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
After two months and a half of the treatment I advised the patient to
attempt coitus. Since then he has tried four times. I advised him to
choose always a woman who pleased him, and sought to increase his
sexual excitement before coitus by means of tincture of cantharides.
The four attempts, the last of which took place on November 29, 1890,
resulted as follows: At the first, prolonged manipulation of the penis
by the woman was necessary in order to induce erection. Then immisio
in vaginam and ejaculation with orgasm took place. During the whole
act there occurred no thought of beating the woman or being beaten,
but the woman in herself excited him sufficiently for the performance
of coitus. At the second attempt the result was better and more
quickly attained; manipulation ad genitalia by the woman was not long
required. In the third attempt coitus was attained only after the
patient had thought of beating for a long time, and had thus induced
erection; but beating was not indulged in. At the fourth attempt
coitus was attained without any thought of beating and without any
manipulation ad genitalia.
Of course, the case described cannot yet be regarded in any way as
cured. Though the patient were able to perform coitus in a normal or
nearly normal way, that does not mean that he will always be able to
do it in the future; moreover, the thought of beating still affords
him great pleasure, even though it occurs much less frequently than
formerly. Yet there is a possibility that the abnormal desire, which
has been weakened, will remain weakened in the future, and perhaps
disappear.
This carefully observed case is, for several reasons, particularly
interesting. It discloses clearly one of the hidden roots of sadism,—the
impulse to complete subjugation of the woman, which here became
consciously entertained. This is the more remarkable since it occurred
in an individual decidedly timid, and in other respects modest and even
apprehensive. The case also shows clearly that powerful libido, which
even impels the individual to overcome all obstacles, may be present,
while at the same time coitus is not desired, because the principal
intensity of feeling is, _ab origine_, connected with the cruel part of
the sadistic (lustful and cruel) circle of ideas. This case also
contains weak elements of masochism (_v. infra_).
Cases are by no means infrequent in which men with perverse inclinations
induce prostitutes, by paying them high prices, to allow themselves to
be whipped and even wounded by them. Works on prostitution contain
reports of them (_vide_ Coffignon, “La Corruption à Paris,” etc.).
(d) _Defilement of Women._—The perverse sadistic impulse, to injure
women and put contempt and humiliation upon them, is also expressed in
the desire to defile them with disgusting or, at least, foul things.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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