In many schools and academies masturbation and vice are actually cultivated. At present much too little attention is given to the mental and moral peculiarities of the pupils. If only the tasks are done, nothing more is asked. That many pupils are thus ruined in body and soul is never considered. In obedience to affected prudery, the vita sexualis is veiled from the developing youth, and not the slightest attention given to the excitations of his sexual instinct. How few family physicians are ever called in, during the years of development of children, to give advice to their patients that are often so greatly predisposed!
It is thought that all must be left to Nature; in the meantime, Nature rises in her power, and leads the helpless, unprotected innocent into dangerous by-paths.
A more detailed treatment of this prophylactic side of the subject is impossible here.[1]
To parents and teachers, the experiences detailed in this work, and numerous scientific works on masturbation, give suggestions.
The lines of treatment, when contrary sexual instinct exists, are the following:—
1. Prevention of onanism, and removal of other influences injurious to the vita sexualis.
2. Cure of the neurosis (neurasthenia sexualis and universalis) arising out of the unhygienic conditions of the vita sexualis.
3. Mental treatment, in the sense of combating homo-sexual, and encouraging hetero-sexual, feelings and impulses.
The most important part of the treatment lies in fulfilling the third indication, particularly with reference to onanism.
Only in very few cases, where acquired contrary sexual
- ↑ With reference to prophylaxis, the following words, which were written to me by the subject of Case 88 of the sixth edition, are noteworthy: “If it were only possible that—not as among the Spartans, where the weaklings were allowed to perish for the sake of perfect selection, in accordance with the Darwinian idea—our contrary sexual instincts might be recognized early in youth; and if it were only possible that, at this time of life, the worst of all diseases could be cured by suggestion! Probably cure could be more easily effected in youth than later.”
