Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/568

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a man's physical embrace. That is' to say, chaste women have not. The virtuous Uraniad is not always well acquainted with herself; her real sexualism may be quite unknown. Uranians have more opportunity to discern their homosexualism. On the other hand, emotional stress for an Uraniad who marries, or who is separated from a beloved feminine partner when the latter marries, is less often concretely tragic. Her sex-nature is likely to be shallower. Women lack the courage for suicide oftener 'than men: they are more subject to religious scruples, they are not willing to quit their children, and they dread scandal more—even if it is to be post mortem. Again, when married to a Dionysian, the influences of male coitus are often strong on the Uraniad. She becomes indeed "cured;" she grows truly feminine in her vita sexualis—as we have already pointed out in this book. "To marry, and to become a mother" is a common advice of confidential medical advisers of similisexual women, older or younger. Incontestably it is often valuable, far more so than any similar counsel given to the philarrene.

But not always. An example communicated in "Psychopathia Sexualis," by Dr. von Krafft-Ebing, is this:

"Mrs. R— thirty-five years old, of upper station in life, was brought to me for a consultation at her husband's request. Mrs. R— was of a nervous but normal family-stock. Her childhood was not of special illness, except headaches. She received a careful moral education, and showed special talent for music and languages. She became a governess and a teacher. She has always felt sexual sympathy for her own sex, and her interest in men has been at the most simply intellectual. She has never liked female work, and when a girl, preferred to play about with boys. At 27, she was much depressed and ill, having dark ideas, insomnia during five months. At 28 she entered into a sexual intimacy with a lady four years her junior, and felt a love that was adoration. The intercourse lasted five years, till the marriage (an unhappy one) of this friend occurred. After long deliberation, she now decided to marry her present husband, admiring his character, and because of his wealth and of his love for her. The result has been unfortunate.

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