the enjoyment of the coition. The sperm is the water of life; if you use it economically you will be always ready for love's pleasures; it is the light of your eye; do not be lavish with it at all times and whenever you have a fancy for enjoyment, for if you are not sparing with it you will expose yourself to many ills. Wise medical men say, "A robust constitution is indispensable for copulation, and he who is endowed with it may give himself up to pleasure without danger; but it is otherwise with the weakly man; he runs into danger by indulging freely with women."
The sage, Es Sakli, has thus determined the limits to be observed by man as to the indulgence of the pleasures of coition: Man, be he phlegmatic or sanguine, should not make love more than twice or thrice a month; bilious or hypochondriac men only once or twice a month. It is nevertheless a well established fact that nowadays men of any of these four temperaments are insatiable as to coition, and give themselves up to it day and night, taking no heed how they expose themselves to numerous ills.
Women are more favoured than men in indulging their passion for coition. It is in fact their specialty; and for them it is all pleasure; while men run many risks in abandoning themselves without reserve to the pleasures of love.
Having thus treated of the dangers which may occur from the coitus, I have considered it useful to bring to your knowledge the following verses which contain hygienic advice in this respect. These verses have been composed by the order of Haroun er Rachid[1] by the most noted physicians of his time, whom he had asked to
- ↑ The Haroun er Rachid in question was Kalif in the year 170, and was acknowledged to have been one of the most meritorious, eloquent, cultured and generous rulers.
