The vice of changing partners has become so open and for such trivial causes that laws have been enacted, of the most rigid character, and then divorcing and remarrying are carried on to an alarming extent. These are only the attributes of copulation and erotic desire.
Natural copulative affinity constitutes the bond of chaste affection that holds together a man and wife in harmony and love. Parties, male and female, have existed just as happily during life, when marriage vows had never been solemnized and legalized by other than natural copulative affinity. This sexual affinity constitutes more than mere admiration, or transient passion or erotic anxiety: everlasting contentment and felicity will follow such natural adaptation. Some are contented in wedlock, as they possess submissive dispositions, who are not adapted by copulative affinity.
[Society] is partial in her endowments and liberties bestowed upon the sexes. The male enjoys favors at the hands of society not permitted the female. For this, on account of her innate propensities, the female is responsible. She will expunge a female from her circle of society for that for which she will sustain the male. She will encourage insults from man, and cry for woman’s rights, and against masculine maltreatment. She will receive, with open arms, the young father of a prospective bastard, and commit the equal participant, and prospective, victimized mother, whose sins can only be equal to those of the father, to a dungeon, or permit her to accept a life of shame by refusing her entrance at the threshold.
If these are the privileges of modern society now, what would women do with the fallen ones of their sex had they things as they so much desire, in “woman’s rights” circles? Every female who had made a mistake (that should become known) would be tortured at the rack, or murdered; and few would there be left to tell the tale. The moral beginning must be with woman. She must not offer premiums for male licentiousness, and must encourage her fallen sisters to “sin no more.” She must protect her own sex by showing forgiveness, as well as censuring. So far as effecting any change, moral teaching is of the greatest vanity. But these things are not looked upon in their true light. Sexualists discuss these subjects, who do not appreciate the first principles of sexual physiology; who do not comprehend that the sexual relation in itself is the very essence of deception, as of secrecy. The cunning devices of both male and female are exhausted by efforts at assignation and debauch. The greater the legal restriction the greater the deception. The more common, open and generous our society becomes, the better will be its constituents.
[CHAPTER VI.]
[Nymphomania.]—The most deplorable condition of all, to which the female is subject, is the uncontrollable, maniacal, erotic desire, called nymphomania. The disease is fortunately rare, and commonly makes its appearance at, or soon after puberty, but has been observed in adult and married women. Of the six cases that have come under my observation, one was a married woman, the mother of children, four were girls at puberty and one, which will be hereafter reported, aged 19 years.
In the commencement the sufferer is a prey to perpetual contest between feelings of modesty and impetuous desires. At an after period she abandons herself to the latter, seeking no longer to restrain them. In the last stage the obscenity is disgusting; and the mental alienation, for such it is, becomes complete. The [cause] is often obscure, but when known has been undue irritation, by titilation of the genitals, or anything that would cause turgescence. The disease is apparently local in the beginning, but seems to affect the entire nervous organization, through reflex excitation.
The clitoris, by some, is supposed to be the seat of irritation, and has been amputated or cauterized, but without generally effecting any relief. The disease is not generally confined to any particular locality of the genitals. If allowed, the patient will take the hand of the male and place it upon the mons veneris, and it is only by force that she will allow it to be taken away. She cannot locate the seat of pleasure, but will say that the entire surface touched contributes to the venereal excitement. Another peculiar feature is, that she obtains no satisfaction from venereal orgasm; but on the contrary it adds to her maniacal conduct and obscenity. She is not in any manner responsible for her conduct, and no punishment will cause her to desist. Everything is sacrificed that is feminine, for that which is disgusting and vulgar. The more modest she has been in health, the more obscene she is likely to become in her venereal frenzy. What the final result would be, without treatment, I have never witnessed, but must conclude that lunacy would soon be prominent and probably suicide. There is no tendency to recovery, but to continue from bad to worse, until publicity is no restraint to the obscenity and indecent conduct of the victim.