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
Moreover, women previously moral, when affected with senile dementia,
may manifest similar conditions of great sexual excitement
(nymphomania, furor uterinus).
It may be seen from a reading of Schopenhauer,[37] that, as a result of
senile dementia, the abnormally excited and perverse instinct may be
directed exclusively to persons of the same sex (_v. infra_). The manner
of the satisfaction is here passive pederasty, or, as I ascertained in
the following case, mutual masturbation:—
Case 2. Mr. X., aged 80, of high social position, from a family having
hereditary taint. He was always very sensual and a cynic, of
uncontrollable temper, and, according to his own confession, as a
young man, preferred masturbation to coitus. However, he never showed
signs of contrary sexual instinct, and kept mistresses, raising a
child by one. At the age of forty-eight he married, out of
inclination, and begat six children, and never gave his wife cause for
complaint. I could obtain but an incomplete history of his family. It
was certain that his brother was suspected of love for men, and that a
nephew became insane as a result of excessive masturbation.
The patient, always peculiar and quick-tempered, for years has been
growing more extreme in character. He has become exceedingly
suspicious, and slight opposition to his wishes induces attacks of
anger which may become actual raving, and in which he may raise his
hand against his wife. For a year there have been unmistakable signs
of incipient senile dementia. The patient has become forgetful,
localizes past events incorrectly, and has false ideas of time. For
fourteen months it has been noticed that he manifests affection for
certain male servants, especially for a gardener’s boy. Otherwise rude
and overbearing to servants, he surfeits his favorite with favors and
presents, and commands his family and his house officials to treat the
boy with the greatest respect. The aged patient awaits the hour of
rendezvous in true sexual excitement. He sends his family away, that
he may be with his favorite undisturbed, and remains shut up with him
for hours; and when the doors are opened again, he is found lying on
the bed exhausted. Besides this object of his passion, the patient had
intercourse episodically with other servants. It is certain that he
enticed them, asked them for kisses, exhibited himself, allowed
manipulation ad genitalia, and practiced mutual masturbation. By these
practices absolute demoralization was brought about. The family was
powerless; for any opposition caused violent outbreaks of anger and
even threats against his relatives. The patient was completely without
appreciation of his perverse sexual acts; and therefore the only
course left to the afflicted family was to remove all authority from
his hands and place him in an asylum. No erotic inclination toward the
opposite sex was observed, though the patient occupied a
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