After a regular and satisfactory coition the woman is, physiologically, more or less anaesthetic for some time. The length of the neutral period varies in different individuals. Intense mental activity, emotional depression and long sexual continence also diminish the sensual pleasure.
Apart from this temporary anaesthesia, there are many women who are impotent to experience libido throughout their lives. There is a total absence of pleasurable feelings during coition or any other kind of sexual stimulation.
A young lady, twenty-two years of age, complains that while during the time of her engagement she greatly enjoyed her fiancé’s caresses and became sexually excited when fondled by him, since her marriage she is unable to experience any libido in coition, although her husband is possessed of great potency. The patient is a beautiful brunette, with fiery eyes, and is a picture of health. Examination shows a uterus infantilis.
The potency of voluptas in this case is wholly intact. The patient enjoys being fondled and caressed. The cause of the impotency of libido lies in the periphery, although uterus infantilis is seldom accompanied by impotence of libido.
In some cases the woman is normally developed in every respect, menstruates regularly and is frequently quite prolific. The power of procreation is sometimes even very great. The woman is generally quite erotic and falls in love easily. Yet she never experiences the least libido.
A young lady, twenty-eight years of age, mother of two healthy children, was sent by her family physician from Chicago to consult the author for her impotence of libido. The husband stated that he is sure of his wife’s attachment to him. She enjoys his company and likes to be caressed by him. Still during the eight years of their married life she never showed the least sign of libido at coition. She remains cold and indifferent, and only submits conjugationi to please her husband. The examination showed the genitals to be in perfect order.
In the following case, too, no cause whatsoever could be found for the anaesthesia in regard to libido.
Mrs. L., twenty-nine years of age, is seven months married. Her menstruation set in when she was fifteen years of age and was always regular of about six days’ duration. At that time she began to satisfy herself by manusturpation and found some libido in the manipulation. But soon she read in a book about the ill effects of this practice and stopped it.
In the beginning of her married life coitus caused her great pain, which diminished by degrees after a few weeks. At present, coition causes her only disgust. The day after she feels tired and weak.
The examination shows a feminine habitus, breasts well developed, clitoris normal. The hymenal rests are very sensitive to the touch. The painful sensation and the feeling of disgust increase when the anterior vaginal wall is touched. The uterus is enlarged to the size of a goose-egg, the cervix is soft, and the external os narrowly closed. Diagnosis, two months’ pregnancy.
In this case some traces of libido were present at the time of puberty, which later on entirely disappeared. In some cases the patient is very prolific, as the following history shows:
The author recently performed a perineorrhaphy on an otherwise healthy woman, mother of five children, who confided in him that she has never experienced the slightest libido in intercourse. Yet, she added, if her husband would not take precautions, she would give birth to a child every year, as was the case in the beginning of their married life.