Sex and the Love-Life/Chapter 3
CHAPTER III
MAN'S SEXUAL NATURE
Comparison of the Male and Female. Throughout nature, with few exceptions as in the case of certain insects, the male is more aggressive and dynamic in the erotic domain than the female. In making this statement, I do not wish to imply that the female naturally is lacking in sexual feeling or sexual interest. On the contrary, these factors play as large a part in the life of woman as they do in man, but they assert themselves in a different manner.
Woman is relatively passive, but in the normal functioning of that passivity there are involved amazing potentialities within the scope of her love-life.
Woman's sexual nature, because of her biological rôle, is normally less dominated by a powerful urge that seeks specific expression, less centered upon the immediate goal of concrete sexual experience. It is more diversified and expresses itself in more general affectional channels.
Because woman's sexual feelings are less centrally conditioned, she is placed in the somewhat paradoxical position of bearing excessive gratification on the one hand, and suppression on the other, better than man. This does not mean that either excessive gratification or suppression is harmless to woman. The pathology of womankind is only too largely a history of the results of these two factors. Generally speaking, either condition has been thrust upon her by circumstances—grossly discriminating social customs and traditions—quite beyond her control.
In dealing with the pathology of man's sexual life, we find less suppression because his dynamic sexual urges have never to any considerable extent submitted to suppression, and when he has over-indulged himself sexually, he has paid a greater physiological penalty than has woman.
"Love in woman," remarked Lombroso, who is always interesting, although sometimes inaccurate, "is in its fundamental nature no more than a secondary character of motherhood, and all feelings of affection that bind woman to man arise not from sexual impulses, but from instincts, acquired by adaptation, of subordination, and of self-surrender."
Lombroso's conception of the factor of motherhood (actual or potential), as having a predominating influence on woman's amative life is correct, but his denial of the sexual character of that impulse is wrong. He considers the term "sexual" in too restricted a sense. The whole function of motherhood, and all the instincts and impulses that lead to it, and that are concerned with woman's reproductive life, are decidedly sexual.
The same authority finds proof of the comparative sexual indifference of woman and of the greater sexual need of man in the existence of prostitution, with which can be contrasted the existence only among degenerate groups of a small number of male prostitutes.
He also refers to the prevalence of the sexual psychoses in men, which are so rare in women, as an indication of the greater intensity of sexual desire in the former. In addition, he refers to a series of facts, for instance, to the occurrence of so-called platonic love, which though often hypocritical, has a real existence more often in the female sex than in the male; to the more enduring chastity of girls, and to the ready adaptation of women to polygamy, which sociologists have noted, as well as to their generally more consistent observation of monogamy.
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE MALE ORGANS
A knowledge of the structure and functions of the sex organs is essential to an understanding of the sexual question. When one is able to visualize the remarkable mechanism of the reproductive system, he will have a more wholesome respect for his sexual gifts, and a greater appreciation of their responsibilities.
Unlike the corresponding organs of the female—which are nearly entirely within the body and concealed—the penis and testes of the male are external organs.
The Penis. The penis, also called the "membrum virile," is a muscular organ composed of erectile tissue containing numerous blood vessels. An analysis of its structure discloses that it is of three parts or bodies extending lengthwise, bound together by fibrous tissue. Two of these cavernous bodies, or corpora cavernosa, constitute the major portion of the organ. They are situated above the corpus spongiosum, a spongy body. The latter has running through it the urethra, the outlet both for the urine (from the bladder), and the seminal fluid (from the reproductive glands).
The numerous small blood vessels, with which the penis is supplied, under the influence of sexual excitement, flood the organ with blood, causing it to become erect or rigid. This condition is known as an erection. Anything, therefore, that interferes with a free supply of blood to this tissue impairs the physiological function of the penis.
The Glans Penis. The conical-shaped body at the end of the penis is called the glans. This extremity is equipped with delicate nerves of sexual sensibility. There are glands on or near the inside ridge of the glans penis, the secretion of which, when proper cleanliness is not observed, tends to accumulate and become offensive, and may cause irritation or even inflammation. Boys and young men in particular should be informed of the importance of frequently bathing these parts, and if one has a long or tight foreskin, or prepuce, special attention is desirable.
The prepuce is the skin at the end of the penis which folds over the glans. When it is too long or very tight, causing the annoyance described in the preceding paragraph, a slight surgical operation, called circumcision, should be resorted to. This is a fairly common procedure, and is becoming more widely advocated as a hygienic measure. Among certain religious groups, notably the Hebrews and Mohammedans, it is a rite and traditional practice of great antiquity.
In the case of primitive man, who was practically unprotected by clothes and subjected to the hazards of the wilderness, the prepuce undoubtedly served a real purpose, but with civilized man, it is an unnecessary appendage, often a disturbing factor, and had better be removed.
The Testes. The testes, or testicles, are a pair of flat, oval-shaped bodies, about one-and-a-half inches in length, enclosed in a sac of thin muscular tissue called the scrotum. The average weight of a testicle is about half an ounce. Its function is to prepare the principle elements of the sexual secretion, or semen, of which the most vital constituents are the spermatozoa.
The testes are suspended in the scrotum by the spermatic cord, which consists of loops of muscular tissue, the vas deferens and blood vessels, all bound together by connecting tissue. Usually, the left testicle hangs a little lower than the right one, but the reverse is sometimes the case, and this is not to be considered an unfavorable condition. The veins of the cord are large and numerous and are arranged in a network called the spermatic plexus. When these veins are enlarged, the condition is known as varicocele.
The glandular tissue of the testes is composed of a number of lobules, made up of fine tubes, arranged in fibrous compartments. The fine tubes converge into larger ones, and finally emerge from the testicle by connecting with a larger coiled tube, called the epididymis. This is the beginning of the excretory duct, or outlet, of the testicles, and from this it is continued in a long single tube, the vas deferens.
During fetal life, while the unborn baby is in its mother's womb, the testes develop within the abdominal cavity, just below the kidneys. They gradually descend from this position until, at about the eighth month, they pass out of the pelvis and into the scrotum. An arrestment may occur at any point in this process of development, interfering with the descent of the testes. Or they may descend after birth. When this occurs, they usually descend in the course of the first week or two, but they may remain up in the pelvic cavity for several months before assuming their normal position.
Usually men with undescended testicles—a condition known as cryptorchidism—are sterile, although there are exceptional cases in which fertility is evinced. The sterility is due, not so much to the position of the testicles, but to the fact that when undescended they are generally imperfectly developed, and therefore do not secrete and function properly.
When one testicle only is descended—a condition known as monorchidism—the person may be as fertile and as virile as a completely normal man with two testicles in the scrotum. Undescended testes may be placed in their proper position by surgery. Sometimes the undescended testicle becomes a source of disease and its removal is desirable.
The Vas Deferens. The vas deferens is a single small tube about two feet in length, extending from the epididymis upward into the pelvic cavity, forming a long loop, coming down beside the bladder, where it is dilated into a sac-like structure called the ampulla, and finally dipping beneath the base of the bladder, connecting with the seminal vesicles. From this point it enters the prostate gland, and connects with the urethra, the exit through the penis, of both the urine and the seminal fluid.
Vasectomy is a surgical operation for the cutting or tying of the vas deferens, and of course when performed on both spermatic ducts causes complete sterility. (It is analogous to salpingectomy—the cutting or tying of the Fallopian tube—in the female.) Vasectomy is the measure used for the sterilization of confirmed criminals and the hopelessly insane in those states and countries where sterilization is legalized. It is a slight operation, and does not inconvenience or alter the mental or bodily character of the person operated upon; nor does it affect the potency of the individual.
Cowper's Glands. Cowper's glands, which are identified in the usual illustrations of the male reproductive organs, are small, rounded bodies about the size of a pea. They furnish a small quantity, amounting to about a half-dozen drops or slightly more, of a clear, sticky secretion for lubricating the glans penis preparatory to the sexual act. The Cowper's secretion also has another function. The male urethra, it will be remembered, is the outlet not only of the semen, but likewise of the urine. The latter is acid in its reaction, and as the vitality of the spermatozoa is impaired by acid of any kind, the alkaline secretion of the Cowper's glands neutralizes any acid that may remain in the urethra, thus protecting the spermatozoa in their departure from the male generative organ.
A few drops of this secretion may appear whenever there is strong and prolonged sexual excitement, even when the sex act is not contemplated. The occasional appearance of this sticky secretion, under sexual excitement, has often caused young men to worry over the occurrence when they have not known its significance. They may have been led to believe they were losing a vital fluid, as quacks allege in their lurid and misleading advertisements. They may be told they are subject to "spermatorrhea" (involuntary discharge of semen). It should therefore be emphasized that this preliminary secretion from the Cowper's glands is a natural phenomenon during sexual excitement, and is not a sign of debility or disease.
The Prostate Gland. The prostate is a muscular gland about the size of a horse chestnut, surrounding the urethra at the neck of the bladder. Its function is principally sexual, as the gland is not essential to urination.
The component muscular fibres and structures surrounding the prostate, however, assist in maintaining the closure of the bladder and in expelling the urine and seminal secretion. In a diseased state, the prostate is increased in size, and some times causes considerable inconvenience and trouble. Prostatitis is not an uncommon complaint.
That portion of the urethra which goes through the prostate is known as the prostatic urethra. This is a very important section of the channel. In it are situated nerves of urinary desire and sexual sensibility. A diseased condition of these nerves may produce, among characteristic results, increased desire to urinate, derangement of the procreative function, such as impotence, and other disturbances.
The prostatic urethra also contains the openings of the two ejaculatory ducts and prostatic ducts. There are fifteen or twenty of the latter on each side. On account of the extremely complex nature of this section of the urethra, the seriousness of gonorrheal infection of these parts, when the disease becomes deep-seated, is readily apparent. When the gonorrheal germs—gonococci—become lodged in these tissues, they are extremely difficult to eradicate, and it requires the most expert attention and prolonged, careful treatment to effect a complete cure.
The Seminal Vesicles. The seminal vesicles are a pair of lobular pouches situated below the base of the bladder. They serve as reservoirs for the seminal secretion, and also contribute a secretion of their own to increase its bulk.
The vesicles, which vary in size in different individuals, are really coiled tubes, with numerous compartments. Each vesicle has a duct which joins with the vas deferens to form the ejaculatory duct. The ejaculatory ducts are about three quarters of an inch in length, extending upward from the base of the prostate.
The Seminal Fluid. The seminal secretion, or semen, is a whitish, albuminous fluid of characteristic odor. It contains a number of elements, the most important of which are the spermatozoa. These are small, pollywog-shaped bodies, about 1/500 of an inch in length, with triangular, flattened heads and whip-like tails, upon which they depend for their power to propel themselves. When alive and healthy, they are continually in rapid motion. They can be seen only with the aid of a powerful microscope, and were first observed in 1677.
Generally speaking, male fertility depends upon the num ber and vitality of these tiny organisms. It is believed that many millions of spermatozoa are given out by a normal healthy man in an ejaculation. The semen is a mixture of secretion from three principal sources—i.e., the testicles, seminal vesicles and prostate.
From the foregoing, it will be observed that the seminal fluid, which starts from the testes, passes into the epididymis, thence through the vas deferens into the seminal vesicles to be stored up for future use. During ejaculation, it passes into the prostatic urethra through the ejaculatory ducts, and thence on its course from the penis through the urethra proper.
THE INTERNAL CHEMISTRY
The Ductless Glands. As important as is the seminal secretion, the internal secretion (hormone) is even more vital to the individual. A man may be sterile—that is, incapable of becoming a father—and still be a fine physical specimen of manhood, with an equally vigorous mentality.
A man, however, who lacks the internal sexual secretion, whether congenitally, through disease, or deprivation by surgical operation, loses the source of the physical attributes of manhood and psychic maturity.
The effect of loss of the male internal sexual secretion can best be observed on eunuchs—men who have been deprived of their testicles. Authorities who have made a special study of eunuchs declare they are generally characterized by mental inactivity, timidity, lack of enterprise, selfishness, envy, fanaticism, mysticism—a mixture of childish and neuter-sex traits. There appear to have been a few exceptions—eunuchs who have risen to positions of importance.
In any event, we know that the sexual hormone determines the shading of the characteristic masculine development or lack of it. If the hormone is deficient in quality or quantity, or is absent, the man tends toward the secondary physical attributes of the woman, with the corresponding psychic disposition. That is, he is inclined to narrow shoulders and broad hips, rounded breasts, lack of beard, layers of fat underneath the skin instead of a more muscular development, a high pitched voice, effeminate features, mannerisms and idiosyncrasies.
The internal secretion (as distinguished from the semen) of the testes is produced in the interstitial glands or tissue, meaning "spaces between." These glands are so closely interwoven with the tissue producing the external secretion (semen), that it is only in later years that they have been differentiated, although the double nature of the testes have been known for a long time—since the early experiments in castrating animals and birds.
The interstitial glands are made up of small islets of large cells held together by connective tissue and are located between the seminal fluid-producing tubes. These cells are known as the cells of Leydig, from their discoverer.
Whereas the spermatic fluid of the seminal glands is carried out of the body by way of the genito-urinary canal, the hormone of the instititial gland is poured directly into the blood.
Chemical Aspects of Sex. Glandular secretions, among other physiological factors, play a paramount rôle in the sexual life of man. It will not be denied that these secretions may be influenced by the mind—as an attitude, or state of mind, always in some degree reflects itself physiologically by acting upon the ductless glands, either by inhibiting, stimulating or modifying their action to some extent.
From this it must not be assumed that by trying to cultivate a mental attitude, for instance, centered upon celibacy, continence will be easy, or even possible in many cases, if a normal state of body and mind is to be maintained. Some of the most significant and candid self-revelations (as the "Confessions" of St. Augustine) of the tortures of sexual suppression have been given by those who have subjected themselves to long continued continence on religious grounds.
In the first place, the assumption of an arbitrary suppression of the sexual instinct by will power or force of mind on the part of strongly sexed natures is such a violation of nature's intent that it sets other internal forces at liberty which work to a contrary purpose. A terrific internal conflict results, which interferes with the individual's performance of constructive tasks. Even if he succeeds in maintaining a state of celibacy, it is often at the price of health, productiveness and mental balance.
Undersexed men, who may be considered subnormal types, physiologically, although sometimes highly endowed otherwise, will not be subjected to this tormenting stress. People of this type are frequently held up as models for normal men to pattern their conduct by. This is manifestly illogical.
Contraction of the muscles of the different organs, and the action of glandular secretions, although primarily controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, are also influenced by the spinal nerves and bodily conditions, or irritations (peripheral stimuli).
Thus, the secretion of semen in the testicles is influenced by the brain as well as by the sympathetic nervous system. Under ordinary conditions, the secretion of semen is more or less constant, but by some special irritation, either occurring within the sexual organs, or of a psychic nature, the secretion may be considerably accelerated.
This is a recognition of the interrelationship of mental and physical influences within the organism. Indulgence in erotic thoughts and in erotic conversation tends to increase the seminal secretion, which may be released either by night emission, coitus, or masturbation.
The acknowledgment of the mental factor in influencing the erotic life by no means denies the illogic of trying to suppress the normal sexual nature by the effort of mind.
Physiological and material factors also work toward the stimulation of the secreting activities of the sex glands, which will cause the mind to focus on erotic subjects. The eating of rich, highly seasoned foods and an excess of meats and other proteins, especially by people of sedentary habits, will so react upon the metabolism and physiological processes that the activity of the sex glands is stimulated.
While the relationship of the glands to the rest of the organism is clearly reciprocal—one influencing the other—the fact must not be overlooked that the glands are in one respect dominant. By this, I mean that all the characteristics, physical and mental, of the individual are predetermined by the particular glandular make-up which the individual has inherited.
This phase of glandular influence refers to the whole system of the endocrine, or ductless glands, and not merely to the sexual glands, which are but one link in the chain. The endocrine glands as a whole determine the specific type of each one's personality, the shape and growth of the skeleton, the character of the teeth, the distribution of the flesh, the color of the eyes, hair and complexion, and numerous other phases of our physiological being.
This includes, of course, our sexual type, and determines whether one is inherently of a strong, passionate sexual na ture, moderately constituted in this sphere, or subnormal. All of these conditions are subject to various degrees of modification by the countless influences that come into our lives, but none of these can change the inherent type of our personality.
Dr. Llewellyn F. Barker, of Johns Hopkins University, First President of the Association for the Study of Internal Secretions, has summed this thought up in the following words:
"More and more we are forced to realize that the general form and external appearance of the human body depends, to a large extent, upon the functioning, during the early developmental period, of the endocrine glands. Our stature, the kind of face we have, the length of our arms and legs, the shape of the pelvis, the color and consistency of the integument (the skin), the quality and regional location of subcutaneous fat, the tonicity of our muscles, the sound of the voice, the size of the larynx, the emotions to which our exterior gives expression, all are to a certain extent conditioned by the proclivity of our glands of internal secretion."
On account of the importance of the endocrine system, the influence of which we have been describing, it will be desirable to name the principal units, in addition to the sex glands. They are as follows:
Thyroid, located at the frontal base of the neck, astride the windpipe, near the larynx. Its secretion has been named thyroxin. It is particularly concerned with energy production.
Parathyroids, four tiny glands about the size of a wheat grain, situated near the tips of the thyroid. They control the lime metabolism in the body, and influence the excitability of nerve and muscle.
Pituitary, a small gland, situated at the base of the brain, behind the root of the nose. It is divided into two parts, anterior and posterior. The secretion of the former regulates the skeletal growth of the body, while the secretion of the latter (pituitrin), controls the tone of the nerve cells, the involuntary muscles, the brain and sex organs, etc.
Adrenals (or suprarenals), two duplex glands, shaped like a cocked hat, set astride the kidneys. The outer portion of each gland is called the cortex, and the inner portion the medulla, or core. The secretion of the adrenals is called adrenin, or adrenalin. These are the glands of combat, and control energy production to meet emergencies. They are the physiological source of "second-wind."
Thymus, the "gland of childhood," is located in the chest, astride the windpipe. Its function in childhood seems to be to prevent too rapid growth and too early maturity of the organism. With the approach of adolescence it atrophies.
Pineal, a cone-shaped gland in the head, behind and above the pituitary. Its secretion is believed to influence sex and brain development, puberty and adolescence.
Pancreas ("sweetbreads"), located within the abdomen near the solar plexus. It produces both an internal and external secretion. Its internal secretion is insulin, which has received much publicity in connection with the treatment of diabetes. The function of the pancreas is the control ⟨of⟩ sugar from the liver. Atrophy or improper functioning ⟨of⟩ this gland, preventing the storage of sugar in the liver, ⟨making⟩ it impossible for the body to burn up blood sugar ⟨(glycogen)⟩ for its energy. This is the condition known as diabetes. It has been compared to a leaking coal bin, which deprives the furnace of sufficient fuel to generate the steam required to run the engine.
Nocturnal Emissions. With the oncoming of adolescence and the rapid progress toward maturity of the sexual life, the generative organs begin their period of activity. The seminal secretion already referred to, is now produced, finally creating a tension which results normally in a periodic, involuntary discharge of the fluid during sleep. These discharges are called nocturnal, or night, emissions. Colloquially, they are often referred to as "wet dreams." They usually begin around the age of fifteen or sixteen, although there may be some variation either way. If an emission occurs very early, or at the onset of puberty, the amount of fluid discharged will be small. In a fully developed man leading a continent life, it may be copious.
Because of the general lack of understanding of sexual questions, these emissions have been greatly misunderstood, and the first experience of this kind has frightened many a boy. Furthermore, the quite regular occurrence of the emissions has a tendency to make some boys and young men anxious and melancholy, as they have a feeling that these a episodes may be the result of some error in their conduct, or signify a sexual derangement.
The young man may wake up in the night and for the ⟨first⟩ time find that he has had an emission from the sexual ⟨organs⟩. If he is unprepared for the event, the discharge of ⟨the⟩ sticky secretion will undoubtedly frighten him, and may ⟨become⟩ a source of worry that will be extremely depressing.
If forewarned of the occurrence, however, he will immediately recognize it as a definite sign of approaching manhood, and instead of feeling alarmed, will rest reassured and content in the knowledge of his new status of evolving manhood that this event implies. It is the worrying over the situation which causes depletion of vitality, loss of appetite and a general feeling of ineffectiveness.
While the more widespread dissemination of sexual enlightenment during the first quarter of the twentieth century has helped the young man to understand his sexual problems, there must be countless numbers of boys and young men who have not been adequately informed on this subject.
Quacks, under the guise of so-called "specialists" in men's diseases, have made the most of these occurrences by advertising to cure "lost manhood," "nervous debility," etc. The cunningly written advertisements have been deliberately worded to refer to nocturnal emissions, and have secretly terrified many an uninformed youth who has associated the extravagantly illuminated and misrepresented symptoms with his own experience.
The young man may be assured that occasional emissions at night, ordinarily two or three a month, are perfectly natural and may be expected. There is, however, some variation in the frequency of the discharges and they may occur either more or less often than the average of twice or three times a month. Too frequent night emissions are apt to be weakening, and indicate that the youth is perhaps too preoccupied with erotic fancies, or is injudicious in his diet.
Eating heavily of proteins—eggs, meats, game, fish, etc., and rich, heavy foods, will cause an increased amount of secretion, and necessarily, of course, a more frequent relieving of the tension by an emission. The diet might be modified by cutting down the meats, eggs, and other proteins, and eating more liberally of fruits and fresh, green vegetables. This will also promote the activity of the bowels, a healthy token in general.
If the young man permits himself to dwell upon erotic fancies or sexual thoughts, this is apt to reflect itself in erotic dreams often accompanied by an emission. The too frequent occurrence of the nocturnal discharge will impress the thoughtful youth with the advisability of revising his mental habits, turning them into channels less erotic or sexual in character. This mental reorientation is best accomplished by directing the thoughts into broader, impersonal fields, and engaging in physical and manual activities, athletic pursuits, etc.
One should not sleep on his back, as this position is conducive to emissions, particularly when the bladder is distended, causing it to press against the seminal vesicles.
Other predisposing causes are alcoholic drinks, sleeping in too warm beds, lack of cleanliness of the penis, hemorrhoids, and intestinal worms.
There are some men seemingly virile and leading continent lives who appear to have no night emissions. At least they have no actual discharge of semen, but whether the actual secretion escapes in a more subtle and inconspicuous way, cannot positively be stated. It is possible that a man who is not strongly sexed may secrete the seminal fluid very slowly, and it may be absorbed or eliminated in small quantities during urination. So if a man is otherwise normal and healthy, and does not consciously experience nocturnal discharges, it is no cause for alarm.
Diurnal, or day, emissions are sometimes experienced instead of night discharges. When they occur, it is usually a reflex mechanical process, taking place at the time of bowel evacuation, and perhaps caused by the muscular action of the pelvic regions upon the vesicles. This form of emission is comparatively uncommon, but is of the same significance as the nocturnal variety, and should occasion no concern, unless it takes place too frequently.
MAN'S "CHANGE OF LIFE"
The phenomenon of a "change of life" is not commonly associated with the man. This event has been considered quite the exclusive experience of the woman. There is no question, however, that between the ages, approximately, of forty-five and fifty-five, man enters another epoch of life, and that every side of his personality reflects in some degree the change that takes place.
Dr. Bernard Hollander,[1] the prominent English neurologist, remarked that "Nervous symptoms are also common when men appoach middle age, and, like women, undergo the 'change of life.'"
In the majority of cases, these changes occur so gradually that they are hardly perceptible. Nevertheless, there are profound constitutional changes taking place, which react both on mind and body, second only to those that occur at the epoch of puberty.
It might be said that this period is one of preparation for senescence—as puberty is one of preparation for the cycle of vigorous manhood which normally follows. Senescence, however, does not necessarily mean that beginning with the sixth decade, man is doomed to a profitless and uninteresting final span of life. At least this is not essentially so, although economic conditions are not generally favorable to the welfare of a great majority of people who have passed their prime.
The period of a man's life after sixty, whether it happens to be long or short, offers many possibilities for rich and vital experience, in some respects surpassed by no other stage of life. The important thing is to maintain sufficient contacts with life, to keep the viewpoint fresh and receptive, and the mind clear and active.
Fresh air, sunshine and mild exercise will help the body and preserve the vitality, and even the state of mind will reflect itself in a general constitutional way. So in every sense it is necessary to keep from mental stagnation which so many people settle into at the period of life we are discussing, and the stage immediately preceding it.
With reference to this period, Dr. Hollander states: "One of the chief constitutional symptoms is a tired condition, often implying an instinctive feeling that work, exertion, and effort are not always entirely worth the doing. Physiologically and psychologically, energizing by itself is no longer felt to be so necessary. The tired feeling often leads to a lowering in the desires and ideals. Pleasures that cost little and imply small exertion are preferred to pleasures of the higher sort that need some strenuousness to attain them. Bad habits begin to show their cumulative effects, and the recovery after indiscretions is less certain and slower. There is a slackening of the intellectual powers with inability to concentrate the attention, and diminished energy. The intellectual processes are both retarded and more difficult. There is no longer the same initiative and inspiration and former concentration. In intellectual workers the imaginative power is diminished, hence it is difficult for them to originate new work. In consequence, they become dissatisfied with their occupation and lose self-confidence."
These symptoms and characteristics are not given as indications of senility, but of man's "change of life." It might be inferred from Dr. Hollander's statement that these tendencies are the inevitable consequences of that stage of life.
I believe it can be demonstrated, however, that they are often the effects of erroneous modes of life, rather than normal characteristics. Only too often men permit themselves throughout their whole adult life to fall into slovenly mental habits. They have had closed minds from the beginning, largely because of petty educational and social influences, which have prejudiced them against any ideas that do not come within the pale of the prevailing stereotyped notions which they have embraced.
With these conditions, it is only natural that the average man at this period, when there is the beginning of a decline in his constitutional vigor, should rapidly lose what capacity he has had for tasting the fruits of intellectual adventure.
The mind in these stagnating circumstances might be compared to the muscles of the body that have become weak and flabby through lack of exercise. The mental processes have long since lost their plasticity and capacity for functioning except in the most circumscribed orbit, and even here the mental powers soon feel the blighting shadows creeping over them.
PERIOD OF SEXUAL DECLINE
There is normally a decline in sexual potency and desire at the male climacteric, although by no means is it to be inferred that the powers of sex are seriously disturbed at this period. They should last for many years longer, but there is not the same sexual robustness that prevailed at the high-tide of masculine vigor. This is natural, and is based on solid biological grounds. In the realm of nature generally, the male by this time has exercised his biological function as a progenitor of his kind and has made his contribution to the continuance of the race.
However, it is not unusual for a man to become obsessed with worry over his diminished potency, and sexual hypochondria is by no means rare. It sometimes happens, too, that concomitant with the diminishing of the sexual powers, there is an increase in desire which so often results in a neurosis.
This is particularly true of the Don Juan who has poured his passions prolifically upon the fires of Venus' altar, and in the twilight of his sexual activity the glowing embers of past memories inflame and mock his lusts, which he lacks the potency to feed. When the Don Juan finds himself in the throes of impotence, the burden of his lamentation is "Oh, for a month, a week, a day of my youth!"
As the normal reproductive period of life has been passed, the climacteric for both sexes may be considered the stage of readaptation of the bodily machinery to a more modified functional activity.
The physical activities from this time on for men used to strenuous effort, should be modified to conform to these changed constitutional conditions. This is by no means an argument for an inactive life, or for a sudden change from former physical habits when they are energizing and not harmful, but it is simply an admonition to avoid extremes.
In the realm of mental activities, the conditions are somewhat different. If a man has kept himself intellectually active, there need be no perceptible diminution in the intellectual output. As a matter of fact, the mental processes should be running at their maximum degree of efficiency. If constructive mental habits have been cultivated, intellectual work should be performed with greater ease, with the minimum of effort, and it is conscious effort, whether physical, mental or emotional, which tires, rather than activity which is performed largely by subconscious processes under the guidance of orderly mental habit.
It cannot be emphasized too strongly that variety of mental occupation, and an active interest in many things, do more than anything else to keep the mind clear and agile, and ward off the torpor so often associated with senescence, or even middle age.
When mental and intellectual impairment is involved at this period, it is almost invariably a reflection of physiological weakness. When this takes place, it is a great deal more difficult to restore the bodily vigor than at the high-tide of manhood.
- ↑ Nervous Disorders of Men, London, 1916.