It is important to recognise the parallelism which exists throughout the physical organization of the two sexes, making them equal parts of complete human nature—a parallelism which is too often lost sight of, at this period of a young man’s life. In each of the two halves of humanity, the sexual functions are adapted to the higher nature of the human being. Provision is made in each sex for their control by reason, this provision being made with greater or lesser elaborate preparation in proportion to the relative importance of these functions in each sex. This provision secures their conversion into a human social force, instead of allowing them to remain a blind instinct, as in the lower animals; for everything in humanity is subject to the law of progress and higher growth. The generative function in both sexes must be kept in a state of readiness for use. It has, therefore, its special activity of production, maintaining its tissues in healthy vigour throughout adult life. It is also marked with a certain periodicity, which is stamped on all the more important vital functions. It must, however, at the same time be subjected to reason and converted into a human faculty. To secure this end, it contains within itself natural provisions for its own independent well-being, Nature having established the power of physical self-balance in this important function by the natural, gradual, and healthy removal of unemployed secretions in each individual. It thus becomes the subject of reason, adapted to the higher aims of life, instead of a blind force enslaving the human being.
An important illustration of this subjection of these functions to reason, is referred to by the experienced surgeon, Mr. Acton, who writes: ‘There exists no greater error, or one more opposed to physiological truth, than the fear that atrophy or impotence might be the result of chastity. I have never, after many years’ experience, seen a single instance of atrophy from this cause. It is not a fact that power is annihilated in well-formed adults leading a healthy life and yet remaining continent. The function goes on to old age, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, but very frequently only under the influence of the will. No person need be deterred by this apocryphal fear from living a chaste life. It is a device of the unchaste—a lame excuse for their own incontinence, not founded on any physiological law. The organs will take care that their action is not interfered with.’[35]
The very signs, however, of Nature’s provision for raising the lower instinct into a human faculty, often create great uneasiness in the young mind. It is at this important crisis that the delicate and respectful counsel of the wise parent or physician is indispensable to both boys and girls. The youth should be told that Nature will help, not injure him at this important crisis of life, if he will be true to his own higher nature. The young of both sexes should realize that self-control of thought and action is essential. Every means of hygienic, intellectual, and religious influence should be used to direct and strengthen both mind and body. For both young men and young women it is hygiene in its largest sense that should be prescribed and enforced—viz., the guidance of the early vital forces, both physical and mental, into natural beneficial directions. The youth who has been saved from habits of self-abuse in childhood can now be saved from habits of vice in manhood, and helped forward in that life of virtue which alone will strengthen all his powers and make him worthy of marriage.
That this view of the sexual function as a human force, to be governed by reason, is the truth, and the modern theory of its being a blind instinct enslaving the individual a falsehood, is proved in many ways. We have the medical opinion of physicians in large practice, the private and public testimony of individuals, the observation of well-managed schools and colleges, of prisons, of communities, and the social customs of various classes and different races. Let us glance at some of these facts.
In rigid training for athletic sports, for boat-racing, prize-fighting, etc., chastity is enforced as one of the means for attaining the greatest possible amount of physical vigour and endurance. This fact, observed in ancient times, is confirmed by modern experience.
When the health is seriously impaired, the same rule of sexual abstinence is laid down. In a large proportion of these cases the power of sex is not lost; the physical craving may even be increased, from the irritability which often accompanies disturbed health. But the fear of death acts as a counter force on the young mind, and rouses it to unwonted efforts at self-command. No sacrifice is too great to escape death, to regain health, and take part once more in ordinary life. Temptations are avoided, healthy regime adopted, and the young man, taking a great deal of outdoor exercise, leads for months an absolutely chaste life, with the greatest possible advantage to his health. Such cases may be constantly noted in foreign health resorts, and amongst a class of cases the most difficult to reform—viz., dissipated young men who have been perverted from childhood by a state of society so universally corrupt that it cannot happily be paralleled yet, in England or America.
It is well known that the early ancestors of our vigorous German race guarded the chastity of their youth until the age of twenty-five, as the true method of increasing their strength, enlarging their stature, and enabling them to become the progenitors of a vigorous race.
The opportunity of wide observation enjoyed by the headmasters of public schools, and all engaged in education, lends great weight to their testimony. The master of over 800 boys and young men states: ‘The result of my personal observation, extending over a great many years, is, that hard exercise in the open air is, in most cases, an efficient remedy against vicious propensities. A large number of our young men thus make a law unto themselves, and pass the period of their youth in temperance and purity till they have realized a position that enables them to marry.’ Dr. Arnold, of Rugby, has given similar testimony.[36]
In primitive Christian communities, and many country and village populations uncorrupted by the stimulants of luxury, we observe the advantage of chastity to the health of youth. In these simple, healthy societies the strong public sentiment of the village, combined with outdoor life, preserves the honesty of the young men until the time of early marriage. The result is the growth of a vigorous, healthy race.
Our recognition of the possibility, as well as advantage, of chastity to the young is further strengthened by a knowledge of the healthy self-control exercised by men in the prime of life. After the age of thirty, the unnatural life of celibacy is a difficult exercise of mind and body, far more difficult than it is to uncorrupted youth. The intimate experience, however, of every observant man and woman can recall constant instances of the honourable fidelity of husbands to their marriage vow during the protracted illness of their wives; and the majority of our countrymen would consider it an insult to suppose that when a new-born child is laid in their arms, and the wife leans for support during her period of weakness upon her husband’s love, that he betrays her love and trust during those solemn epochs of family life.