The sexual question : $b A scientific, psychological, hygienic and sociological studyForel, Auguste
Science
The sexual question : $b A scientific, psychological, hygienic and sociological study
Forel, Auguste
Sex
Along with these cases there is a series of homosexuals in whom it is
assumed that inversion has been acquired, because they commenced with
a normal sexual desire for women. After being seduced by homosexuals,
who initiate them in mutual onanism or pederasty, they are suddenly or
gradually disgusted with women and become inverts (vide _Suggestion_).
In reality, these are only relatively cases of acquired inversion. If
we except the cases which depend on pure suggestion of which we shall
speak later, there is a latent hereditary disposition to inversion,
which is awakened on the first occasion and then develops strongly. It
is easy to prove that men with normal sexual instincts immediately
abandon the habits of onanism or pederasty which they have contracted
through bad example or seduction, or by compensation for the want of
the normal object, as soon as they can obtain normal sexual
intercourse with one or more women. It is, therefore, false to regard
homosexual sensations as depending on vice and depravity: they are a
pathological product of abnormal hereditary sexual dispositions. At
any rate, this is a general rule which has few exceptions.
Sexual inversion is so widespread that in certain countries, for
instance Brazil, and even in some European towns, there are brothels
with men instead of women.
I will mention here a very curious case of purely psychical but
complete inversion of the sexual personality, combined with complete
sexual anæsthesia:
A man, aged 22, the son of an inebriate, with one imbecile
sister. Of delicate constitution, but very intelligent, he was
possessed since infancy with the idea that he was a girl,
although his genital organs were properly formed and were
normally developed at puberty. He had a horror of the society of
boys, and of all masculine work, while he was quite happy in
performing all the household duties of a woman. An irresistible
obsession urged him to dress himself as a woman, and neither
contempt, ridicule, nor punishment could cure him of it.
Attempts to give him employment as a boy in a small town failed
completely. His girlish manners made him suspected by the
police, who took him for a girl dressed in boy's clothes, and
threatened to arrest him. When he was compelled to put on male
attire he consoled himself with wearing a woman's chemise and
corset underneath.
I carefully examined this individual and found him affected with
complete sexual anæsthesia. He had a horror of everything
connected with the sexual appetite, but the idea of sexual
intercourse with men was still more repugnant than that of
normal coitus with women. Although the testicles and penis
appeared absolutely normal, he never had erections. His voice
was high pitched and his whole manner suggested that of a
eunuch.
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