§ 106
There is much discussion among physicians as to the harm that may be done to the husband’s constitution by the practice of Karezza. But while the physicians and scientists are weighing the possibilities of physical harm to the constitution of the husband by this method of accomplishing psychically what surgeons do with the knife, there can be no doubt of the extraordinary psychic advantage of the procedure, an advantage which, considering the well known but little used influence of the mind over the body, may easily exceed any physical disadvantage.
The physical side of it is discussed by Dr. Robie, who thinks that undesirable effects are produced by it, if it is continued long enough to cause any of the disadvantages he mentions. The practice can be stopped or interrupted at any time. The husband can control it perfectly so as to have exactly as much external secretion as he finds he needs for his greatest health.
And no matter how old he may become in years, up to the threescore and ten, at any rate, he will have no need to give up for any fancied advantage to himself his love episodes with his wife.
Karezza then while possibly unnecessary, or moderately undesirable for young and vigorous men, may be a most salutary procedure for middle-aged and older men, whereby they may preserve in themselves the functioning of the interstitial gland, continuing its valuable internal secretions that are stopped by complete abstinence.
Describing Karezza as the husband’s reserving his own erotic acme is not psychologically accurate. As has been before stated the acme nevertheless takes place, not physically through the sudden ejaculation of the external secretions, but psychically through the indescribable emotional exaltation on his part following the demonstration of his control, a control which evokes an altogether unprecedented response from his wife.
He soon learns to value this response and his own power, which enables him to evoke it, as the greatest accomplishment of his life, one compared with which the egoistic-social emoluments and distinctions are as nothing, a power of control greater than any other in the world in its good results, a power of control which once exercised over one person gives the possessor of the power the same or similar influence over others.