Our remarks on asthma may apply to diseases of the heart and large vessels. The frequent repetitions of an act which render the emotions so powerful, frequent, and tumultuous, has often produced or increased aneurismatic dilatations of this organ; the thickening of its parietes, or other diseases, of the parenchyma, or of the vessels which leave it and go to it. Thus, the abuse of onanism, and of the pleasures of love, holds a high place on the list of causes of this affection. We have seen dilatations of the left ventricle of the heart, which evidently arose from this cause. “In some cases,” says Fournier and Begin, “palpitations, and even considerable lesions of the heart and large vessels, could have no other cause, in patients whose vigorous constitutions have long resisted the destructive practice of onanism, and who, notwithstanding their excesses, have attained an advanced age.” This last remark is particularly just. These diseases are by no means so immediately dangerous as is generally believed. The principal symptoms of diseases of the heart may exist, although this organ may not be materially altered. A remarkable instance of this may be seen in one of the cases already mentioned. The patient experienced for a long time difficulty of breathing; which increased on walking, and especially on going up stairs. These symptoms were so marked, that on entering the hospital, he exhibited all the symptoms of a hypertrophy of the left cavities of the heart. Four months after his entrance into the hospital, the patient died of the consequences of myelitis; and on opening the body, the heart was found perfectly healthy, of its normal size, and presented nothing unusual in the extent of its cavities, or in the thickness of their parietes. Among the diseases of the heart which may be caused by venereal excesses, there is one in particular mentioned by Blaud. He thinks that too frequent coition predisposes to _polypi of the heart_. He maintains, that the act produces its effects, either by weakening the motive powers of this organ, which they over-excite momentarily; or by causing too great an accumulation, and consequently a congestion of blood, in the cardiac cavities. This last fact seemed to him to be proved, by the oppression, the congestion in the head, and the palpitations, which attend coition. If venereal excesses may cause diseases of the heart, they may increase those which exist. They may also, by causing the rupture of an aneurism, produce instant death. But having already treated of these effects, we shall not return to the subject.