Hot baths are very injurious for young children in their influence in this direction. There is no question that a hot bath has a very decided stimulating effect upon the sexual desire of adults as well as of children, both male and female; in fact, I have had several patients of either sex tell me that their first masturbatory act was committed while they were in a hot bath. Of course, the sensation having been pleasurable, they kept on repeating the experience. Every factor liable to give rise to the habit should be removed. Thus, for instance, eczema about the genitals, strongly acid urine, seatworms, and the like, should be treated until cured. That anything having a tendency prematurely to awaken the sexual instinct should be rigorously avoided, goes without saying. =Mental or Psychic Masturbation.= Some girls and women will abstain from handling themselves with their hands (manual masturbation), but will practice what we call mental masturbation. That is, they will concentrate their minds on the opposite sex, will picture to themselves various lascivious scenes, until they feel "satisfied." This method is extremely injurious and exhausting and is very likely to lead to neurasthenia and a nervous breakdown. You should break yourself of it, by all means, if you can. For it is even more injurious than the regular habit. CHAPTER TWENTY LEUCORRHEA--THE WHITES Misconception Regarding the Meaning of the Term "Leucorrhea"--A Common Complaint--Severe Cases--Reasons for Resistance to Treatment--Proper Local Treatment of the Disorder--Sterility Due to Leucorrhea--Causes of Leucorrhea--Tonic Medicines--Local Treatment--Formulae for Douching. Leucorrhea means literally a "white running," and is applied by the laity to any whitish discharge coming from the vagina. This is wrong, because some white discharges may be of little importance; others may be of a serious character, and not be leucorrhea at all.