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?