For fear of exposure, he shuts himself in his room, full of desire, incapable of movement, and torn by feelings of fear. Consciousness seems to be undisturbed. The attacks last from eight to fourteen days. The cause of their return is not clear. Improvement is sudden; there is great desire for sleep, and, after this is satisfied, he is again well. In the interval there is nothing abnormal. The author assumes an epileptic foundation, and considers the attacks to be the psychical equivalents of epileptic convulsions (!).
Mania.—With the general excitation that here exists in the psychical organ, the sexual sphere is likewise often implicated. In maniacal individuals of the female sex, this is the rule. In certain cases, it may be questionable whether the instinct, which, in itself, is not intensified, is simply recklessly manifested, or whether it is present in actual abnormal intensity. For the most part, the latter is the true assumption,—certainly so where sexual delusions and their religious equivalents are constantly expressed. In accordance with the degrees of intensity of the disease, the intensified instinct is expressed in different forms.
In simple maniacal exaltation in men, courting, frivolity, and lasciviousness in speech, and frequenting of brothels, are observed; in women, inclination for the society of men, personal adornment, perfumes, talk of marriage and scandals, suspicion of the virtue of other women; or there is manifested the religious equivalent,—pilgrimages, missionary work, desire to go into a cloister or to become the servant of a priest; and in this case there is much talk about innocence and virginity.
At the height of mania there may be seen invitations to coitus, exhibition, obscenity, great excitation at sight of women, tendency to smear the person with saliva, urine, and even fæces; religio-sexual delusions,—to be under the protection of the Holy Ghost, to have given birth to Christ, etc.; open onanism, and pelvic movements of coitus.
In maniacal men care must be taken to prevent shameless masturbation and sexual attacks on women.
Satyriasis and Nymphomania.
States of mental excitement, in which an abnormal intense sexual impulse is prominent, are called satyriasis (in males) and nymphomania (in women), or uteromania.
Moreau considers these cases peculiar to themselves, but he is certainly in error. The sexual complexus of symptoms is always but the partial manifestation of a general psychosis (mania, hallucinatory insanity?).
The essential element of the state of sexual excitement is a condition of psychical hyperæsthesia with involvement of the sexual sphere. The imagination calls up only sexual images, which may lead to hallucinations, illusions, and true hallucinatory delirium.
The most indifferent ideas excite sensual association, and the lustful coloring of the ideas and apperceptions is very much intensified.