The philosophy of marriage : being four important lectures, on the function and disorders of the nervous system, and reproductive organs / by Jordan and Beck.

  • Jordan, Henry J.
Date:
[1863?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The philosophy of marriage : being four important lectures, on the function and disorders of the nervous system, and reproductive organs / by Jordan and Beck. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    stance that the first instance we have on record of a perpetration of a crime of this kind is that of Onan, mentioned in Genesis. Every one, however, who reads the narrative carefully, must perceive that the crime of Onan was not exactly that which is now ealled after his name. Another term, already named, and per' haps a more correct one, is Masturbation, de- rived from manus, the hand, and strapo, I defile.' This can, however, be considered strictly cor- rect only when applied to the procuring emis- sions by titilations of the virile members with the hand ; whereas it is used in a much more extended sense, signifying emission procured by any artificial means—any means, in fact, short of intercourse with the opposite sex.*— Sometimes habits of this kind have been spoken of as Pollutions ; but this term is objectionable, as it confounds in many cases the cause with * It is important to remark that excessive indulgence in intercourse with the opposite sex, even in married life, is quite as prejudicial to health as indulgence in the habits here referred to ; and that we are as frequently consulted by married men who are unable to perform their marital duties, and who tell us (until we ascertain the contrary by questioning them) that there is no evident cause for their disability, as we are by parties unmarried; who know their own conduct has produced their impotent condition. Proper medical treatment however will re- store in the one case as in the other.