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
Then frequent pollutions in sleep occurred, which weakened him very
much. It was only occasionally that he dreamed of men when he had
pollutions; and never of women. A lascivious dream-picture (pederasty)
had occurred but once. He dreamed of dying-scenes, of being attacked
by dogs, etc. After these, as before, he suffered with great libido
sexualis. Often there came up before him such lascivious thoughts as
gloating over the death of animals in the slaughter-house, or allowing
himself to be whipped by boys; but he always overcame such desires,
and also the impulse to dress in a military uniform.
In order to cure himself of masturbation, and to thoroughly satisfy
his libido, he determined to frequent brothels. He first attempted
sexual intercourse with a woman when twenty-one, after over-indulgence
in wine. The beauty of the female form, and female nudity in general,
made no impression on him. However, he was able to enjoy the act of
coitus, and thereafter he visited brothels regularly for “purposes of
health.”
From this time he took great pleasure in hearing men tell stories of
their sexual relations with the opposite sex.
Ideas of flagellation would also come to him while in a brothel, but
the retention of such fancies was not essential for the performance of
coitus. He considered sexual intercourse with prostitutes only a
remedy against the desire for masturbation and men,—a kind of
safety-valve to prevent compromising himself with some man.
The patient now wishes to marry, but fears not only that he could have
no love for a decent woman, but also that he might be impotent for
intercourse with one. Hence his thought and need of medical advice.
The patient is very intelligent, and is, in all respects, of masculine
appearance. In dress and manner he presents nothing that would attract
attention. Gait, voice, and skeleton,—the pelvis especially,—masculine
in character. Genitals of normal development. The normal growth of
hair for a male is abundant. The patient’s relatives and friends have
not the slightest suspicion of his sexual anomalies. In his inverted
sexual fancies, he has never felt himself in the _rôle_ of a woman
toward a man. For some years he has been entirely free from
neurasthenic troubles.
The question as to whether he considered himself a subject of
congenital inversion of sexual instinct he could not answer. It seems
probable that there was a congenital weak inclination for the opposite
sex, with a greater one for the same sex, which, as a result of early
masturbation in consequence of the homo-sexual instinct, was still
more weakened, but not reduced to _nil_. With the cessation of
masturbation, the feeling for women became in a measure more natural,
but only in a coarsely sensual way.
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