Quite a pure case of such periodical psychopathia sexualis, connected with the process of menstruation, is the following, reported by Anjel (Arch. f. Psych., xv, H. 2):—
Case 162. A quiet lady, near the climacteric. Very bad heredity. In her youth, attacks of petit mal. Always eccentric, quick-tempered; very moral; childless marriage.
Several years ago, after a violent emotional disturbance, a hystero-epileptic attack, with post-epileptic insanity of several weeks' duration. Thereafter there was sleeplessness for several mouths. Following this, there was always menstrual insomnia, and the impulse to embrace and kiss boys of ten, and fondle their genitals. During this excitement there was no desire for coitus; certainly not for intercourse with adults.
The patient often speaks openly of this impulse, and asks to be watched, as she is not to be trusted. In the intervals she anxiously avoids all talk of it, is very modest, and in nowise passionate sexually.
With reference to the still imperfectly-known cases of periodical psychopathia sexualis of this kind, Tarnowsky (op. cit., p. 38) has made valuable contributions, though his cases were not all of a periodic nature; and one of the cases, taken from a work of the author's, is not rightly understood (Case 8, p. 37), since sodomy was only subsidiary, and the abnormal intense libido sexualis was not periodic.
Tarnowsky reports cases where married, cultured men, the fathers of families, were, from time to time, compelled to perform the most terrible sexual acts, while during the intervals they were sexually normal, abhorred their paroxysmal sexual acts, and shuddered before the expectation of their repetition.
If a new paroxysm came on, the normal sexual instinct disappeared; a state of mental excitement arose with insomnia, and thoughts and impulses to commit the perverse sexual acts, with anxious confusion and an increasing impulse to the abhorred indulgence. In this state the act was a relief, because it ended the condition. The analogy with dipsomania is complete.
For other cases (of periodical pederasty), vide Tarnowsky, op. cit., p. 41. The case there reported, on page 46, belongs in the category of epilepsy.
The following case, reported by Anjel (Arch. f. Psych., xv, H. 2), is one of the most typical of the convulsive-like occurrence of sexual excitement:—
