Hammond (op. cit.) also mentions a case of accidental associative fetichism that is quite as peculiar. A married man, aged 30, who, in other respects, was healthy, physically and mentally, is said to have suddenly lost his sexual power, after moving to another house, and to have regained it as soon as the furniture of the sleeping-room had been arranged as it was before.
(c) The Fetich is Some Special Material.—There is a third principal group of fetichists who have as a fetich neither a portion of the female body nor a part of female attire, but some particular material which is so used, not because it is a material for female garments, but because in itself it can arouse or increase sexual feelings. In many cases of this kind, the act of feeling of such material during the sexual act seems indispensable, in order to make the latter possible, or at least satisfactory. Such materials are furs, velvet, and silk.
These cases differ from the foregoing instances of erotic dress-fetichism, in that these materials, unlike female linen, do not have any close relation to the female body; and, unlike shoes and gloves, they are not related to certain parts of the person which have peculiar symbolic significance. Moreover, this fetichism cannot be due to an accidental association, like that in the cases of the night-caps and the arrangement of the sleeping-room; for these cases form an entire group having the same object. It must be presumed that certain tactile sensations (a kind of tickling which stands in some distant relation to lustful sensations?), in hyperæsthetic individuals, furnish the occasion for the origin of this fetichism.
The following is a personal observation of a man affected with this peculiar fetichism:—
Case 90. N. N., aged 37; of a neuropathic family; neuropathic constitution. He makes the following statement: “From my earliest youth I have always had a deeply-rooted partiality for furs and velvet, in that these materials cause me sexual excitement, and the sight and touch of them give me lustful pleasure. I can recall no event that caused this peculiarity (such as the simultaneous occurrence of the first sexual excitation and an impression of these materials,—i.e., first excitation by a woman dressed in them); in fact, I cannot remember when this enthusiasm began. However, by this I would not exclude the possibility of such an event,—of an accidental connection in a first impression and consequent association; but I think it very improbable that such a thing took place, because I believe such an occurrence would have deeply impressed me. All I know is, that even when a small child I had a lively desire to see and stroke furs, and thus had an obscure sensual pleasure. With the first occurrence of definite sexual ideas,—i.e., the direction of sexual thoughts to woman,—the peculiar preference for women dressed in such materials was present. Since then, up to mature manhood, it has remained unchanged. A woman wearing furs or velvet, or, better, both, excites me much more quickly and intensely than one devoid of these auxiliaries. To be sure, these materials are not a conditio sine qua non of excitation; the desire occurs also without them, in response to the usual stimuli; but the sight and, particularly, the touch of these fetich-materials form for me a powerful aid to other normal stimuli, and intensify erotic pleasure. Often merely the sight of only a passably pretty girl, dressed in these materials, causes me lively excitement, and overcomes me completely. Even the sight of my fetich-materials gives me pleasure, but the touch of them much more. (To the penetrating odor of furs I am indifferent—rather, it is unpleasant—and it is endurable only by reason of the association with pleasing visual and tactile impressions.) I have an intense longing to touch these materials while on a woman’s person, to stroke and kiss them, and bury my face in them. My greatest pleasure is, inter actum, to see and feel my fetich on the woman’s shoulder.
“Fur, or velvet alone, exerts on me the effect described, the former much more intensely than the latter. The combination of the two has the most intense effect. Too, female garments of velvet and fur, seen and touched without the wearer, cause me sexual excitement; indeed, though to a less extent, the same effect is exerted by furs or robes having no relation to female attire, and also by the velvet and plush of furniture and drapery. Merely pictures of costumes of furs and velvet are objects of erotic interest to me; indeed, simply the word “fur” has a magic charm for me, and immediately calls up erotic ideas.
“Fur is such an object of sexual interest for me that a man wearing fur that is effective (v. infra) makes a very unpleasant, repugnant, and disgusting impression on me; such as would be made on a normal person by a man in the costume and attire of a ballet-dancer. Similarly repugnant to me is the sight of an old or ugly woman clad in beautiful furs; because opposing feelings are thus aroused.
“This erotic delight in furs and velvet is something entirely different from simple æsthetic pleasure. I have a very lively appreciation of beautiful female attire, and, at the same time, a particular partiality for point-lace; but it is purely of an æsthetic nature. A woman dressed in a point-lace toilette (or in other elegant, elaborate attire) is more beautiful than another; but one dressed in my fetich-material is more charming.
“But furs exercise on me the effect described only when the fur has very thick, fine, smooth, and rather long hair, that stands out like that of the so-called bearded furs. I have noticed that the effect depends upon this. I am entirely indifferent not only to the common coarse, bushy furs, but also to those that are commonly regarded as beautiful and precious, from which the long hair has been removed (seal, beaver), or of which the hair is naturally short (ermine); and likewise to those of which the hair is over-long and lies down (monkey, bear). The specific effect is exerted only by the standing long hair of the sable, marten, skunk, etc. But velvet is made of thick, fine, standing hairs (fibres); and its effect may be due to this. The effect seems to depend upon a very definite impression of the points of thick, fine hair upon the end-organs of the sensory nerves.
“But how this peculiar impression on the tactile nerves is related to sexual instinct is a perfect enigma to me. The fact is, that this is the case with many men. I would also state expressly that beautiful female hair pleases me, but plays no more important part than the other charm; and that while touching fur I have no thought of female hair. The tactile sensation, also, has not the least resemblance to that imparted by female hair. There is never association of any other idea. Fur, per se, arouses sensuality in me,—how, I cannot explain.