Page:Psychopathia Sexualis (tr. Chaddock, 1892).djvu/357

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THERAPY.
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nudity had never pleased him, and he can remember only to have dreamed once of coitus with a woman.

On account of his great sexual desire, and because he was ashamed to give himself up to men, after his twentieth year he began to have sexual intercourse with women. Since then, he has very seldom indulged in manual onanism, but often in mental masturbation, during which the forms of handsome men float through his fancy.

He had coitus with success, but without pleasure or sensual feeling. On account of circumstances, he was forced to abstain from his twenty-second until his twenty-fourth year. This abstinence was painful, and he relieved himself, now and then, by mental onanism.

When, a year ago, he had opportunity again for coitus, he noticed failure of libido for women, imperfect erection; and premature ejaculation. Finally he gave up coitus; then libido for men was manifested.

In the condition of irritable weakness of the ejaculatory centre, mere touching of sympathetic men was sufficient to induce ejaculation.

Patient is an only child. The circumstances of his family demand that he marry. He justly hesitates to do this, thinks he is mentally impotent, and asks for advice and help.

He points out that his feeling for men must be eradicated in order to help him.

Patient’s appearance is, in all respects, masculine. His head is slightly hydrocephalic and rhombic. Abundant growth of beard. Genitals normal; cremasteric reflex cannot be excited. No manifestations of neurasthenia. Neuropathic eyes. Pollutions infrequent. Erections occur only as a result of contact with men.

July 16, 1889, hypnotic suggestion, after Bernheim’s method, was begun. It was first at the third sitting that deep lethargy was induced.

Suggestions: “You have no longer any desire for men. Only woman is beautiful and desirable. You will love a woman, marry, be happy, and make her happy. You are fully potent; you feel that already.”

In daily hypnosis, which never goes beyond lethargy, the patient accepts the suggestions. On July 24th, he announces that he has had pleasure in coitus; and the male servants no longer interest him. At the same time, he still finds men more beautiful than women. On August 1, 1889, it was necessary to discontinue treatment. Result: Completely potent; entire indifference for men, but also for women.

The same treatment met with decided success in a case of psycho-sexual hermaphroditism, reported by me in vol. i of the Internat. Centralblatt für die Physiol. u. Path. der Harn- und Sexualorgane.