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
moody, and often almost insane; often I am so depressed that I know
not what to do, and then am easily moved to tears. And yet I have a
horror of sexual intercourse with men. One evening when I came from a
drinking-party, drunk and excited and in a half-conscious state, and,
full of desire, was wandering about, I met a young man, who got me to
perform mutual masturbation. Though he excited me, after the act I was
beside myself. To-day, when I go by the place, I am overcome with
horror; and lately, when riding by it, without any cause, I fell from
my gentle horse, that I know so well,—I was so overcome by the memory
of my unworthy deed.
“I love family life and children, and social intercourse; and, with my
position in society, I am suited to have a family. But I must give up
all that; and yet, I cannot abandon hope of cure. And so I vacillate
between hopeful gaiety and frightful hopelessness, and neglect
business and family. Indeed, I do not ask that I may marry and found a
family; I wish only to overcome the terrible inclination for the male
sex; only to associate quietly with my friends, and to learn to
respect myself again.
“No one has any suspicion of my condition; I pass rather for a great
_roué_,—a reputation I try to maintain. I often try to have relations
with girls, for which I often have opportunity. I have known many who
loved me, and who would have sacrificed their honor for me; but I have
no love to offer them, and nothing sexual to give. And yet I can love
a man. I am excited only by young men,—_i.e._, aged from seventeen to
twenty-five, without full beards, and preferably with no beards at
all. I can love only those that are educated, respectable, and
amiable. I am, in short, very proud, and quick; I am also
enthusiastic, and easily led by persons who please me. These I try to
imitate, but I am very sensitive with them, and easily hurt. I put
much value on appearances, love beautiful furniture and dress, and
assume a distinguished manner and elegant address. I am unhappy in
that my neurasthenic condition keeps me from doing and learning what I
should like.”
Last fall I made the patient’s acquaintance. He is destitute of
degenerative signs, and of perfectly masculine appearance, even though
he is delicately formed and slender. Genitals perfectly normal.
Appearance distinguished, with nothing striking. He is much troubled
about his sexual perversion, and wishes to be freed from it at any
price. In spite of the greatest effort on the part of both physician
and patient, only a slight degree of hypnosis, insufficient for
suggestive treatment, could be induced.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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