Psychopathia sexualis: With especial reference to contrary sexual instinct: A medico-legal studyKrafft-Ebing, R. von (Richard)
Science
Psychopathia sexualis: With especial reference to contrary sexual instinct: A medico-legal study
Krafft-Ebing, R. von (Richard)
Paraphilias
“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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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