Page:Psychopathia Sexualis (tr. Chaddock, 1892).djvu/361

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THERAPY.
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into mutual onanism, and also learned imitatio coitus inter femora viri. At the age of seventeen he had coitus with a prostitute for the first time. He performed the act perfectly, but had not the slightest pleasure in it; and he learned that this kind of gratification amounted to nothing, or that he must be different from other young men.

Nevertheless, he often had coitus, and contracted gonorrhœa. After this he experienced an increasing aversion for the female sex, and indulged in coitus less and less frequently; in fact, only when, with intense libido, he could not gain opportunity for intercourse with men. His inclination for men predominated more and more, and he was attracted exclusively by those handsomely formed, and having as little beard as possible. He descended to the most revolting practices,—coitus buccalis, active and passive pederasty.

The patient was deeply ashamed of such depravity, and was constantly endeavoring to get into better ways by means of coitus with women. But he came to the despairing conclusion that his moral strength was insufficient, that he was indifferent about intercourse with women, or that it was repugnant to him; and that he was created for sexual intercourse with persons of his own sex. In fact, he had never dreamed of women, but always of men; and that at a time, too, when he had no suspicion of the difference between the sexes.

The patient comes for consultation, because he sees that he is jeopardizing the happiness of his whole life, and recognizes the unnaturalness and immorality of his sexual life. He does not regard his condition as hopeless; for he has no horror of women, and three weeks ago he had successful coitus with one, though it was devoid of all pleasure and mental satisfaction. He has no doubt that he was really created to love men; but, owing to acquired neurasthenia, in the sexual act with a man he experiences no such pleasure as formerly. He had given up his position as an officer, because the soldiers excited him so sexually that he feared he might compromise himself.

The patient is devoid of degenerative signs. His appearance is perfectly masculine, and his genitals are normal. Examination of the semen revealed abundance of spermatozoa. The penis is large and well developed; the growth of hair ad genitalia, as well as on the rest of the body, is abundant. The patient has masculine tastes, but has never been partial to drinking and smoking. A neuropathic eye is all that points to a nervous constitution.

In his sexual acts with men, he states that, as a rule, he has felt as a man, only now and then as a woman.

An attempt at hypnosis leads to lethargy, with cataleptic condition of the muscles, and the opportunity is used to impart suitable suggestions.

After the fourth sitting he expressed himself as satisfied, and wondered that men made no impression on him. He wished to try his fortune with women, but was afraid that he was impotent.