University of Virginia Library

11. TREATMENT FOR SELF-ABUSE AND ITS EFFECTS.

After having duly considered the causes and effects of this terrible evil, the question next in order for consideration is, How shall it be cured? When a person has, through ignorance or weakness, brought upon himself the terrible effects described, how shall he find relief from his ills, if restoration is possible? To the answer of these inquiries, most of the remaining pages of this work will be devoted. But before entering upon a description of methods of cure, a brief consideration of the subject of prevention of the habit will be in order. PREVENTION OF SECRET VICE.

For the rising generation, those yet innocent of the evil practices so abundant in this age of sensuality, how the evil habit may be prevented is the most important of all questions connected with this subject. This topic should be especially interesting to parents; for even those who are themselves sensual, have seen enough of the evils of such a life to wish that their children may remain pure. There are, indeed, rare exceptions to this rule; for we sometimes learn of parents who have deliberately led their own children into vice, as though they desired to make them share their shame and wretchedness.

Cultivate Chastity. — From earliest infancy, all those influences and agencies which cultivate chastity, should be brought into active exercise. These we need not repeat here, having previously dwelt upon them so

fully. The reader is recommended to re-peruse the portion of the work devoted to this subject, in connection with the present section. If parents have themselves indulged in this vice, they should use special care that all the generative and gestative influences brought to bear upon their children are the purest possible, so that they may not inherit a predisposition to sin in this direction.

Special care should be exercised to avoid corrupt servants and associates. Every servant not known to be pure should be suspected until proof of innocence has been established. They should be especially instructed of the evil arising from manipulation of the genitals, even in infants, as they may do immense harm through simple ignorance.

Timely Warning. — But in spite of chaste surroundings and all other favorable circumstances, if the child is left in ignorance of his danger, he may yet fall a victim to the devices of servants or corrupt playmates, or may himself make a fatal discovery. Hence arises the duty of warning children of the evil before the habit has been formed. This is a duty that parents seldom perform, even when they are not unaware of the danger. They in some way convince themselves that their children, at least, are pure, even if others are corrupt. It is often the most difficult thing in the world for parents to comprehend the fact that their children are not the best children in the world, perfect paragons of purity and innocence. There is an unaccountable and unreasonable delicacy on the part of parents about speaking of sexual subjects to their children. In consequence, their young, inquisitive minds are left wholly in ignorance, unless, perchance, they gain information from some vile source.

Objections are raised against talking to children or young persons about matters in any degree pertaining to the sexual organs or functions. Some of the more important of them are considered in the introduction to this work, and we need not repeat here.

Early Instruction. — The little one should be taught from earliest infancy to abstain from handling the genitals, being made to regard it as a very improper act. When the child becomes old enough to understand and reason, he may be further informed of the evil consequences; then, as he advances in years, the functions of the organs may be explained with sufficient fullness to satisfy his natural craving for knowledge.

If this course were pursued, how many might be saved from ruin! It is, of course, necessary that the parents shall themselves be acquainted with the true functions of the organs before they attempt to teach any one else, especially children. Many parents might receive benefit from being obliged to "study up;" for it is a lamentable fact, the ill effects of which are every day seen, that a great many people have spent a very large portion of their lives without ever ascertaining the true function of the reproductive organs, though living in matrimony for many years. Some of the consequences of this ignorance have been portrayed in previous pages.

"Oh! why did not some kind friend tell me of the harm I was doing myself?" has been the exclamation of many an unfortunate sufferer from this vice. A warning voice should be raised to save those who are ignorantly working their own destruction. Parents, teachers, ministers, all who have access to the youth, should sound the note of alarm in their ears, that if pos-

sible they may be saved from the terrible thralldom pictured by a writer in the following lines: —

A Dark Picture. — "The waters have gone over me. But out of the black depths, could I be heard, I would cry to all those who have set a foot in the perilous flood. Could the youth look into my desolation, and be made to understand what a dreary thing it is when a man shall feel himself going down a precipice with open eyes and passive will — to see his destruction and have no power to stop it, and yet to feel it all the way emanating from himself; to perceive all goodness emptied out of him, and yet not be able to forget a time when it was otherwise; to bear about with him the spectacle of his own self-ruin; could he feel the body of death out of which I cry hourly with feebler and feebler outcry to be delivered." CURATIVE TREATMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF SELF-ABUSE.

When the habit and its effects are of very short duration, a cure is very readily accomplished, especially in the cases of children and females, as in them the evils begun are not continued in the form of involuntary pollutions. In cases of longer standing in males, the task is more difficult, but still the prospect of recovery is very favorable, provided the co-operation of the patient can be secured; without this, little can be done. But in these cases, the patient may as well be told at the outset that the task of undoing the evil work of years of sin is no easy matter. It can only be accomplished by determined effort, by steady perseverance in right doing, and in the application of necessary remedies. Those

who have long practiced the vice, or long suffered severely from its effects, have received an injury which will inevitably be life-long to a greater or less extent in spite of all that can be done for them. Yet such need not despair, for they may receive inestimable benefit by the prevention of greater damage, which they are sure to suffer if the disease is allowed to go unchecked.

Cure of the Habit. — The preliminary step in treatment is always to cure the vice itself if it still exists. The methods adopted for this purpose must differ according to the age of the individual patient.

In children, especially those who have recently acquired the habit, it can be broken up by admonishing them of its sinfulness, and portraying in vivid colors its terrible results, if the child is old enough to comprehend such admonitions. In addition to faithful warnings, the attention of the child should be fully occupied by work, study, or pleasant recreation. He should not be left alone at any time lest he yield to temptation. Work is an excellent remedy; work that will really make him very tired, so that when he goes to bed he will have no disposition to defile himself. It is best to place such a child under the care of a faithful person of older years, whose special duty it shall be to Watch him night and day until the habit is thoroughly overcome.

In younger children, with whom moral considerations will have no particular weight, other devices may be used. Bandaging the parts has been practiced with success. Tying the hands is also successful in some cases; but this will not always succeed, for they will often contrive to continue the habit in other ways, as by working the limbs, or lying upon the abdomen.

Covering the organs with a cage has been practiced with entire success. A remedy which is almost always successful in small boys is circumcision, especially when there is any degree of phimosis. The operation should be performed by a surgeon without administering an anæsthetic, as the brief pain attending the operation will have a salutary effect upon the mind, especially if it be connected with the idea of punishment, as it may well be in some cases. The soreness which continues for several weeks interrupts the practice, and if it had not previously become too firmly fixed, it may be forgotten and not resumed. If any attempt is made to watch the child, he should be so carefully surrounded by vigilance that he cannot possibly transgress without detection. If he is only partially watched, he soon learns to elude observation, and thus the effect is only to make him cunning in his vice.

In adults or youth a different plan must be pursued. In these cases, moral considerations, and the inevitable consequences to health of body and mind, are the chief influences by which a reform is to be effected, if at all. These considerations may be urged with all possible eloquence and earnestness, but should not be exaggerated. The truth is terrible enough. If there are any special influences which may be brought to bear upon a particular individual, — and there always will be something of this sort, owing to peculiarities of temperament or circumstances, — these should be promptly employed, and applied in such a manner as to secure for them their full bearing.

Through the courtesy of Dr. Archibald, Superintendent of the Iowa Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children,

we have become acquainted with a method of treatment of this disorder which is applicable in refractory cases, and we have employed it with entire satisfaction. It consists in the application of one or more silver sutures in such a way as to prevent erection. The prepuce, or foreskin, is drawn forward over the glans, and the needle to which the wire is attached is passed through from one side to the other. After drawing the wire through, the ends are twisted together, and cut off close. It is now impossible for an erection to occur, and the slight irritation thus produced acts as a most powerful means of overcoming the disposition to resort to the practice.

In females, the author has found the application of pure carbolic acid to the clitoris an excellent means of allaying the abnormal excitement, and preventing the recurrence of the practice in those whose will-power has become so weakened that the patient is unable to exercise entire self-control.

The worse cases among young women are those in which the disease has advanced so far that erotic thoughts are attended by the same voluptuous sensations which accompany the practice. The author has met many cases of this sort in young women, who acknowledged that the sexual orgasm was thus produced, often several times daily. The application of carbolic acid in the manner described is also useful in these cases in allaying the abnormal excitement, which is a frequent provocation of the practice of this form of mental masturbation.

But after all, the most must be done by the individual himself. All that others can do for him is to surround him with favoring circumstances, and arouse

him to a proper sense of his real condition and danger. If this can be thoroughly accomplished, there is much reason to hope; but if the individual has become so lost to all sense of purity, all aspirations toward purity, that he cannot be made to feel the need of reformation, his case is hopeless.

How May a Person Help Himself? — The following suggestions will be found useful in fighting the battle with vice and habit: —

1. Begin by a resolution to reform, strengthened by the most solemn vows.

2. Resolve to reform now; not to-morrow or next week, but this very minute. Thousands have sunk to perdition while resolving to indulge "only this once."

3. Begin the work of reform by purging the mind. If a lewd thought enters the mind, dispel it at once. Cultivate a loathing for concupiscence. Never harbor such ideas for an instant; for they will surely lead to the overt act. If, perchance, the physical sin should not be committed, the thought itself is sin, and it leaves a physical as well as a moral scar almost as deep and hideous as that inflicted by the grosser crime.

4. As a help to purity of mind, whenever impure thoughts enter, immediately direct the mind upon the purest object with which you are acquainted. Flee from the special exciting cause, if there is one, and engage in some active labor or other exercise that will divert the mind into another channel.

5. Avoid solitude; for then it is that temptation comes, and you are most likely to fail. Avoid, equally, all other causes which may lead to the act.

6. Strictly comply with all the rules laid down for

the cultivation of chastity and the maintenance of continence.

7. Above all, seek for grace and help from the Source of all spiritual strength in every time of temptation, relying upon the promise, "Seek, and ye shall find."

Hopeful Courage. — All individual who will earnestly set himself about the work of purifying his mind and redeeming his body, if he will conscientiously adopt, and perseveringly apply, the remedies pointed out, may be sure of success. There can be no possible chance for failure. Triumph is certain. Patience may be tried and faith tested, but unwavering trust in God and nature, and an executed determination to do all on his part, will bring to every such one certain recovery. There may be some scars left, a few traces of the injury wrought; but the deliverance will be none the less triumphant. Faith and perseverance will work wonders.

General Regimen and Treatment. — After long abuse of the sexual organs, and in many cases after a short course of sin, the whole system becomes deteriorated; digestion is impaired; the muscles are weakened; the circulation is unbalanced; the nerves are irritable, the brain — especially the back and lower portion of it — is congested; the skin is torpid; the bowels are inactive and the general health is deranged in almost every particular. All these morbid conditions serve to keep up the very difficulty which has produced and is increasing them. Any curative effort, then, to be effective, must be directed to these as well as to local conditions; and it is pretty certainly established that local remedies or applications alone will rarely accomplish any appreciable good, at least of a permanent character.

Mental and Moral Treatment. — The greatest impediment to recovery is usually found in the mind of the patient. His hopeless despair, melancholy, sullen apathy in many cases, want of energy, and fickleness of mind thwart all attempts that are made for him. In other cases, the want of will-power, or neglect to exercise the will in controlling the thoughts, completely counteracts all that can be done for him. He must be made to understand this well, and then all possible means must be employed to attract his attention from himself, from brooding over his ills. Occupy him, interest him, or teach him to occupy and interest himself. The enthusiastic study of some one of the natural sciences is a most excellent auxiliary in effecting this.

The thing of first importance is that the patient should obtain command of his thoughts; by this means he can do more for himself than all others can do for him. "But I cannot control my thoughts," says the patient. A young man said to me, "O doctor, you do n't know how I feel. I despise myself; I hate myself; I often feel inclined to kill myself. My mind is always full of abominable images; my thoughts run away with me, and I cannot help myself." The tears ran down his face in streams as he told of his slavery. He solemnly affirmed that he had never performed the act of self-pollution but once in his life; and yet for years he had been a constant sufferer from nocturnal emissions until his manhood was nearly lost, evidently the result of the mental Onanism which he had practiced without imagining the possibility of harm.

Control of the Thoughts. — But it is not true that control of the thoughts is impossible. Thoughts are the

result of the action of the brain; and the action of the brain may be controlled as well as the movements of a voluntary muscle. It may be more difficult, especially when the resolution is weakened, as it is by this vice; but so long as there are left any remnants of will and reason, control is possible. To strengthen the will must be one of the objects of mental treatment, and exercise is the method by which it may be accomplished. The thing for a sufferer to say is not "I can't," but "I can and I will control my thoughts." Suggestions which will aid in accomplishing this have already been given under the heading, "Cure of the Habit."

We cannot forbear to add a word further respecting the worth of religion in aiding these sufferers. If there is any living creature who needs the help of true religion, of faith in God, in Christ, and in the efficacy of prayer, it is one of these. If there is any poor mortal who cannot afford to be deprived of the aid of a sympathizing Saviour, it is one who has enervated his will, degraded his soul, and depraved his body by the vile habit of self-abuse. A compassionate Redeemer will succor even these defiled ones, if they truly "hunger and thirst" after purity, and if they set about the work of reforming themselves in good earnest, and with right motives.

Exercise. — Physical exercise is a most powerful aid to pure thoughts. When unchaste ideas intrude, engage at once in something which will demand energetic muscular exercise. Pursue the effort until fatigued, if necessary, making all the while a powerful mental effort to control the mind. Of course, evil thoughts will not be expelled by thinking of them, but by displacing them by pure thoughts. Exercise aids this greatly.

Exercise is also essential to balance the circulation, and thus relieve congestion of internal organs. Sedentary persons especially need systematic exercise. No single form of exercise is so excellent as walking. Four or five miles a day are none too many to secure a proper amount of muscular exercise. Gymnastics, the "health-lift," "Indian clubs," "dumb-bells," rowing, and other forms of exercise are all good; but none of them should be carried to excess. Ball-playing is likely to be made a source of injury by exciting, in vigorous competition, too violent and spasmodic action.

Daily exercise should be taken to the extent of fatigue. It is better that those who are still strong enough should have some regular employment which will secure exercise. Those who prefer may secure exercise and recreation in the pursuit of some study that involves necessary physical exertion; as botany, geology, or entomology. The collection of natural-history specimens is one of the most pleasant diversions, and may be made very useful as well.

Pleasant companionship is essential to the best progress of these patients, especially in their walks, as much more exercise may be taken without an unpleasant sense of fatigue with a cheerful companion than when alone. Solitude should be avoided at all times as much as possible.

Diet. — So much has already been said upon the relation of diet to chastity and its influence upon the sexual organs, that it is unnecessary to add many remarks here. Nothing could be more untrue than the statement made by some authors that the nature of the diet is of no consequence.

The science of physiology teaches that our very thoughts are born of what we eat. A man that lives on pork, fine-flour bread, rich pies and cakes, and condiments, drinks tea and coffee, and uses tobacco, might as well try to fly as to be chaste in thought. He will accomplish wonders if he remains physically chaste; but to be mentally virtuous would be impossible for him without a miracle of grace.

One whose thoughts have been so long trained in the filthy ruts of vice that they run there automatically, and naturally gravitate downward, — such an one must exercise especial care to secure the most simple, pure, and unstimulating diet.

The following precautions are necessary to be observed in relation to diet: —

1. Never overeat. If too much food is taken at one meal, fast the next meal to give the system a chance to recover itself, and to serve as a barrier against future transgressions of the same kind. Gluttony is fatal to chastity; and overeating will be certain to cause emissions, with other evils, in one whose organs are weakened by abuse.

2. Eat but twice a day, or, if supper is eaten, let it be very light, and of the most simple food, as fruit, or fruit and bread. Nothing should be eaten within four or five hours of bed-time, and it is much better to eat nothing after three o'clock. The ancients ate but two meals a day; why should moderns eat three or four? If the stomach contains undigested food, the sleep will be disturbed, dreams will be more abundant, and emissions will be frequent. A most imperative rule of life should be, "Never go to bed with a loaded stomach." The vio-

lation of this rule is the great cause of dreams and nightmares.

3. Discard all stimulating food. Under this head must be included spices, pepper, ginger, mustard, cinnamon, cloves, essences, all condiments, pickles, etc., together with flesh food in any but moderate quantities. It is hardly to be expected that all who have been accustomed to use these articles all their lives, will discard them wholly at once, nor, perhaps, that many will ever discard them entirely; but it would be better for them to do so, nevertheless.

4. Stimulating drinks should be abstained from with still greater strictness. Wine, beer, tea, and coffee should be taken under no circumstances. The influence of coffee in stimulating the genital organs is notorious. Chocolate should be discarded also. It is recommended by some who suppose it to be harmless, being ignorant of the fact that it contains a poison practically identical with that of tea and coffee.

Hot drinks of all kinds should be avoided.

Tobacco, another stimulant, although not a drink, should be totally abandoned at once.

5. In place of such articles as have been condemned, eat fruits, grains, milk, and vegetables. There is a rich variety of these kinds of food, and they are wholesome and unstimulating. Graham flour, oatmeal, and ripe fruit are the indispensables of a dietary for those who are suffering from sexual excesses.

Further remarks upon diet, with a few useful recipes for preparing healthful food, will be found in works de-

voted to the subject of diet.[24] The patient must carefully comply with all the rules of a healthy diet if he would be sure of recovery. [24] See "Healthful Cookery," Health Publishing Company, Battle Creek, Mich.

Sleeping. — It is from emissions which happen during sleep that the great majority of sufferers complain; hence there is no little importance attaching to this subject. The following suggestions present in a very brief manner some of the more practical ideas connected with this part of the subject: —

1. From seven to nine hours sleep are required by all persons. The rule should be, Retire early, and sleep until rested. Early rising is not beneficial unless it has been preceded by abundant sleep.

2. Arise immediately upon waking in the morning, if it is after four o'clock. A second nap is generally unrefreshing, and is dangerous, for emissions most frequently occur at this time.

3. If insufficient sleep is taken at night, sleep a few minutes just before dinner. Half an hour's rest at this time is remarkably refreshing; and even fifteen minutes spent in sleep will be found very reviving. Do not sleep after dinner, as a pollution will be very likely to occur, and, as a rule, after-dinner naps are unrefreshing and productive of indigestion.

4. Never go to bed with the bowels loaded. The bladder should be emptied just before retiring. It is also a good plan to form the habit of rising once or twice during the night to urinate.

5. The position in sleeping is of some importance. Sleeping upon the back or upon the abdomen favors the occurrence of emissions; hence it is preferable to sleep on the side. If supper has been taken, the right side is

preferable, as that position will favor the passage of food from the stomach into the intestines in undergoing digestion.

Various devices are employed, sometimes with advantage, to prevent the patient from turning upon his back while asleep. The most simple is that recommended by Acton, and consists in tying a knot in the middle of a towel, and then fastening the towel about the body in such a way that the knot will come upon the small of the back. The unpleasant sensations arising from pressure of the knot, if the sleeper turn upon his back, will often serve as a complete preventive. Others fasten a piece of wood upon the back for a similar purpose. Still others practice tying one hand to the bed-post. None of these remedies can be wholly depended upon, but they may be tried in connection with other means of treatment.

6. Soft beds and pillows must be carefully avoided. Feather-beds should not be employed when possible to find a harder bed; the floor, with a single folded blanket beneath the sleeper, would be preferable. Soft pillows heat the head, as soft beds produce heat in other parts. A hair mattress, or a bed of corn husks, oat straw, or excelsior — covered with two or three blankets or a quilted cotton mattress — makes a very healthy and comfortable bed.

7. Too many covers should be avoided with equal care. The thinnest possible covering in summer, and the lightest consistent with comfort in winter, should be the rule. Sleeping too warm is a frequent exciting cause of nocturnal losses.

8. Thorough ventilation of the sleeping-room, both

while occupied and during the day-time, must not be neglected. It should be located in a position to admit the sunshine during the morning hours. It is a good plan to keep in it a number of house plants, as they will help to purify the air, besides adding to its cheerfulness.

9. If wakeful at night, instead of lying in bed trying to go to sleep, get up at once, open the bed, air the sheets, remove the night-clothing, and walk about the room for a few minutes, rubbing the body briskly with the bare hand at the same time. A tepid sponge bath, followed by a vigorous rubbing kept up until really tired, will conduce to sleep in many cases. Sometimes a change of bed, or pulling the bed to pieces and arranging it again, is just the thing needed to bring sleep.

10. One of the most effectual panaceas for certain varieties of sleeplessness is going to bed at peace with all the world, and with a conscience void of offense toward God as well as man.

Dreams. — This is a subject of much interest to those suffering from nocturnal pollutions, for these occurrences are almost always connected with dreams of a lascivious nature.

In perfectly natural sleep, there are no dreams; consciousness is entirely suspended. In the ordinary stage of dreaming, there is a peculiar sort of consciousness, many of the faculties of the mind being more or less active, while the power of volition is wholly dormant. Carpenter describes another stage of consciousness between that of ordinary dreaming and wakefulness, a condition "in which a dreamer has a consciousness that he is dreaming, being aware of the

unreliability of the images which present themselves before the mind. He may even make a voluntary and successful effort to prolong them if agreeable, or to dissipate them if unpleasing, thus evincing a certain degree of that directing power, the entire want of which is characteristic of the true state of dreams."

Can Dreams be Controlled? — Facts prove that they can be, and to a remarkable extent. Emissions most frequently occur in the state described by Dr. Carpenter, in which a certain amount of control by the will is possible. This is the usual condition of the mind during morning naps; and if a person resolutely determines to combat unchaste thoughts whenever they come to him, whether asleep or awake, he will find it possible to control himself, not only during this semi-conscious state, but even during more profound sleep.

The following case related by an eminent London surgeon,[25] illustrates what may be done by strong resolution; the patient was an Italian gentleman of very great respectability. [25] Acton.

"He had been inconvenienced five years before with frequent emissions, which totally unnerved him. He determined resolutely that the very instant the image of a woman or any libidinous idea presented itself to his imagination, he would wake; and to insure his doing so, dwelt in his thoughts on his resolution for a long time before going to sleep. The remedy, applied by a vigorous will, had the most happy results. The idea, the remembrance of its being a danger, and the determination to wake, closely united the evening before, were never dissociated, even in sleep, and he awoke in time; and

this reiterated precaution, repeated during some evenings, absolutely cured the complaint."

Several other cases of the same kind have been recorded. Doubtless the plan would be found successful in many cases when coupled with a proper regimen.

A still greater control is exerted over the thoughts during sleep by their character during hours of wakefulness. By controlling the mind during entire consciousness, it will also be controlled during unconsciousness or semi-consciousness.

Dr. Acton makes the following very appropriate remarks upon this subject: —

"Patients will tell you that they cannot control their dreams. This is not true. Those who have studied the connection between thoughts during waking hours and dreams during sleep, know that they are closely connected. The character is the same sleeping or waking. It is not surprising that, if a man has allowed his thoughts during the day to rest upon libidinous subjects, he should find his mind at night full of lascivious dreams; the one is a consequence of the other, and the nocturnal pollution is a natural consequence, particularly when diurnal indulgence has produced an irritability of the generative organs. A will which in our waking hours we have not exercised in repressing sexual desire, will not, when we fall asleep, preserve us from carrying the sleeping echo of our waking thought farther than we dared to do in the day-time."

Bathing. — A daily bath is indispensable to health under all circumstances; for patients of this class, it is especially necessary. A general bath should be taken every morning immediately upon rising. General cold bathing is

not good for any person, especially in the morning, though some may tolerate it remarkably well, being of exceptionally hardy constitutions; but the advice to try "cold bathing," often given to sufferers from seminal weakness, is very pernicious; for most of them have been reduced so low in vitality by their disease that they cannot endure such violent treatment.

Cool bathing is, however, to be recommended. The temperature of the water employed should be fifteen or twenty degrees below that of the body. The administration of water in the form of a hand or sponge bath in the morning on arising is an excellent tonic. The saline sponge bath, employing a tablespoonful of salt to the quart of water, is somewhat more stimulating than the ordinary water bath.

Sun baths, electric baths, spray, plunge, and other forms of bath are of greatest value to those suffering from the effects of indiscretions. These are described, with additional observations concerning the temperature of baths, etc., in works devoted to this subject.

Improvement of General Health. — Patients suffering from emissions and other forms of seminal weakness are almost always dyspeptic, and most of them present other constitutional affections which require careful and thorough treatment according to the particular indications of the case. The wise physician will not neglect these if he desires to cure his patient, and make his recovery as complete as possible.

Prostitution as a Remedy. — Said a leading physician in New York to us, when interrogated as to his special treatment of spermatorrhœa, "When a young man comes to me suffering from nocturnal emissions, I give

him tonics and send him to a woman." That this is not an unusual method of treatment, even among regular physicians, is a fact as true as it is deplorable. There are hundreds of young men whose morals have been ruined by such advice. Having been educated to virtuous habits, at least so far as illicit intercourse is concerned, they resist all temptations in this direction, even though their inclinations are very strong; but when advised by a physician to commit fornication as a remedial measure, they yield their virtue, far too readily sometimes, and begin a life of sin from which they might have been prevented. There are good grounds for believing that many young men purposely seek advice from physicians who they know are in the habit of prescribing this kind of a remedy.

Few know how commonly this course is recommended, and not by quacks, but by members of the regular profession. A friend informed the writer that he knew a case in which a country physician advised a young man of continent habits to go to a neighboring large city, and spend a year or so with prostitutes, which advice he followed. Of his subsequent history we know nothing; but it is very probable that, like most other young men who adopt this remedy, he soon contracted diseases which rendered his condition ten times worse than at first, without at all improving his former state. In pursuing this course, one form of emission is only substituted for another, at the best; but more than this, an involuntary result of disease is converted into a voluntary sin of the blackest character, a crime in which two participate, and which is not only an outrage upon nature, but against morality as well.

A final argument against this course is that it is not a remedy, and does not effect a cure of the evil, as will be shown by the following medical testimonies: —

"The vexed question of connection is one which may be decided out of hand. . . . It has no power of curing bad spermatorrhœa; it may cause a diminution in the number of emissions, but this is only a delusion; the semen is still thrown off; the frame still continues to be exhausted; the genital organs and nervous system generally are still harassed by the incessant tax; and the patient is all the while laying the foundation of impotence."

"In all solemn earnestness I protest against such false treatment. It is better for a youth to live a continent life." "There is a terrible significance in the wise man's words, `None that go to her return again, neither take they hold of the path of life.' "[27] This hazardous and immoral mode of treatment is the result of the common opinion that emissions are necessary and natural, which we have previously shown to be false. [26] Milton. [27] Acton.

Marriage. — Another class of practitioners, with more apparent regard for morality, recommend matrimony as a sure panacea for all the ills of which the sufferers from self-abuse complain, with the possible exception of actual impotence. Against this course, several objections may be urged; we offer the following: —

1. It is not a remedy, since, as in the case of illicit intercourse, "legalized prostitution" is only a substitution of one form of emission for another, the ill effects of which do not differ appreciably.

2. If it were a remedy, it would not be a justifiable

one, for its use would necessitate an abuse of the marriage relation, as elsewhere shown.

3. As another reason why the remedy would not be a proper, even if a good one, it may well be asked, What right has a man to treat a wife as a vial of medicine? Well does Mr. Acton inquire, "What has the young girl, who is thus sacrificed to an egotistical calculation, done that she should be condemned to the existence that awaits her? Wh{o} has the right to regard her as therapeutic agent, and to risk thus lightly her future prospects, her repose, and the happiness of the remainder of her life?"

In cases in which seminal emissions occur frequently, the most reliable writers upon this subject — Copland, Acton, Milton, and others — advise, with reference to marriage, "that the complaint should be removed before the married life is commenced." Independent of the considerations already presented, the individual affected in this manner and contemplating marriage, should carefully consider the possible and probable effects upon offspring, the legitimate result of marriage; these have been already described, and need not be recapitulated.

Local Treatment. — While it is true that general treatment alone is occasionally successful in curing the diseases under consideration, and that local treatment alone is very rarely efficient, it is also true that in many cases skillful local treatment is required to supplement the general remedies employed. While there has been a tendency on the part of the profession generally to depend wholly upon general treatment, on the part of a less numerous body of specialists there has been an opposite tendency, to depend wholly, or nearly so, upon local measures. Both extremes are evidently wrong.

The object of local treatment for the relief of emissions, especially, is to remove the local cause of irritation, which, as previously shown, is one of the most active exciting causes of seminal losses. To effect this, both internal and external applications are useful. We will now consider some of these agents.

The Warm Sitz Bath. — The warm sitz bath is one of the most efficacious of all remedies. It should be taken daily, and may sometimes be repeated, with benefit, several times a day. Its effect is to relieve the local congestion, and thus allay the irritability of the affected parts. When but one bath is taken daily, it should be just before retiring at night.

In taking a sitz bath, a common wash-tub may be employed. The temperature of the water should be from 90° to 95°. A foot bath should be taken at the same time, with the water a few degrees warmer. The bath should last fifteen or twenty minutes. At the close of it, water should be dashed quickly over the whole body with the hand, after which the patient should rub himself vigorously with a dry towel.

The Ascending Douche. — This is also a very useful means of allaying irritation, especially the reflex excitability which is often present in the muscles in the vicinity of the perineum and prostate gland and when there is pain and fullness in these parts.

Sponging of the perineum and adjacent parts may be employed in place of the douche. The temperature of the bath should be 110° or 115° when there is soreness or irritability of the parts. In advanced cases of the disease, in which internal emissions occur, and in cases of impotence, cool water may be employed.

The Abdominal Bandage. — This may be worn nights to very great advantage by most patients. It not only allays the irritability of the nerve centers which are closely connected with the genital apparatus, but serves to keep the bowels in a healthy condition. It should not be applied so continuously as to produce a very profuse eruption on the skin. If such a symptom should appear, discontinue the bandage for a time. When worn during the day-time, it should be changed once in three or four hours. It is generally best to wear it only nights.

The Wet Compress. — This is an application to be made to the lower part of the spine for the purpose of allaying the excessive heat and irritation which often exist there. It may also be worn nights, as it in some degree prevents the danger arising from sleeping upon the back.

Hot and Cold Applications to the Spine. — These are powerful remedies under appropriate conditions. Hot applications relieve congestions of the genital organs, and allay irritation. Cold applications are useful when a condition of debility and relaxation is present. Alternate applications of heat and cold are very valuable, when skillfully applied, as a means of allaying reflex excitability and promoting healthy action. These applications are especially useful in cases in which there is heat and pain in the lower portion of the back. Their effects are greatly enhanced by administering a foot or leg bath at the same time.

Local Fomentations. — When great local irritation exists, with considerable pain and spasmodic muscular action, the application of hot fomentations to the peri-

neum will be found the most effectual means of giving relief. The hot douche and hot sitz bath are useful under the same circumstances.

In some cases, alternate hot and cold applications are more effectual in allaying local irritation than hot fomentations alone.

Local Cold Bathing. — The genital organs should be daily bathed in cold water just before retiring. Simply dashing water upon the parts for two or three minutes is insufficient; more prolonged bathing is necessary. A short application of cold occasions a strong and sudden reaction, which increases local congestion; hence the bath should be continued until the sedative effect is fully produced, which will require at least fifteen minutes. The water must be cold; about 60° is the best temperature. Ice should be used to cool the water in warm weather. It should be applied thoroughly, being squeezed from a sponge upon the lower part of the abdomen, and allowed to run down.

The Enema. — The use of the enema is an important means of aiding recovery; but it has been much abused, and must be employed with caution. When the bowels are very costive, relieve them before retiring by a copious injection of tepid water. The "fountain" or "syphon" syringe is the best instrument to employ.

Useful as is the syringe when needed, nothing could be much worse than becoming dependent upon it. The bowels must be made to act for themselves without such artificial assistance, by the use of proper food, especially graham flour and oatmeal, and the avoidance of hot drinks, milk, sugar, and other clogging and constipating articles; by wearing the abdominal bandage, by thor-

ough kneading and percussion of the abdomen several times daily for five minutes at a time; by taking one or two glasses of cold water half an hour before breakfast every morning; and by plenty of muscular exercise daily. The enema should be used occasionally, however, rather than allow the bowels to continue costive, and to avoid severe straining at stool.

A small, cold enema taken just before retiring, and retained, will often do much to allay local irritation.

Electricity. — Probably no single agent will accomplish more than this remedy when skillfully applied. It needs to be carefully used, and cannot be trusted in the hands of those not acquainted with the physical properties of the remedy and scientific methods of applying it.

Internal Applications. — Complete and rapid success greatly depends upon skillful internal treatment, in a large number of cases. We are aware that there is considerable prejudice, in certain quarters, against internal treatment; but having had the opportunity of observing the effects of careful treatment applied in this way, and having put to the test of practical experience this method, we feel justified in recommending that which is approved on both theoretical and practical grounds; for it is rational to suppose that proper treatment, applied directly to the seat of disease, must be at least equally efficacious with methods less direct.

As heretofore explained, in the more severe cases the urethra is found in a very irritable condition. It is hyper-sensitive, especially in that portion just in front of the bladder, where the ejaculatory ducts open into it. We have also seen how this condition is one of the chief

exciting causes of emissions. The remedies described for allaying this irritation are all excellent and indispensable; but there is another method of great value. This consists in the passage of a suitable instrument, a sound or bougie of proper size, two or three times a week. By the aid of this means, the abnormal irritation will often diminish with magical rapidity. The passage of the instrument, of course, needs to be done with great delicacy, so as to avoid increasing the irritation; hence it should not be attempted by a novice. Lack of skill in catheterism is doubtless the reason why some have seemed to produce injury rather than benefit by this method of treatment.

Use of Electricity. — The use of electricity in connection with that of the sound, adds greatly to its utility. By means of the metallic instrument, also, electricity may be applied directly to the point of greatest irritation; and its soothing effect is sometimes really wonderful, as the following case will show: —

The patient, a man of unusual physical development, was suffering from nocturnal emissions and diminished sexual power, the result of early indiscretions and marital excesses. One of his most unpleasant symptoms was severe pain in the portion of the urethra near the openings of the ejaculatory ducts. After he had been suffering more than usual for a few days, we applied the faradic electric current in the manner indicated above, for about fifteen minutes. At the end of that time the pain was entirely removed, though considerable suffering had been caused by the passage of the instrument, so sensitive was the congested membrane. The pain did not return again for two or three weeks, though

treatment was necessarily suspended on account of absence.

In another case, that of a young man, a student, at the beginning of treatment emissions occurred nightly, and sometimes as many as four in a single night, according to his statement, which we had no reason to doubt. Under the influence of these local applications, combined with other measures of treatment and a measurably correct regimen, the number of emissions was in a few weeks reduced to one in two or three weeks.

Numerous other cases nearly as remarkable might be detailed if it were necessary to do so. A very slight increase of irritation sometimes occurs at first, but this quickly subsides.

The galvanic as well as the faradic current is to be used under proper circumstances. The application of electricity to the nerve centers by means of central galvanization, and also general and local external faradization, are necessary methods to be employed in electrical treatment.

Circumcision. — In cases of phimosis, in which irritation is produced by retained secretions, division of the prepuce, or circumcision, is the proper remedy. These cases are not infrequent, but the exciting cause of much of the difficulty is often overlooked. The same remedy is often useful in cases of long prepuce.

When the glans penis is unusually tender and sensitive, this condition will generally be removed by the daily washing with soap and water necessary for cleanliness. If this does not suffice, or if there are slight excoriations caused by acid secretions, apply, in addition, a weak solution of tannin in glycerine once a day.

Impotence. — Loss of sexual power arising from any form of sexual excess, should be treated on the same general plan laid down for the treatment of emissions and other weaknesses. Heat to the spine, and short, but frequent, local cold applications, are among the most useful remedies; but probably electricity, discreetly used, is by far the most valuable of all remedies. It should be applied both internally and externally.

The use of cantharides and other aphrodisiac remedies to stimulate the sexual organs is a most pernicious practice. The inevitable result is still greater weakness. They should never be used. On the contrary, everything of a stimulating character must be carefully avoided, even in diet.

Varicocele. — Patients suffering from this difficulty should wear a proper suspensory bag, as the continued pressure of the distended veins upon the testes, if unsupported, will ultimately cause degenerative changes and atrophy. In cases of varicocele in which the disorder is attended by pain, or marked degeneration of one or both testicles, or in which the disorder is an evident aggravation of nocturnal losses, an operation is usually required to effect a cure, though a proper suspensory bandage will often afford relief, if constantly worn. The operation for varicocele, when properly performed, is free from danger, and is effective in affording relief in this disorder. The author has found great satisfaction in the employment of antiseptic ligation of the veins, coupled in bad cases, by removal of the redundant portion of scrotal tissue. This mode of operation has always been attended by most excellent results.

The wearing of a suspensory bag is also advisable for those whose testicles are unusually pendulous.

Treatment of the Disease in Women. — The treatment of the results of self-abuse in woman is a very much more complicated affair than it is in man, owing to the greater variety of local disorders induced thereby. The various forms of displacement require special methods of treatment, many of which cannot be readily undertaken at home. Many of the measures suggested for the treatment of males are, however, entirely applicable to this class of cases in women, and may be employed to very great advantage and with most excellent results. The sitz bath, hot sponging of the spine, hot and cold applications to the spine, and the saline sponge bath are all very useful measures.

Most important of all, however, is the vaginal douche. This method of treatment consists in the injection into the vagina by some form of syringe, particularly the fountain or syphon syringe, of hot water. The temperature should be 110° or 120°. In the employment of vaginal injections, too small a quantity is usually made use of. From three to five gallons should be used daily, and as a rule, the temperature should be as hot as can be borne without discomfort. We know of no single method of treatment which is able to accomplish so much in these cases as the hot vaginal douche. It should be uniformly employed, and may be continued several months with advantage. It should be used as long as the leucorrhœal discharge is present, this being a symptom of local congestion, and one which is more readily relieved by this means than any other.

The addition of a little alum or some other form of astringent to the last portion of water employed, is in many cases advantageous. Alum or tannin may be used in proportion of one dram to the quart of water.

In cases of sexual apathy, or loss of ability to engage in the sexual act, the application of faradic electricity to the vagina by means of a proper electrode is of very great advantage. One electrode should be placed in the vagina, while the other, connected with the sponge, is passed over the lower portion of the spine, across the the lower part of the abdomen, and along the inside of the thighs.

For directions for further treatment of these and like derangements, the reader is referred to other works by the author, in which the subject is fully treated.

Drugs, Rings, etc. — If drugs, per se, will cure invalids of any class, they are certainly not satisfactory in this class of patients. The whole materia medica affords no root, herb, extract, or compound that alone will cure a person suffering from emissions. Thousands of unfortunates have been ruined by long-continued drugging. One physician will purge and salivate the patient. Another will dose him with phosphorus, quinine, or ergot. Another feeds him with iron. Another plies him with lupuline, camphor, and digitaline. Still another narcotizes him with opium, belladonna, and chloral. Purgatives and diuretics are given by another, and some will be found ready to empty the whole pharmacopoæia into the poor sufferer's stomach if he can be made to open his mouth wide enough.

The way some of these unfortunate persons are blistered, and burned, and cauterized, and tortured in sundry other ways, is almost too horrible to think of; yet they endure it, often willingly, thinking it but just punishment for their sins, and perhaps hoping to expiate them by this cruel penance. By these procedures, the emissions

are sometimes temporarily checked; but the patient is not cured, nevertheless, and the malady soon returns.

The employment of rings, pessaries, and numerous other mechanical devices for preventing emissions, is entirely futile. No dependence can be placed upon them. Some of these contrivances are very ingenious, but they are all worthless, and time and money spent upon them are thrown away.

Quacks. — The victims of self-abuse fall an easy prey to the hordes of harpies, fiends in human shape, who are ready at every turn to make capital out of their misfortunes. From no class of persons do quacks and charlatans derive so rich a harvest as from these erring ones. It is not uncommon to find a man suffering from seminal weakness who has paid to sundry parties hundreds of dollars for "specifics" which they advertised as "sure cures." We have seen and treated scores of these patients, but never yet met a single case that had received permanent benefit from patent medicines.

The newspapers are full of the advertisements of these heartless villains. They advertise under the guise of "clergymen," charitable institutions, "cured invalids," and similar pretenses. Usually they offer for sale some pill or mixture which will be a sure cure, in proof of which they cite the testimonials of numerous individuals who never lived, or, at least, never saw either them or their filthy compounds; or they promise to send free a recipe which will be a certain cure. Here is a specimen recipe which was sent by a "reverend" gentleman, who claims to be a returned missionary from South America, and who is so intent on doing good that he charges nothing for his invaluable information: —

Extract of Corrossa apimis, " " Selarmo umbelifera, Powdered Alkermes latifolia, Extract of Carsadoc herbalis.

This remarkable recipe is warranted to cure all the evils arising from self-abuse without any attention to diet or inconvenience of any kind, to prevent consumption and insanity, and to cure venereal diseases. It is also declared to be a perfectly "safe" remedy for all female difficulties, which means that it will aid nefarious purposes.

Along with the recipe comes the suggestion that the druggist may not be able to furnish all the ingredients in a perfectly pure state, and so, for the accommodation of suffering humanity, this noble philanthropist has taken infinite pains to secure them direct from South America, and has put them up in neat little packages which he will send, post-paid, for the trifle of $3.50, just one cent less than actual cost. Then he tells what purports to be the history of his own nastiness, with a generous spicing of pious cant, and closes with a benediction on all who have fallen into the same slough, and especially those who will send for his fabulous foreign weeds to help them out.[28] [28] Since the above was written, this notorious quack has died, worth half a million dollars, gained by his deceitful practices, and the public have learned that the name under which he advertized was a fictitious one, and that he was neither a clergyman nor a missionary, as claimed.

A young man sees the advertisement of a book which will be sent free, postage paid, if he will only send his address. The title of the book being of some such character as "Manhood Regained" or "Nervous Debility," he imagines it may suit his case, and sends his name.

Return mail brings the book, which is a wretched jargon of confusing terms and appalling descriptions of the effects of self-abuse, with the most shameful exaggerations of the significance of the most trivial symptoms. The ignorant youth reads what he supposes to be a description of his own case, and is frightened nearly to death. He is most happily relieved, however, to find that the generous publishers of the book have a remedy which is just adapted to his case, but which is so precious that it cannot be afforded at less than $50.00 for a sufficient quantity to effect a cure. He willingly parts with his hard-earned dollars, and gets, in return, some filthy mixture that did not cost a shilling.

Another trap set is called an "Anatomical Museum." The anatomical part of the exhibition consists chiefly of models and figures calculated to excite the passions to the highest pitch. At stated intervals the proprietor, who is always a "doctor," and by preference a German, delivers lectures on the effects of masturbation in which he resorts to every device to excite the fears and exaggerate the symptoms of his hearers, who are mostly young men and boys. Thus he prepares his victim, and when he once gets him within his clutches, he does not let him go until he has robbed him of his last dollar.

We might present almost any number of illustrations of the ways in which these human sharks pursue their villainy. If there were a dungeon deep, dark, and dismal enough for the punishment of such rascals, we should feel strongly inclined to petition to have them incarcerated in it. They defy all laws, civil as well as moral, and are cunning enough to keep outside of prison bars; and thus they wax rich by robbery, and thrive by de-

ceit. A terrible recompense awaits them at the final settlement, though they escape so easily now.

Closing Advice. — We cannot finish this chapter without a few closing words of advice to those who are suffering in any way from the results of sexual transgression. We are especially anxious to call attention to a few points of practical and vital interest to all who are suffering in the manner indicated.

1. Give the matter prompt attention. Do not delay to adopt curative measures under the delusive idea that the difficulty will disappear of itself. Thousands have procrastinated in this way until their constitutions have been so hopelessly undermined as to make treatment of little value. The intrinsic tendency of this disease is to continue to increase. It progresses only in one direction. It never "gets well of itself," as some have imagined that it may do. Something must be done to effect a cure; and the longer treatment is delayed, the more difficult the case will become.

2. Begin the work of getting well with a fixed determination to persevere, and never to give over the struggle until success is attained, no matter how difficult may be the obstacles to be surmounted. Such an effort will rarely be unsuccessful. One of the greatest impediments to recovery from diseases of this class is the vacillating disposition of nearly all patients suffering from disorders of this character. Make up your mind what course of treatment to pursue, then adhere to it rigidly until it has received a thorough trial. Do not despair if no very marked results are seen in a week, a month, or even a longer period. The best remedies are among those which operate the most slowly.

3. Avoid watching for symptoms. Ills are greatly exaggerated by dwelling upon them. One can easily imagine himself getting worse when he is really getting better. Indeed, one can make himself sick by dwelling upon insignificant symptoms. Fix upon a course to pursue for recovery, firmly resolve to comply with every requirement necessary to insure success, and then let the mind be entirely at rest respecting the result.

4. Never consult a quack. The newspapers abound in lying advertisements of remedies for diseases of this character. Do not waste time and money in corresponding with the ignorant, unprincipled charlatans who make such false pretensions. Do not consult traveling doctors. Physicians of real merit have plenty of business at home. They are not obliged to go abroad in order to secure practice; persons who resort to this course are, without exception, pretentious quacks. Consult only some well-known and reliable physician in whom you have confidence. If your physician treats the matter lightly, and advises marriage as a means of cure, you will not judge him harshly if you decide that although he may be thoroughly competent to treat other diseases, he is ignorant of the nature and proper treatment of this. It is an unfortunate fact that there are many physicians who are not thoroughly acquainted with the nature of spermatorrhœa and the proper mode of treating the disease; hence the importance of making a judicious selection in choosing a medical adviser. It is far better to consult your family physician than to trust yourself in the hands of some one whom you do not know, and especially one who makes great pretensions to knowledge.

5. Do not despair of ever recovering from the effects of past transgression, and plunge into greater depths of sin. Persevering, skillful treatment will cure almost every case. Even the worst cases can be greatly benefited if the earnest co-operation of the patient can be secured. This is indispensable, and the patient should be so instructed at the outset of a course of treatment.

6. Every sufferer from sexual disease must make up his mind to live, during the remainder of his life, as closely in accordance with the laws of life and health as circumstances under his control will allow him to do. One who pursues this course, with a genuine regard for principle and a love for right, may confidently expect to receive the reward of obedience for his faithfulness. We would recommend such to obtain and study the best works upon hygiene, put in practice every new truth as soon as learned, and become missionaries of the saving truths of hygiene to others who are suffering from the same cause as themselves, or who may be in danger of falling into the same evil.