It is with phthisis, as with most of the other diseases, caused by masturbation. This habit causes disease, by cherishing and by cultivating special dispositions. Thus, the onanist born of consumptive parents, whose chest is narrow, with a long neck and thin limbs, and who presents symptoms of scrofula, is more liable to be affected with phthisis or consumption. This was the case with a young man, as mentioned by Rozier. This patient was evidently scrofulous, and many members of his family had been affected with the disease. He remained, however, pretty well until he was eighteen years old, when, in consequence of a contusion in one of his legs, he became affected with an ulcer, which was a long time healing. After it was cured, however, he remained in good health, and was lively, animated, and intelligent; but when twenty-five years old, he commenced indulging in onanism. He soon felt oppression at the chest, and cough; and although the affection of his chest increased, and he was aware of the dangers of onanism, he continued to indulge. Many physicians were consulted; but he did not mention his bad habit. The affection of the lungs continued; his sleep was interrupted; hectic fever supervened; his cheeks were tinged with an unnatural color; and his expectoration was grayish and purulent. The patient then decided on avowing his habit. Rozier attempted, in the most touching and persuasive manner, to induce him to abandon it; but in vain. Consumption continued to progress; and he was soon unable to talk, to move, or to make the least motion, without danger of suffocation. After remaining in this horrid state three years, the patient died.
We have already remarked several times, that the respiration in onanists is frequently affected. Their breath is often short; they pant on the slightest exercise; are subject to stifling, &c. These symptoms, the existence of which cannot always be explained by that of any organic alteration in the heart or lungs, finally assume, in some individuals, the characters attributed to nervous asthma. The authors who have written on this subject, have all classed venereal excesses among its most frequent causes. “Individuals of a nervous temperament,” says M. Ferrus, “seem most particularly liable to it. But the influence of certain bad habits—as masturbation, the abuse of venereal pleasures by young persons, excesses of the table in old men, &c.—contribute, as powerfully as individual predispositions, to produce this disease.” Jolly remarks, in nearly similar language:—“Venereal excesses and masturbation,” says this distinguished physician, “have appeared in some cases to produce asthma. And if some authors think that too much importance is attached to this cause, they may readily appreciate its value by observing the effects of the venereal orgasm on the pulmonary circulation.” Daily observation proves that persons affected with asthma have generally used the goods of this life freely. To admit that venereal excesses often prepare for or excite an attack of asthma, we have only to regard an attack of asthma, whether excited or not by an organic lesion, as consisting in a spasm of the glottis; or, as Reisessen and Cruvelhier think, of the ramifications of the bronchi.
Our remarks on asthma may apply to diseases of the heart and large vessels. The frequent repetitions of an act which render the emotions so powerful, frequent, and tumultuous, has often produced or increased aneurismatic dilatations of this organ; the thickening of its parietes, or other diseases, of the parenchyma, or of the vessels which leave it and go to it. Thus, the abuse of onanism, and of the pleasures of love, holds a high place on the list of causes of this affection. We have seen dilatations of the left ventricle of the heart, which evidently arose from this cause. “In some cases,” says Fournier and Begin, “palpitations, and even considerable lesions of the heart and large vessels, could have no other cause, in patients whose vigorous constitutions have long resisted the destructive practice of onanism, and who, notwithstanding their excesses, have attained an advanced age.” This last remark is particularly just. These diseases are by no means so immediately dangerous as is generally believed. The principal symptoms of diseases of the heart may exist, although this organ may not be materially altered. A remarkable instance of this may be seen in one of the cases already mentioned. The patient experienced for a long time difficulty of breathing; which increased on walking, and especially on going up stairs. These symptoms were so marked, that on entering the hospital, he exhibited all the symptoms of a hypertrophy of the left cavities of the heart. Four months after his entrance into the hospital, the patient died of the consequences of myelitis; and on opening the body, the heart was found perfectly healthy, of its normal size, and presented nothing unusual in the extent of its cavities, or in the thickness of their parietes.
Among the diseases of the heart which may be caused by venereal excesses, there is one in particular mentioned by Blaud. He thinks that too frequent coition predisposes to polypi of the heart. He maintains, that the act produces its effects, either by weakening the motive powers of this organ, which they over-excite momentarily; or by causing too great an accumulation, and consequently a congestion of blood, in the cardiac cavities. This last fact seemed to him to be proved, by the oppression, the congestion in the head, and the palpitations, which attend coition.
If venereal excesses may cause diseases of the heart, they may increase those which exist. They may also, by causing the rupture of an aneurism, produce instant death. But having already treated of these effects, we shall not return to the subject.
Rachitis, and particularly alterations in the height, have been named by many authors among the ordinary effects of premature indulgences. We have already given, from Portal, the remarkable case of a young girl, who, indulging in excesses of onanism, became humpbacked, and then consumptive. In six months, the curve of the vertebral column progressed rapidly; the chest was depressed at the lower part of the sternum; there was a deep hollow in the epigastric region, while the abdomen was prominent. The same author has observed other similar cases. “I have seen,” says he, “four or five of these unfortunate creatures, from fifteen to eighteen years old, in whom the back was very convex, and the abdomen seemed pressed into the chest; the extremities of the long bones, particularly those which form the elbows and knees, were very much enlarged; the legs were thrown out, and their muscles were scarcely developed; their eyes were sunken; their countenances pale and white; and their voices acute. Any one, to judge of their ages by their looks, would think that they were not more than twelve years old. They were extremely weak, physically and morally, and became imbecile long before they died.” Dr. Richard, cited by Petit, has also seen considerable deformity of the ribs, resulting from onanism. Tissot placed this habit first among the causes of rachitis. M. Lonyer Villermey, also, regards onanism and involuntary pollutions as an active source of deviations in height. On the other hand, Dr. Laguerre, a gentleman who has attended to rachitic persons a good deal, tells us that the habit has been observed by him only once, as a cause of spinal deformity.
It has also been advanced, that premature enjoyment may arrest the growth of the body, and consequently prevent it from attaining its normal height. We do not deny the possibility of such a result. We have seen many onanists, however, grow very rapidly, notwithstanding their excesses, and all the symptoms of extensive alteration. It follows, also, from the researches of Villermé and Quetelet, that the mean height of man is generally greater in the city than in the country; and yet, in the former, masturbation is more frequent. We can see, too, by comparing the increase in weight to that in length, during the first twenty years, that the development of the genital organs exercises much more influence on the mass of the body, than on its height: thus, between the ages of four and fifteen years—that is, during the period of puberty—the annual increase of weight is quadruple of what it was in preceding years. Do not these reasons authorize us to think, that if premature excesses have any influence on the height of man, this action is less than is generally imagined?
Besides rachitis, caries, and tubercles, which have been mentioned, are the bones ever affected with any other disease, in consequence of venereal indulgences? The only case in point is that already mentioned,(p. 85) as reported by Serrurier, of a man who was reduced to a complete state of marasmus, in consequence of venereal excesses and nocturnal pollutions. In this man’s case, a remarkable circumstance occurred. Having attempted, a few days before death, to rest himself from the fatigues of the bed, by spending a few hours in the easy chair, he fractured the bone of his right thigh at its centre, merely by attempting to cross the right thigh on the left. Might not this disease, which is very rare, and is termed friability of the bones, be also caused by the excesses we have mentioned?
These excesses, if accompanied by those of the table, or if indulged in under unfavorable circumstances, may be followed by acute, as well as by chronic affections, and particularly by fevers of a bad character. This result of excessive enjoyments is frequent; and cases of it have been seen by almost every physician. It was known to the ancients. Hippocrates gives the history of a young man of Melibœa, who, after indulging in women and wine, was attacked with all the symptoms of typhus fever. Bartholin knew a person, recently married, who was attacked, after conjugal excesses, with an acute fever, attended with great depression, sinking, nausea, immoderate thirst, &c. This patient was cured by rest and tonics. Hoffmann, who states this case, also mentions that of a man, who never indulged in venereal excesses without being attacked with fever, which continued several days. Tissot, in 1761 and 1762, knew two very healthy, strong, and vigorous young men, who were attacked, one the day after, and the other the second night of their marriage, with a very violent fever, preceded by no chill, pulse quick and hard, wakefulness, many slight convulsive motions, very great inquietude, and dry skin. The appearance of the second was very much altered, and he was troubled with dysuria. He first thought that an intemperate use of wine was in part the procuring part of these symptoms; but I was of a different opinion in regard to the second. They were cured at the end of two days. This circumstance added to the character of the disease, leaves no doubt of the cause.
Sauvages admits, after Dellon, that a typhus of exhausted persons exists. The Portuguese term patients affected with this malady, esfalfados. The exhaustion caused by immoderate indulgence in venereal pleasures, says this author, is very common among the Indians. It is a continued fever, in which the pulse is sometimes full and strong, sometimes weak, and almost imperceptible. The urine is sometimes very red, but transparent; the skin is hot and dry; and there is watchfulness, nausea, and violent thirst.