Similarly, it will be far easier in the case of children to observe
peripheral processes in the genital organs than it is to make such
observations in adults. Thus, even in the case of infants in arms, but
more often in the case of boys who are somewhat older, the mother or the
nurse may be surprised to observe erections when the boy is undressed
for his bath or some other reason, or when he has kicked off the
bedclothes at night. In other cases the child may be seen handling his
genital organs, either openly or beneath his clothing. Often, in the
absence of manual stimulation, the child adopts some other means of
stimulating his genital organs. Thus, in girls the legs will be crossed,
and the thighs rubbed lightly each against the other. In other cases,
both in boys and in girls, the child will lean against a piece of
furniture in what appears to be a perfectly innocent manner; but in
reality pressure is being exercised on the genital organs, it may be by
the corner of a table, it may be by the back of a chair; and then the
stimulus is strengthened by various movements. In some such way children
will effect masturbatory stimulation and obtain sexual gratification, in
the presence, not only of their mother, but in that of quite a number of
other persons. Guttceit[78] reports the case of a woman who squatted
down so that her bare heel came into contact with the genitals, and she
then masturbated by rubbing the two parts together. I myself have known
the case of a young girl who sat with her legs beneath her, and
masturbated with the boot she was wearing. In many instances we are
enabled, by watching the child's movements, to ascertain with such
certainty what it is doing, that no confirmatory evidence is needed. We
notice, especially, that when the orgasm is approaching, the movements
change in character and rhythm. The eyes become bright, and the face
assumes an excited and voluptuous expression. This may be observed even
in infants in arms. Townsend[79] reports the case of an infant, eight
months old, "who would cross her right thigh over the left, close her
eyes and clench her fists; after a minute or two there would be complete
relaxation, with sweating and redness of face; this would occur about
once a week or oftener; the child was quite healthy, with no abnormal
condition of the genital organs."
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