In 1772, Wichmann observed internal pollution for the first time. The case was that of a young man, over twenty years of age, who for a long time had been affected with spasms. “He was manifestly in a state of cachochymia, and of wasting away. The physicians whom he had consulted before he came to me judged, from these appearances, that he was hypochondriac: in fact, different symptoms led to the belief that the disease was situated in the hypochondria. The loss of strength--the languor of digestion, although the appetite was not lost--the paleness of the countenance--the sadness and pusillanimity which led him to seek solitude--the vivid redness which rushed over his cheeks in conversation--his restlessness of character--and, finally, a certain weakness of intellect--seemed to justify the diagnosis. He had formerly indulged with females, and had been affected with venereal disease, to which he attributed his present state. Although there was not the slightest trace of these old affections, the physician, misled by the false conjectures of the patient, had kept him for a long time on mercurial preparations, by which the symptoms were aggravated, the true cause being overlooked. “Mercury was then abandoned for tonics; and the ferruginous waters were employed, with the idea that the patient suffered from hypochondria. But this was no better than the former treatment; and the patient begged me to take charge of him. I could not attribute the extreme thinness which existed to the remnant of an imperfectly cured venereal affection, nor to the usual cause of exhaustion and fever. I then asked the patient if he indulged with females, or in onanism; or if he was affected with involuntary loss of semen. He almost swore to the contrary. I then told him of his obligation to speak the truth, and assured him that I should not prescribe for him until he was attentively examined. Some days after, he came to me again, and told me that he had been affected with something like loss of semen. I satisfied myself that the observation was correct. The cause of the evil being known, the treatment was simple. In a few months, the patient was restored to health; and this happy effect of the remedies proved that we had attacked the origin of the evil. “This young man had probably indulged in premature excesses: in fact, this is the most usual cause of involuntary pollution. All the patients observed by me, (says Wichmann,) were from twenty-five to forty years old. All were addicted to the pleasures of love, or to onanism; or had become affected with blenorrhœa, by intercourse with diseased women.