This excitement from congenital or accidental dispositions, may affect the ovaries; to prove this we have only to consider that their development exactly follows that of the venereal sense: that at forty-five years they begin to diminish in size, and finally they disappear: their removal or destruction too is always attended with the extinction of venereal desires. The respective size of the veins and arteries of the ovaries has been mentioned by some authors as a cause of salacity: the amorous ardor of animals, say they, is much greater, when the veins of the ovaries are smaller and fewer than the arteries. Haller found that the last-named vessels were very much developed in a female whose temperament was extremely amorous. Different alterations in the ovaries have been found in those affected with nymphomania. Bosset, Blancard, Vesalius, Riolan, Mangel, Dimmerbroede, Riviere, Lieutaud &c. have observed cases of this. De Blegnay states that one of the girls confined at the Salpetrière, and who had been affected several times with furor uterinus, was once seized so violently that it was necessary to tie her. This unfortunate girl perished by suffocation, while struggling to extricate herself. On opening the dead body the left ovary and Fallopian tube were found much diseased.
The removal of the ovaries has been performed successfully to appease excessive uterine ardor; a swineherd, irritated by the conduct of his daughter, extirpated these organs and thus extinguished her passions. The ovaries however have been extirpated several times on account of disease. The operation has been performed on several women and with success by Dr. Sacchi of Italy, and Dr. D. L. Rogers of New York. The usual effects in those who are fortunate enough to survive, are a wasting of the mammæ and a perfect indifference to the act of venery (Bulletin therapeutique, vol. iv., p. 313.)
We need not make many remarks on the effects of castration in the male to show the influence of the testes on the development and vivacity of lascivious desires. We know that it has been asserted that these desires may remain after the loss of these organs. In support of this opinion have been quoted Galen, Juvenal, Brantome and many other authors, particularly Franck, who states that four eunuchs in a city had so many intrigues with females, that the police were obliged to interfere. (Dict. des Sc. Med., vol. iv. p. 269.) But these facts only prove that eunuchs may indulge in pretended coition and that they preserve some sparks of the fire which is generally seated in the testicles. Most authors have attributed the action of these organs in the sense of venery, to the fluid secreted by them, to the semen. They say that this fluid awakes this sense either by the qualities it assumes, when accumulating in the testicles or seminal vesicles, or because it is carried by absorption to all parts of the body. This opinion is certainly much too positive: but in the present state of science, can we, as do many authors, assert that it has no foundation? The qualities of the semen may certainly vary much, as may be proved by the presence or absence of the spermatic animalculæ. It is entertained for instance, that these animalculæ do not appear before puberty, and that they are not to be found in old age, that they disappear during sickness, and that in many animals, in most birds for instance, they occur only during the season of mating (Dumas, Dict. class. d’hist. nat., art. generation.) The venereal sense becomes imperious, when the individual secretes real semen, and this sense may be felt in old men, after semen is no longer formed. The fulness of the seminal vesicles cannot be absolutely necessary for venereal desires, because these organs do not exist in birds, in many cold-blooded animals and in some of the mammalia. Are these persons in whom the testicles, instead of descending into the bursæ as usual about the seventh mouth of fetal life, remain in the abdomen, are these persons, who are termed cryptorchides more addicted than others to sensual pleasures? This has been asserted by many authors, and particularly by Monro and Hunter. They certainly are not less so. Poliniere has related a case of a person of this character 17 years old whom he saw at Brest in 1812, and who indulged most immoderately in venereal pleasures contrary to the advice of his physicians. Death soon put an end to his career.
The sensuality attributed to the cryptorchides has been explained by the greater degree of heat experienced in the testicles, when they remain in the abdomen. Be this as it may, the excitement of these organs probably exalts the sense of venery. When the state of excitement is very marked, they swell and become more sensible: these symptoms however are much more marked in animals during the period of rutting, than in our species. Accidental irritations of the testicles have sometimes also caused an unusual excitement of the sense of venery. Moreau attended for a long time a man advanced in age, who consulted him particularly for pollutions attended with amatory dreams. These symptoms which were very distressing constantly occurred, whenever the fibrous membrane of the testicles was affected with chronic rheumatism.
From our remarks, we can conceive that extirpation of the testicles would be a powerful remedy, in fact the most efficient of all remedies, to quell lascivious desires, and to put an end to venereal excesses. Hence individuals have been known to sacrifice these organs, and thus to rid them«elves of a salacity which rendered them unhappy. Baldassar relates the history of a man on whom he tried every remedy, and finally found nothing better than fasting and prayers. “Not recovering under these remedies,” says this author, “he wished the operation of castration to be performed, but I thought it inexpedient. The patient however pressed me very earnestly, and sought to win over to his views by presents those who opposed his wishes. He even promised me an ambling poney of remarkable beauty, if I would consent to perform it.” Reduced to despair some individuals have even castrated themselves. Origen, it is well known, mutilated himself, in order to extinguish the warmth of his temperament. This operation has been performed by surgeons and with happy results. A surgeon of Bernstadt was less fortunate: he removed the testes of a man 73 years old, in consequence of the unusual desires he experienced. The operation was not attended with the expected result. (Sprengel, Hist. de la med., vol. ix.) Hence this remedy is not infallible. We will add that it is far from being without danger, particularly in those individuals who are already exhausted by excesses. Farther, the operation is not confined, as in amputation of the clitoris, to the extinction of the venereal sense: it takes away the procreating power, and causes that moral and physical deterioration which is seen in eunuchs, even when they have lost their testicles after puberty. These therefore are reasons why this operation should not be performed; an operation which is disapproved of by most authors. We will except however Simon, who advises as a last resource in those affected with onanism to press upon or tie the vas deferens or the spermatic artery; for it is better, said he, that the patient should live a eunuch, than that he should inevitably perish. (Hygiene de la jeunesse, p. 174.) Some practical conclusions may be drawn from the facts we have mentioned. Thus in some patients, cold lotions or applications of ice to the scrotum, and of leeches around it, may be used with advantage. Young patients also should have these parts clothed lightly.
Diseases affecting various parts by their action on the organs mentioned, that is on the cerebellum, spinal marrow and the genital system, may cause a kind of a state of rutting and thus become the occasion of venereal excesses. For instance an unusual venereal excitement is sometimes a forerunner of an attack of gout, which may be explained by considering that the invasion of the local symptoms of this disease, is usually preceded by the irritation of several mucous membranes. Does not the salacity which all authors have mentioned as being peculiar to phthisical persons depend on the part which the genito-urinary membrane takes in the general excitement of the mucous membranes which is so common in the tuberculous affection of the lungs? Pathological anatomy has thrown no light on the subject. Of forty patients affected with phthisis, where the prostate gland, seminal vesicles, and vasa deferentia were carefully examined by Louis, three only presented an alteration of these parts; this consisted in the deposition of a quantity of tuberculous matter in the prostate gland: in one of them this matter was found in the seminal vesicles and vasa deferentia. (Recherches anatopath. sur la phthisie, 1825, p. 132.) Louis says nothing in regard to the amatory passions of these individuals.
The affection of the genito-urinary mucous membrane, accounts also for the venereal sensations which many authors have mentioned as a symptom of the elephantiasis of the Greeks, otherwise termed lepra tubercularis. The frequency of this symptom was so remarkable, that the ancients confounded elephantiasis with satyriasis. Sonnini saw at Cana, in the island of Candia, a great many individuals of both sexes, affected with this kind of leprosy. They were confined according to custom, in barracks without the walls of the city, and there they indulged in the most unbridled licentiousness. Even the old men were very lascivious. He gives an instance of a leper who, on the night of his death, indulged his desires. Niebuhr speaks of another leper who carried away by his ardor, imparted his disease to a woman of Bagdad, who was admitted with him into the lazaretto of that city. Vidal and Joannis assert that they have seen this libido in those Greek sailors affected with elephantiasis. After these proofs, it required some boldness to deny the possibility of this symptom, which to us seems easily explained. Consider the nature of elephantiasis: while it affects the skin, it extends to the mucous membranes, where we find tubercles, ulcerations, softenings, &c. Why should the membrane, lining the genito-urinary passages, be exempt from these alterations? Is it not then probable that this membrane was diseased in some way or other, in those individuals affected with libido? We can easily imagine, too, that as these alterations cannot be constant in lepra tubercularis, the symptom of which we are speaking must often be deficient, which explains why different authors who have observed cases of elephantiasis, particularly Alibert, Rayer and Cazenave, have not met with it. An affection of the genital organs may produce results completely opposite to libido: it may arrest the development of the genital organs when it appears before puberty. The individuals then present the marked characters of eunuchs, which has been observed by Adams, (Obs. on morbid poisons.) and probably Pallas, who asserts that the Tartans affected with elephantiasis, are averse to the pleasures of love. Farther, in lepra tubercularis, the sexual parts are often, and according to Alibert, most generally affected; this would necessarily extinguish all venereal desires. This probably was the case in the patient mentioned by Cazenave, in whom the testicles, glands and prepuce were found converted into a lardaceous tissue; and where, too, the corpora cavernosa were destitute of blood, and presented an evident hypertrophy of their septa.
It often happens that the genital sense is exalted, because it is the only one, or nearly so, which continues. This is frequently seen in idiots, and in those affected with dementia. The imbeciles, if left to themselves, “says Esquirol,” sometimes at the period of puberty become affected with onanism, nymphomania, or hysteria. Idiots also often indulge in the most unrestrained masturbation. This can readily be imagined: these individuals are in a measure isolated by the debility or weakness of their senses and intelligence. As they receive no external impressions, those which are inherent, exercise unlimited power. The internal senses are then much more regarded, because they speak alone. That which is in others only a desire, becomes in idiots a want: hence there are many who seem to live, merely to eat, drink, and indulge in licentiousness. When speaking of the effects of onanism on the mental faculties, we have shown that the venereal sense becomes heightened, as these other faculties are weakened. This fact may be remarked, whatever may have been the cause of derangement: for many individuals become affected with onanistic satyriasis, because they are imbecile or idiotic. Finally, idiocy may be the effect and cause of onanism. Sometimes the disease appears first, sometimes the habit—but as soon as they exist they strive continually to increase, and we are unable to say which of the two exercises the stronger influence on the other.
Our remarks on idiocy are equally applicable to cretinism, which is a variety of this affection. The cretins, though small, goitrous, hideous and imbecile, are extremely salacious, and this feeling is allayed by intercourse between them, or by onanism. A remarkable fact which has been observed twice, once in a cretin and once in an idiot, may throw some light on the organic causes of the inverse progress followed by the external and internal senses in this kind of patients: it is the hypertrophy of the ganglionnary nervous system. One of these cases is recorded by M. Schiffner. He found, on the cadaver of a cretin, that the ganglions of the great sympathetic nerve, situated along the vertebral column, were unusually large. The sympathetic nerve of the left side, on a level with the 6th vertebra presented a ganglion the size of a hen’s egg. Before this case of Schiffner, in 1819, Cayre also, in a thesis on idiotism, had mentioned the excessive development of the ganglionnary system, in one born an idiot. The cervical ganglions were three times their usual size; those of the thorax were larger than in the healthy state, and this was the case also with the semilunar ganglions.
We have seen that individuals appear much more lascivious, as they become more stupid and insensible; venereal sensuality often developes itself under very different circumstances. It may be only an episode, and sometimes it is an effect of the general susceptibility. A person is lascivious, because he is alive to vivid impressions; because the genital organs, like the rest of the economy, are easily excited, and their excitement is vividly felt. This disposition occurs often in hypochondriac and hysterical people; that is, in individuals who are so susceptible as to be habitually sick. They are easily excited, and have nocturnal pollutions from the slightest cause. The genital organs, also like the others, may become affected by an irritation which is seated at a greater or less distance from them; for instance, in the stomach, lungs, skin, &c. Those persons who are affected with cutaneous diseases, which cause itching, are generally extremely lascivious. Symptoms similar to priapism and satyriasis, appear in numerous diseases. Nervous or flatulent colics have often been known to produce a similar effect. A woman observed in 1833, at Hotel Dieu, in the ward of Bouillaud, and whose case is reported by Donne, (Revue Med., June, 1833,) presented a phenomena, which, notwithstanding its strangeness, is explained by what we have said. She was thirty years old, of a strong constitution, and hysterical. After an attack of acute rheumatism affecting the wrist, her hand became exquisitely sensible, and the slightest friction upon it, procured for the patient all the sensations arising from coition. This aberration of the sensibility disappeared with the last traces of the rheumatic inflammation, and the part regained its natural state. A highly respectable man, Dr. Mirambeau, communicated to us the case of a child who procured similar sensations by pulling his umbilicus. His health suffered so much in consequence of this singular habit, that coercive measures were employed to check it. We must remark, however, that notwithstanding the sensations mentioned, this patient presented no erection nor any other phenomena in the genital organs, similar to those of the act of venery.