

Nonminus sivinumbibissent ac si adulteriumadmisment. (Gellius ,

The centers ofluxury have always been the centers oflust . Canopus in Egypt ,Rome ,

Bain ,Cyprus , ConstantinOple , Sybarls , Lampsacus, Ven ice, Naples and Florence ,

where , ofninety thousand of population , ten thousandwere prostitutes ,” arememorable examples ofthe truth of this statement ofMaximus Tyrius— “ libido consequuta

quumfueritmatariamimprobam, et prreruptamlicentiam, et efirenatamaudaciam.

”

Bread and the chances !”24

370 Human SexualityIn the procesdons ofthe goddeas, it was no uncommon sight, as wine

was a pan ofthe rehgiomto see nakedmen andwommsome ofthe latterthe loveliest on earth, too dmnken to performthe nonnalsexualact , fodishly trying to rnasturbate each other before themultitudc ; maiden , leading men along by their penises ; girls dancing , locked in one another

’s

embrace , covered with rms , and imitating the sexualmovements , se theywhirledmadly about ; thosewhoweremore sober, publicly cohabrting undcr

the trees in the temple gardens ; lovelyyoung prieW , starknakcd,Wastridemen ’

s necks , their privates pressed against the cheeks , and corne

times themouths , of the latter ; palms fluttering , flowers blooming ,musicplaying,wine sparkling, voices singing—oh , what amad sexualrevelry and

And at the head of the procession— re presenting the deity of theirworship—Priapus, tthe amorous god , with his enormous erect penis , of

cypress-wood , astride of which not infrequently a young girl sat, goingthrough themovements ofmasturbating it .

It can hardly be supposed that a people , to whomViewed with spectacles like the above were an every-day occurIndulgence by rence , would view such a common vice asmasturbaCertain Writers tion with any greatmanifestation ofopprobrium. I

have before poinwd out the complacency with whichChrysippus praised Diogenes for hismanliness, in publicly masturbatingin themarket-place ; and that attitude toward the practice was the sameboth in Greece and Rome . Men viewed it with abmlute indifi‘erence , as

amerematter ofindividual concern ; and while Areteus, without alludingto it specifically , points out the tonic effect on the sexual systemof re tainingthe semen, Galen, on the other hand , regard ing the retention ofthe seminalfluid as injurious , inferential ly, at least , advocates the practice ofmae

In the Dionysian Festivals in honor ofBacchus and Priapus , first introduced byMelampsus into Greecc , frorn Egypt , and thence passing to Rome , the proca ine washeaded by an amphora ofwine, adorned with vines ; this was followed by a goat , thesymboloflasciviousness, a basket offigs, and the huge artificial panh ordd bcmarriedon themdofa pole . The festivalwas celebrated in Egypt in honor oflsia; in Greece inhonor ofBacchus—by some thought to correspond to Isis ; and in Rome the orgiee ofthe bacchanalia grew so frenzied and outrageous , in the gran-nose of their hea rtbrimmrrity, that theywere abolished , finally, by decree ofthe senate , and at the infl anee

ofthe consuls , Poathumius Albinus and Martins Philippus . In thu s proced u re, it b

said, no fewer than 7000votaries , youngmen and women . indulged publicly in prestitution in the groves and gardens ofthe ternpla , each participant being bound underoath not to reveal what was seen. (Vid. Eurip n

'

n Bosch. Virgil. E neid. 11. 737 ;