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
=Influence of Repeated Sexual Excitations.=--The artificial and varied
repetition of sexual excitation, by means of objects which provoke it,
increases the sexual appetite. This cannot be doubted, for the law of
exercise is a general truth in the physiology of the nervous system.
This law, which is also called the law of training, shows that every
kind of nervous activity is increased by exercise. A man becomes a
glutton by accustoming himself to eat too much, a good walker by
exercising his legs. The habit of wearing fine clothes or of washing
in cold water causes these things to become a necessity. By
continually occupying ourselves with a certain thing, we take a liking
for it and often become virtuosos. By always thinking of a disease we
are led to imagine that we suffer from it. A melody too often repeated
often becomes automatic and we whistle or hum it unconsciously.
Inversely, inactivity weakens the effect of irritations which
correspond to it. By neglecting certain activities or the provocation
of certain sensations, these diminish in intensity, and we cease more
and more to be affected by them. We become idle when we are inactive,
for the cerebral resistance accumulates, and idleness renders the
renewal of the corresponding activity more difficult. It is not
surprising, therefore, to find this law in the phenomena of the sexual
appetite, which diminishes with abstinence and increases with repeated
excitation and satisfaction. However, another force, that of the
accumulation of semen in the seminal vesicles, associated with an old
natural inherited instinct, often counteracts the law of exercise of
the nervous system, as the empty stomach excites the instinct of
nutrition. But, however imperious the hunger, and however
indispensable its satisfaction for the maintenance of life, this does
not impair the truth of the old saying, "Appetite comes by eating."
The exaggerated desire for sleep experienced by idle people is an
analogous phenomenon. Although sufficient sleep is a necessity for
healthy and productive cerebral activity, an exaggerated desire for
sleep may be artificially developed.
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