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
pain and pressure in my head. I have always regarded my pitiable
peculiarity as something congenital, and I would feel happy if I had
only not married. I pity my good wife. Often the fear seizes me that I
cannot endure it with her longer; then thoughts about divorce,
suicide, and flight to America come to me.”
No one seeing the patient to whom I owe this communication would
suspect his condition. His outward appearance is, in all respects,
masculine; he has a well-developed, full beard, strong and deep voice,
and normal genitals. The cranium is normally formed; signs of
degeneration are absolutely wanting, and only an exquisitely nervous
eye makes one suspect a neuropathic condition. The vegetative organs
perform their functions normally. The patient presents the usual
symptoms of a neurasthenia, which may, in all essentials, be ascribed
to sexual excesses with persons of his own sex, in a man abnormally
passionate; and to the injurious influences of forced, though
infrequent, coitus with the wife where horror feminæ exists.
The patient declares that he comes from healthy parents, and that he
knows of no neuroses or mental disease in his ancestry. His elder
brother was married three years. There was a separation, because the
husband never had sexual intercourse with his wife. He married a
second time. The second wife also complained of neglect on the part of
the husband; but she had four children, concerning whose legitimacy no
doubt was ever raised. A sister is hysteropathic.
The patient says that, when a young man, he suffered with momentary
attacks of dizziness, during which it seemed to him as if he were
about to die. He says that he has always been very excitable and
emotional, and an enthusiast for the arts, especially poetry and
music. He himself designates his character as enigmatical, abnormal,
nervous, restless, extravagant, and undecided. He is often exalted
without real reason, and then again depressed, even to thoughts of
suicide. He may pass through quick and sudden changes,—“religious and
frivolous, optimistic and cynical, cowardly and brave, credulous,
amiable, and suspicious; inclined to do others harm, and sorrowful to
tears over the misfortunes of others; and with this, generous to
excess, and then again miserly _à la Harpagon_.” The patient is
certainly a tainted individual. He seems to be very well endowed
intellectually, and, as he says, to have learned easily, and been
among the first at school.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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