Love: A Treatise on the Science of Sex-attraction / for the use of Physicians and Students of Medical Jurisprudence

by Bernard Simon Talmey

The hunger for food, manifested already by the new-born baby,[T] is based upon the instinct of the preservation of the individual, the sex-urge, manifested by youths and maidens at the time of puberty, before they have ever experienced any copulative libido, is based upon the instinct of the preservation of the species. The active principle of the mind, which is energetically devoted to the gratification of the sensual desire and the state of mind which is constantly yearning to satisfy the sensual want, are the promptings of this instinct. They exist at this early period independent of all experience. The absorbing feeling which seeks the consummation of its purpose, as well as the selection of the means to be employed, is not based upon previous experience. They are internal, unconscious messages which give rise to the conscious impulses, without waiting for the external stimuli which, later on, coöperate with the impulse to affect the nervous centres.

The conscious impulses, composing the sexual instinct, are, according to Moll, the impulse of contrectation, or the desire to effect a real or a virtual contact with an individual of the opposite sex, and the impulse of detumescence, or the desire to effect a certain material and nervous discharge. Any inclination, to become an impulse, must possess two qualities: it must move the individual to commit an act in which logic and calculation have no part; and secondly, while committing the act, the individual must be conscious of its immediate aim. The two component impulses of the sex-instinct possess these two qualities. They are unreasoning promptings to actions, the end of which is present in the individual’s consciousness.

Impulse of contrectation.—The impulse of contrectation is the conscious desire of the individual to obtain a contact with an individual of the opposite sex, if possible by the tactile sense proper; if not, at least, by the visual or aural senses, or by the imagery, by looking at a comely individual of the other sex, by listening to its voice, or by thinking of the person. This impulse is at the basis of the lovers’ desire to caress and fondle each other. This impulse is entirely distinct from the desire for sensual conjugation. It is found in children who have as yet no knowledge of sex. An individual may have the wish to touch an individual of the opposite sex, as for instance, in a public conveyance or at a dance, without any thought of sex-congress, and where sensual conjugation is entirely out of the question.

During the gratification of this impulse of contrectation (from the Latin word contrectare, to touch with lust), a certain tumescence (from the Latin word tumescere, to swell), or congestion of all the organs of the body, particularly of the genital organs, and an increased amount of nervous energy throughout the entire organism, takes place.

Impulse of detumescence.—At this stage the second component of the sexual instinct, the impulse of detumescence (from the Latin word detumescere, to diminish in swelling) comes into play. Tumescence causes a certain oppression, and the individual is impelled to cause a discharge of the material congestion and a spasmodic relief of the nervous tension. The procedure of this material and nervous discharge is specific. The man’s impulse is “penem in vaginam intromittere et semen ejaculare,” and the woman’s impulse is “membrum viri atque semen in vaginam suscipere eodemque tempore detumescere.” If the opportunity for the specific discharge is lacking, other unnatural means for emission are employed, or the organism rids itself of the oppression during the state of unconsciousness, as in sleep. Ejaculation, hence, gives pleasure because it relieves the mechanical as well as the nervous tension and causes a change both in the blood and the nerve supply. Hence, the impulse of detumescence is less a craving to gain a positive lust feeling as the impulse of contrectation.

Children’s affection.—The impulse of contrectation is already met with in small children. The desire to effect a physical contact is often observed among very small children. There are some children who are even susceptible to sexual excitement, but these are the exceptions, their emotions are pathological. Normally there appears to be no erethism of the sexual organs in children during the process of love-making. They have no knowledge of the meaning of sex. With them the caressing contact is an end in itself.

In the love-making of children we can distinguish two different modes, according to the age of the child. In the first period, between three and eight years of age, the child is perfectly ignorant of the meaning of sex. Still it may indulge in the pleasure of bodily contact with an individual of the opposite sex. During the second period, between eight to twelve years of age, the children are aware of the difference and even meaning of sex, still the erethism in the organs is still absent.

The presence of the emotion of love in children of the first period is shown in many ways. Children of the opposite sex fall in love with one another. They seek each other’s company. They sit close to each other and indulge in kissing, embracing, and lifting each other. They often present gifts to, and make sacrifices for each other. Even jealousy is not absent. The lover tries to monopolize the allegiance of the beloved one. This love in early childhood is characterized by the absence of shyness or of any sense of shame, which shows the complete sexual anaesthesia.

With the appearance of shyness and modesty in children of the second period, the love-making may be traced to the conscious sex instinct. The instinct is manifested by the tendency to conceal the love affairs. Modesty is a characteristic trait of the young lovers. When in each other’s presence they feel embarrassed and ill at ease. They appear awkward when left alone to themselves. They try to avoid each other and may even appear to the casual observer to hate each other. Especially does the boy try to simulate resentment. The girl is, on the whole, more aggressive in these early love affairs. The woman’s innate love of being wooed comes to surface later on when she has reached maturity. Yet even the boy’s emotions are discernible by the keen observer. The emotions of infatuated children may assume all the appearances of true love, with its joys and sorrows. Yet any thought of the reproductive organs is entirely absent.

Puberty.—Before puberty the sexual activity of the child consists thus in the desire and gratification of the impulse of contrectation. This contrectation does not cause yet a state of tumescence in the child, and without tumescence the impulse of detumescence is also absent. The first state of spontaneous tumescence is called into existence by internal messages.