Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 3: Analysis of the Sexual Impulse; Love and Pain; The Sexual Impulse in WomenEllis, Havelock
Science
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 3: Analysis of the Sexual Impulse; Love and Pain; The Sexual Impulse in Women
Ellis, Havelock
Sex; Sex (Psychology)
could get about a little, though very weak, all the swelling was
gone, but pain returned whenever I tried to walk or stand for
long. The indigestion and diarrhea were also very troublesome. I
was treated for both by a physician, but without success. Next
year I became engaged to my husband and was shortly after
married. The indigestion and diarrhea disappeared soon after. The
pain and dragging feeling in the abdomen bothered me much in
walking or any kind of exercise. One day I came across a medical
work, _The Elements of Social Science_, in which I found
descriptions of symptoms like those I suffered from ascribed to
uterine disease. I again applied to a doctor, telling him I
thought there was displacement and possibly congestion. He
confirmed my opinion and told me to wear a pessary. He ascribed
the displacement to the relaxing climate, and said he did not
think I should ever get quite right again. After the pessary had
been placed in position every trace of pain, etc., left me. A
year later I thought I would try and do without the pessary, and
to my great satisfaction none of the old trials came back after
its removal, in spite of much trouble, anxiety, sick nursing, and
fatigue. I attribute the disorder entirely to violent sexual
excitement which was not permitted its natural gratification and
relief.
"I have reason to believe that suppression acts very injuriously
on a woman's mental capacity. When excitement is naturally
relieved the mind turns of its own accord to another subject, but
when suppressed it is unable to do this. Personally, in the
latter event, I find the greatest difficulty in concentrating my
thoughts, and mental effort becomes painful. Other women have
complained to me of the same difficulty. I have tried mechanical
mental work, such as solving arithmetical or algebraic problems,
but it does no good; in fact, it seems only to increase the
excitement. (I may remark here that my feelings are always very
strong not only before and after the monthly period, but also
during the time itself; very unfortunately, as, of course, they
cannot then be gratified. This only applies to desire from
within, as I am strongly susceptible to influences from without
at any time.) There seems nothing to be done but to bow to the
storm till it passes over. Anything I do during the time it
lasts, even household work, is badly done. The brain seems to
become addled for the time being, while after gratification of
desire it seems to attain an additional quickness and cleverness.
Perhaps this cause contributes to the small amount of
intellectual and artistic work done by women, admitting their
natural inferiority to men in artistic impulse. A woman whose
passions are satisfied generally has her strength sapped by
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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