excitement occurs, occasioned by pruritus; and also in cases where there is neuropathic taint. Magnan (Annales médico-psychol., 1885, p. 157) reports the case of a lady who was afflicted mornings with attacks of frightful erethismus genitalis, and the case of a man, aged 55, who was tormented at night by unbearable priapism. In each case there was a neurosis.
The central origin of sexual excitement is of frequent occurrence[1] in persons having neurotic taint or hysteria, and in conditions of psychical exaltation. Here, where the cortex and the psycho-sexual centre are in a condition of hyperæsthesia (abnormal excitability of the imagination, increased ease of association), not only visual and tactile impressions, but also auditory and olfactory sensations, may be sufficient to call up lascivious concepts.
Magnan (op. cit.) reports the case of a young woman who had an increasing sexual desire from puberty, and satisfied it by masturbation. Gradually she grew to become sexually excited at the sight of any man pleasing to her; and, since she was unable to control herself, she would sometimes shut herself up in a room until the storm had passed. At last she gave herself up to men of her choice, that she might get rest from her tormenting desire; but neither coitus nor masturbation brought relief, and she went to an asylum.
The case of a mother of five children is added, who, in despair about her inordinate sexual impulse, attempted suicide, and then sought an asylum. There her condition improved, but she never trusted herself to leave it.
There are several illustrative cases in men and women in the author’s article, “On Certain Anomalies of Sexual Instinct,” Cases 6 and 7 (Archiv für Psychiatrie, vii, 2); Cases 3 and 5 are given here.
- ↑ In individuals in whom intense sexual hyperæsthesia is associated with acquired irritable weakness of the sexual apparatus, it is possible that simply at the sight of a pleasing female figure, without peripheral irritation of the genitals, not only the mechanism of erection, but also that of ejaculation, may be excited to action from the psycho-sexual centre. For such individuals, all that is necessary to induce orgasm, or even ejaculation, is to imagine themselves in a sexual situation with a female that sits opposite them in railway-coupé or drawing-room. Hammond (op. cit., p. 40) describes several cases of this kind that came to him for treatment for impotence that followed; and he mentions that these individuals used the term “ideal coitus” for the act. Dr. Moll, of Berlin, told me of a similar case; and in this instance the same designation was chosen for the act.
