A Treatise on the Diseases Produced By Onanism, Masturbation, Self-Pollution, and Other Excesses.Deslandes, L. (Léopold)
Science
A Treatise on the Diseases Produced By Onanism, Masturbation, Self-Pollution, and Other Excesses.
Deslandes, L. (Léopold)
Masturbation
An acute or chronic irritation of the cerebellum, or of its envelopes,
may cause venereal symptoms more than the alterations just mentioned.
In a cadaver, brought from the hospital Bicetre to the amphitheatre,
where the penis and testes were considerably swelled, the whole of the
cerebellum was inflamed. One of the most interesting facts of this
kind was reported by Chauffard. It was that of a man, fifty-three
years old, of pleasant manners and mild character, who, in falling,
struck his head against the bed-post. The inferior occipital region
became inflamed; and subsequently, the habits of the patient were much
changed: he became affected with satyriasis, and was so salacious,
that he persecuted his wife and daughter, and all the females around
him. This man, hitherto pious and modest, gradually became affected
with the most violent erotic delirium, and finally committed the most
indecent acts. During the next three months, this state increased;
but, at the same time, his strength and intelligence failed. Finally,
one day, after a violent fit of anger, occasioned by the refusal of
his wife to listen to him, he became convulsed. The pain left the back
part of the head, and affected the top of it. The left side of the
body now began to be paralyzed; and the satyriasis was replaced by
religious delirium, with constant mumbling of prayers. The patient died
eight days afterward. According to Chauffard, at first, there was an
affection of the cerebellum. When the state of the patient was changed,
the organ of veneration was affected: this organ corresponds to the
central posterior and superior part of the frontal bone, where the
patient finally felt severe pain.
Was not the cerebellum, also, affected, in the following case reported
by Sainte Marie:--“A merchant of Lyons, an educated and honorable man,
seemed to be cured of an inveterate venereal affection, for which
he had undergone a course of treatment with mercury. He, however,
complained of restlessness, heat in the throat, _pains in the occiput
and nucha_, and frequent erections. In 1812, after domestic troubles,
he became affected with furious delirium. This state lasted three days,
and terminated in priapism; during which, the patient had fourteen
emissions in a few hours. This singular crisis resulted in a perfect
calm: extreme debility, however, remained, which soon yielded to
tonics and analeptics. Two years and a half afterward, this disease
reappeared, under the influence of these same causes, and with similar
symptoms. The termination was the same. There was a slight return of
it after two years; but, this time, the patient escaped with slight
erections, without much loss of semen.”
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