The instances of individuals who have died of apoplexy, either of the cerebrum or cerebellum, during coition, are by no means rare. We can readily imagine, that if there be a marked disposition to this disease, and that if it be disposed to come on, the derangement in the respiration and circulation produced by the venereal action might hurry it. This has happened more than once during the digestion of a full meal. Most old men who have died during coition, have been affected with apoplexy. Hence, authors have generally placed venereal excesses among the causes of this affection.
We will mention Cœlius Aurelian, Areltœus, Lomnius, Tissot, Pinel, Cruveilhier, Londe, &c. Henry Van Hers mentions a man, forty years old, who was attacked with apoplexy while with his wife, the first night of his marriage. The attack, however, could not have been very severe, as it yielded readily to treatment: but the patient indulging in the pleasures of love a few days after his recovery, was again attacked, and died. (Dict. des Sc. Med., art. Apoplexie.) Hoffmann mentions one. It was that of a soldier, who died in the act of coition. It was found, on opening his body, that blood was effused in the brain. Serres’ work on the comparative anatomy of the brain states a similar instance. It is that of a man, thirty-two years old, who became affected with apoplexy during coition, and after drinking more freely than usual. Firm erection of the penis, which continued nearly until death had closed the scene, was added to the violent symptoms of apoplexy. The cerebrum was healthy; but the median lobe of the cerebellum exhibited traces of severe irritation; and the substance of the cerebellum was broken in several places; and small abscesses, filled with blood, were grooved along the superior vermicular process.
In some individuals, apoplexy supervenes so soon after venereal excesses, that we might reasonably anticipate that they contributed to its invasion. Thus, a steward, forty-nine years old, whose case is mentioned by Andral, fell down in the street, on coming from a house of ill-fame. He was immediately carried to the Maison de Santé, near, where he died shortly afterward. On opening his body, two apoplectic lesions were found; one in the right hemisphere of the cerebellum, the other in the left hemisphere of the cerebrum.
In coition, a marked congestion of blood takes place toward this organ. It is fair to presume, that such an act frequently repeated may predispose to an attack of apoplexy, which is decided sooner or later under the action of different causes. It is a fact, however, that this affection occurs frequently in those individuals who are accustomed to indulge in venereal pleasures. Serres reports the case of a man who indulged frequently, and who was attacked with apoplexy soon after a day passed in a house of ill-fame. He died two days afterward, presenting, among other symptoms, the erection of the penis, and an abundant discharge of semen. Post mortem examination showed, as in the preceding cases, apoplexy existing in the cerebellum. A similar case was reported by Dr. Guiot. It was that of a man, fifty-two years old, who was much addicted to women, and who, after several times suffering from cerebral congestions, was affected with mania. His genital organs were very much developed, and he was frequently affected with pollutions. He died, finally, of congestion, with hemiplegia, in twelve hours. Among the symptoms presented, were remarked erection of the penis, and as it were automatic motions of masturbation.
Deep and chronic lesions have been observed in the encephalon of onanists, much more frequently than acute diseases. We published, in 1817, a case of chronic arachnitis, which seemed to depend on this cause. The patient was a boy seven years old, who entered the Hospital des Enfans, at the beginning of the preceding year. This child, who was much addicted to masturbation, was usually affected with convulsions during this act. He finally became idiotic. He was extremely repugnant to take exercise, and he remained very quiet. His strength failed, his limbs wasted away, and finally he became affected with almost total blindness. The hearing, and generally the external and internal senses were also much weakened. Galvanism and other remedies were employed in vain. The patient died; and on opening the cadaver, we found a very marked inflammation of the portion of the meninges which follows the course of the superior longitudinal sinus. The surface of the brain, also, appeared to some assistants to be inflamed. In another patient, whose history is stated by Desruelles, in his memoir on the effects of onanism, the substance of the brain was affected. There was paralysis of the left arm, convulsions of the right arm and of the muscles of the face. On opening the cadaver, an encysted abscess was found in the hemisphere of the brain, on the side opposite to the paralysis, and corresponding to the convulsed limbs.
Chronic alterations have frequently been found in the cerebellum of onanists. They have been mentioned by some as the cause, by others as the effect of onanism. But even admitting that in some cases these alterations may have been the beginning of this habit, this fact shows the bond which unites the genital organs and the cerebellum, and renders more probable the influence which they may exercise upon it. In fact, when the disease of one organ deranges the functions of another, we may be satisfied that an opposite result is possible. Farther, it would be impossible, in most of the cases of which we speak, to distinguish whether the cerebral affection or the masturbation had precedence. The only thing positively known is their coincidence; and this latter has appeared too frequently not to attract attention. We will mention several instances of it.
A female, addicted at an early age to the pleasures of venery, finally indulged in prostitution; she was at the same time addicted to onanism, and at last became affected with nymphomania. Ashamed of her situation, she submitted to cauterization of the clitoris, but without any good result. She finally died; and we found chronic irritation, with induration of the middle lobe of the cerebellum. Small sinuses, with callous edges, indicated that an inflammation had existed for a long time in this organ.
Gall (in his treatise on the functions of the brain, Vol. III., p. 314) has given us the history of a boy, three years old, who was strongly addicted to onanism, and in whom two thirds of the cerebellum was found to be suppurated.
A young man, nineteen years old, was so much addicted from his infancy to masturbation, that all mechanical means were tried in vain to conquer this fatal habit. It was even proposed to scarify the penis, in order that his motions might be prevented by pain. All attempts were in vain; and this unfortunate young man, exhausted by continual losses of semen, died three months after entering Hotel Dieu, in the most complete state of marasmus. He had often experienced attacks of epilepsy. On opening the dead body, we found in his cerebellum an encephaloid tumor the size of a nut, which had began to soften.
A girl ten years old, addicted to masturbation, and of a melancholy temperament, complained for four months of severe pains in the head. These pains increased to such a degree, that for the last three weeks of her life she was constantly crying. She was finally carried to the Hospital des Enfans. The only additional information obtained in regard to her was, that the patient was bedridden for twelve days—that she was affected with vomiting of bile, followed by somnolence—that for three days she had ceased to speak, or answered with difficulty—that she constantly kept her hand to her head, which was thrown back. During the last four days, she was comatose: there was a slight degree of strabismus, and dilatation of the pupil. A post-mortem examination showed inflammation, with purulent infiltration of the arachnoid membrane, at the upper part of the cerebellum. The substance of the brain presented tubercles and a softening.