CHAPTER XXIX
In this age of commerce, of telegraphs, and of the press, the rôle which the sexual life plays before the public eye is notably greater than it used to be. From very early times, indeed, sexual matters formed the principal constituent of the chronique scandaleuse, but it was not then possible to disseminate such scandals by means of daily newspapers, as it is now so easy to do. In three forms at the present day the sexual life attains publicity: in the form of an unscrupulous quackery; in the form of newspaper advertisements relating to the sexual life; and in the form of sexual scandals diffused by means of the press. We propose to refer briefly to the principal aspects of all three, and we shall find that they are, for the most part, of an unpleasant character.
According to the well-known saying that hunger and love rule the world, quackery has from its very earliest beginnings concerned itself by preference with the provinces of disorders of digestion and of sexual troubles; and especially in respect of the latter have its developments been so astounding—in fact, there appears to be nothing else which gives such instructive information regarding the possibilities of human folly, depravity, and superstition. When we regard the history of quackery and medical charlatanry of all times,[765] we discern beyond question the justice of the assertion that “quackery is identical with the diffusion of sexual vice and of fornication.” These relationships of quackery to the sexual life and to sexual crime have recently had a vivid light thrown upon them by C. Reissig[766] and C. Alexander.[767]
Reissig deals more especially with the “immoral practices of many magnetizers, lay hypnotizers, and similar individuals, who, under the pretence of giving help to the sick, seek and find opportunity for the gratification of all kinds of immoral lusts”; and he gives characteristic examples of these practices. Police reports have shown that numerous masseuses and male quacks, who commonly appear under the high-sounding names of “professor,” “director,” “hygienologist,” “magnetopath,” etc., and who profess to treat “secret diseases” or “diseases of women,” are in reality concerned with abortion mongering, the production of artificial sexual excitement, and the provision of human material for the gratification of perverse lusts. Who does not know the ominous words, “Rat und Hilfe!” (“Advice and help!”)? Under the mantle of quackery the worst kinds of immorality are practised. Thus, Alexander (op. cit., p. 48) speaks of an “ear specialist” who, paving the way by gigantic advertisements in the local papers, travelled from place to place, nominally in order to relieve “defects of hearing,” but who in reality utilized his opportunities in order to make immoral attempts upon young girls (Glatz Assizes, July 10, 1896). The “magnetizer” M—— hypnotized young girls, and then violated them; another examined the genital organs when professing to treat ear troubles, and carried out improper manipulations. In an article, “Serene Highness’s Quackery,” in the Aerztliche Vereinsblatt, No. 418, August, 1900, Dr. Reissig reports that “to Her Serene Highness the Princess Maria von Rohan in Salzburg” it appears to be a sacred duty to bear witness to the joiner (!) Kuhne, in Leipzig, under date November 9, 1889, that his sexual friction baths (!) “had proved to be of inestimable value, and had had a wonderful effect,” and she felt impelled “to recommend to physicians the most careful examination and trial of this new method of cure.”
The treatment of “secret diseases,”[768] in the hands of quacks, does incredible harm; and the same is true of the uncleanly and dangerous practices of “masseuses” and of professional abortion-mongers. Closely connected with quackery is the trade in sexual nostrums and in other articles of immoral use.[769] This trade is occupied in the manufacture and public recommendation of “sexual articles” of every kind: aphrodisiacs; “protective articles”; various celebrated measures for the relief of “sexual weakness,” infertility, pollutions, lack of voluptuous sensation, etc. The artificial sterilization, not of women, but of men, by means of Roentgen rays is recommended.[770] The newspapers overflow with advertisements recommending all these articles. Beneath the aliases of “chiromancy” and “astrology,” sexual quackery also lies concealed. It allures its clients chiefly by means of newspaper advertisements.
Newspaper advertisements for sexual purposes are not more than 200 years old. Their oldest and most harmless form was that of matrimonial advertisements, the first two of which appeared on July 19, 1695, in the Collection for the Improvement of Husbandry and Trade, published by Houghton, the father of English advertising.[771] These two remarkable and historical advertisements run as follows:
A gentleman, thirty years of age, who says that he has considerable property, would be glad to marry a young lady with property amounting to about £3,000. He will make a suitable settlement.
A young man, twenty-five years of age, with a good business, and whose father is prepared to give him £1,000, would be glad to make a suitable marriage. He has been brought up by his parents as a dissenter, and is a sober man.
We see that from the very outset matrimonial advertisements did not forget the punctum saliens, which I need not specify.[772] All, down to those of the present day, are alike. The only difference is that, in addition to these “money marriages,” advertisements of “nominal marriages” and also of “marriages for position” appear freely in the papers. The majority of matrimonial advertisements are inserted for mercenary or interested purposes, and really belong to the category of “immoral advertisements,” which conceal themselves under all possible titles. I give a short classification of some of the commonest immoral advertisements, and append some actual advertisements of each kind taken from leading German and Austrian newspapers.
1. Loan Advertisements.—In most cases a “young,” “smart” lady begs an older gentleman for a loan, or vice versa, a young man directs the same request to a “lady belonging to the best circles.” Frequently also it is a “lady living alone,” “a young widow,” or a “recently married woman,” who, “without the knowledge of her husband,” and “in temporary want of money,” seeks a “helper.” Almost invariably the need and the marriage are fictitious. These are in most cases the advertisements of secret prostitutes, of a similar character to the advertisements of masseuses. The following advertisement must otherwise be interpreted:
What noble-minded lady would be willing to lend, to a young, widely-travelled engineer, the sum of 12,000 marks [£600], for six months, on good security?
2. Acquaintanceship Advertisements, Friendship Advertisements, and Employment Advertisements.—These may be divided into the two classes of heterosexual and homosexual advertisements. Examples of the former are the following:
A young widow, twenty-seven years of age, desires friendly intercourse with a man of position, who will assist her with word and deed.
A young stranger desires acquaintanceship (!) to relieve her of a temporary difficulty.
A merchant, a man of middle age, desires the acquaintanceship of a good-looking lady (a slender figure preferred), for the purpose of friendly intercourse.
The following advertisements have a more or less definite homosexual note:
A well-placed young lady, nearing the age of thirty, desires an honourable, trustworthy lady friend.
A cultured lady of middle age desires a ladies’ club.
A well-placed elderly gentleman desires friendly intercourse with a young man.
A young merchant, between twenty and thirty years of age, desires friendly intercourse with a young man of good family.
A young lady, a stranger to the town, desires a lady friend; apply by letter to “Lesbos” at the office of this paper.[773]
A newspaper, now defunct, which formerly appeared in Munich, characterized by homosexual “psychologico-erosophical” tendencies, entitled Der Seelenforscher (edited by August Fleischmann), appears to have laid itself open to such advertisements. In No. 11 of the second year of issue, November, 1903, I find the following distinctive advertisements:
A young vigorous (!) man, a Swiss, twenty-four years of age, well recommended, desires a situation with a gentleman living alone.
A young man, twenty years of age, of agreeable appearance, with an honourable and ideal mind, desires a position as correspondent or companion in the house of a well-to-do, even if elderly, gentleman.
A wealthy, talented uranian young man desires the patronage of a noble well-to-do urning.
A good, affectionate, and bright young man, who at the present time is in an official position, desires to find a well-to-do, kind-hearted, and lonely gentleman, to whom he could be a true life-companion, and to whom, until the end of his life, he would give true affection. He would faithfully fulfil all his duties.[774]
The numerous advertisements, also, in which young girls and women, or widows, desire “positions” as housekeepers, companions, etc., in the houses of “well-to-do” gentlemen “living alone” have, as a rule, an immoral basis.
3. Advertisements regarding Correspondence.—These also form a permanent constituent of the advertisements of the daily papers, and serve in part the aims of prostitution or of assignations for sexual intercourse, but in part really aim at an exchange of more or less erotic letters, as is obviously the case in respect of the following advertisements:
Young cultured man desires a stimulating (!) correspondence with a young lady.
Young lady desires to enter into correspondence with a lady of good position, with similar ideas.
4. Advertisements of Rooms.—Among these advertisements, we find that of the “convenient room” or the room “with a separate entrance”—the “storm-free diggings” of the student. Such rooms are usually offered to men; women must seek them for themselves, as in the following advertisement:
A lady artist desires a well-furnished convenient room, with bath-room and piano, as an only tenant.
The advertisements regarding rooms to be let “during the day” mostly refer to opportunities for fornication (“houses of accommodation”).
5. Pseudo-Educational Advertisements.—Here also there is a form of advertisement which enables us without difficulty to recognize their true purpose—for example:
A young Englishwoman gives stimulating instruction.
Jeune Française, gaie (!), bien recomm. qui enseigne de méthode facile et rapide, donne des léçons.
Very frequent are announcements of sadistic or masochistic “instruction,” in which the “energy” or “imposing appearance” of the instructor or instructress is emphasized, or in which the word “discipline” is displayed in a significance which cannot be misunderstood.
6. Rendezvous and Postilion d’Amour Advertisements.—These subserve the appointment of lovers, often adulterous lovers; but also the opening up of acquaintanceship. Examples:
Veronika.
To-day unfortunately prevented, therefore 21st.
“Wireless Telegraphy.”
Best thanks for dear letter. Drive to-day. A thousand kisses.—L.
“Good Report.”
A letter will be found addressed to “Sophie G.,” post restante, Vienna, I/1, principal post-office.
M.S.A.
To-day, 4. Please bring news. Most intimate.—K. D. D.
A. 15.
Je n’oublie pas et j’espère.
Very frequent also are requests from male advertisers, addressed to ladies they have chanced to meet in the railway, electric tram, etc., asking where the latter may live. These advertisements give a description of the appearance, costume, time, and place of the first meeting, and beg the lady to give her address “in confidence,” or to come to some specified place of meeting. A very large number of letters addressed post restante are of an erotic nature, and belong to this category.
7. Private Inquiries.—Under this heading persons advertise in the newspapers that for an honorarium (usually a very high one) they will undertake to watch secretly any desired person—and almost invariably such watching relates to the sexual life and activity of the person under observation; when employed, they use all the methods of the most unscrupulous detective. These individuals play a principal part in divorce proceedings, and in conjugal quarrel based upon jealousy; they are a cancer of our time[775] which cannot be too energetically suppressed. A detective advertisement of this character is the following:
Private Inquiry.
Confidential! Enlightening! Unfailing! Truthful! Universal! Extraordinarily satisfactory conjugal inquiries; mode of life, family relationships, liaisons, peculiarities of character, occupations, present condition, past misconduct, future prospects, state of property, secret intercourse, etc., etc.
8. Advertisements relating to Sexual Perversions.—We have already referred to homosexual advertisements. An even more important part is played by sadistic and masochistic advertisements, which usually appear under the cloak of “massage,” “instruction,” or of an “energetic” person. Examples:
Masoch. Who is interested in this matter? Address “Kismet,” office of this paper.
Widow of noble birth, middle-aged, energetic, desires position in the house of a gentleman of standing, as reader, or in some other capacity.
Cabinet de massage, par dame diplômée, hydrothérapie. Mme. D., 82, Rue Blanche.
Massage suédois, par dame diplômée, tous les jours de 10 à 8 heures.
Madame Martinet, leçons de maintien....
Monsieur dés. gouvernante gr. et forte, 40 a. sévère pour educ. enfant diffic. A. B. p.r. Amiens.
Energetic distinguished lady, in temporary need, wishes to receive a considerable loan, but will meet only the actual lender.
Severin is seeking his Wanda!
A young man begs 30 marks from a lady. “Sacher Masoch,” Post Office, Köpenickerstrasse.
Even fetichistic advertisements sometimes appear, such as the following, from a shoe fetichist:
A young man of means buys for his private collection elegant shoes, which have been worn by leading actresses, or by ladies of high rank.
9. Handbills.—In large towns these are distributed by persons standing at the street corners, and usually relate to restaurants with women attendants. One example will suffice:
The Restaurant of the Good-Natured Saxon Girl.
The attendants at this restaurant are young and pretty girls from Saxony; Miss Elly waits at the bar. Piano-playing and singing. Your kind patronage is requested by The Young Hostess.
“Chiromantists,” magnetopaths, and other charlatans, advertise themselves by means of street handbills. In the Latin countries, and more especially in Paris, true “brothel guides” stand at the street corners, and conduct the passers-by to improper dramatic representations, or provide for them children for fornicatory purpose, or invite them to homosexual intercourse, etc.
The third form under which the sexual life makes a public appearance is that of the great scandals and sensational occurrences with a sexual background, which are discussed by the press. I allude here, without attempting completeness, to murders and suicides arising from jealousy, from rejected love, or from love unsuccessful for some other reason—occurrences which afford sufficient proof that individual falling in love in our own time is just as violent and passionate as it was formerly; further, to abduction and seduction; to divorce scandals and divorce proceedings; in general, to all law-court proceedings relating to sexual offences; to duels dependent upon erotic motives; to family tragedies upon a similar basis; to the great procuress trials; to the discovery of secret sexual clubs and of erotic orgies; to revelations from nunneries and from secular institutions; to the exploits of swindlers, who very frequently make use of sexual passion in others to assist them in their pursuit of plunder, etc. Examples of all these varieties of scandals and sensational occurrences are found day by day in the newspapers. Very frequently, on account of the very nature of sexual psychology, they exercise a suggestive influence, so that we often hear of similar occurrences at brief intervals. If we assume the existence of psychical contagion, there is no doubt that these sensational newspaper reports play a far greater part therein than the whole of the so-called erotic literature.
[765] Cf. the valuable historical and critical monograph of Professor Wilhelm Ebstein, “Charlatanry and Quackery in the German Empire” (Stuttgart, 1905).
[766] C. Reissig, “Medical Science and Quackery,” p. 114 et seq. (Leipzig, 1900).
[767] C. Alexander, “The True and the False Healing Art,” pp. 46-49 (Berlin, 1899).
[768] Cf. C. Alexander, “Venereal Diseases and Quackery,” published in the “Reports of the German Society for the Suppression of Venereal Diseases,” 1902-1903, vol. i., Nos. 6 and 7; Hennig, “Venereal Diseases and Quackery,” op. cit., No. 7; “Petition of the German Society for the Suppression of Venereal Diseases to the German Imperial Chancellor, regarding the Injury done to Venereal Patients by Quacks,” op. cit., No. 7.
[769] Cf. the work of H. Beta, which is still of value in relation to present conditions, “The Trade in Sexual Nostrums and Other Articles of Immoral Use, as advertised in the Daily Press” (Berlin, 1872), at which early date we find mention of the “hygienologist,” Jakobi, the Nestor of the Berlin quacks.
[770] Cf. W. Ebstein, op. cit., p. 46.
[771] Cf. the complete history of matrimonial advertisements which is given in my “Sexual Life in England,” vol. i., pp. 140-159 (Charlottenburg, 1901).
[772] “Proputty, proputty, proputty—that’s what I ’ears ’em saäy.”—Translator.
[773] Cf. Paul Näcke, “Newspaper Advertisements by Female Homosexuals,” published in the Archives for Criminal Anthropology, edited by Hans Gross, 1902, vol. x., pp. 225-229 (taken from Munich newspapers).
[774] Cf. Paul Näcke, “Supply of and Demand for Homosexuals in the Newspapers,” published in the Archives for Criminal Anthropology, 1902, vol. viii., pp. 319-350.
[775] Cf. also the account of these detectives given in the essay “The Love-Market,” published in “Roland von Berlin,” No. 45, of November 8, 1906. In this case, a jealous young woman offered 1,500 marks (£75) in order to have her husband “watched” by such a detective.
CHAPTER XXX
PORNOGRAPHIC LITERATURE AND ART
“Wer will das Höchste aus Wollust machen, der krönt ein Schwein in wüster Lache.” [“He who devotes his talents to the glorification of lust is like one who crowns a pig in the midst of a dismal swamp.”]—Hans Burgkmair.