The sexual organs of a growing boy need no attention whatever except circumcision and cleanliness, unless, of course, some accident befall them. The more completely they are let alone the better, and some authors assert, that if they can be entirely left to themselves no fluid whatever will escape from them. This is probably a mistake, but the instances in which these organs receive absolutely no handling are so rare as to make it difficult to state what does occur under such circumstances. An occasional involuntary loss of the seminal fluid, say once a month, or even somewhat oftener, is of no serious consequences unless it be associated with other evidences of the presence of diseases. But frequent “wet-dreams” signify weakness of the sexual organs, and this is the usual result of self-abuse. The fluid itself seems to be an expensive one for the blood to elaborate, and its frequent discharge by even the most natural method, is something of a drain upon the resources of the body. When it accumulates in too large quantity, nature will discharge it during the relaxed state of the parts induced by sleep or disease, in the form of what are called “wet-dreams,” and it may safely be said that no other form of discharge of this fluid, either by masturbation or sexual intercourse is necessary to the well- being and health of the reproductive organs at any time of life.
It is a very prevalent opinion that sexual desires indicate the necessity of sexual indulgence. It may safely be asserted that this opinion is an error. Sexual desires are among the strongest influences known to human nature; very few men are able to go through life without paying some heed to such desires; many have even confounded those desires with the strongest and loftiest passion known to the human heart, and have named these irrepressible longings with the sacred name of Love. But their strength simply indicates the importance put by Nature upon the preservation of the species, they assure permanent vitality to the institution of marriage and make it certain that men, as a class, will always provide themselves with wives–or worse.
Nature never intended that animal impulses should over-ride the will and the free choice of any individual man, that they should be masters and make him slave. Properly understood, sexual desires make a man better, for they call to mind his duties to society and posterity, and show him that he cannot indulge his baser nature, give rein to appetite and passion, and neglect his mind and spirit, without stamping upon some other life more or less of the evil consequences of his acts. Properly used, sexual desires lead a man into the holiest, happiest, and most useful relations in life, and give him a right to the name which God himself has chosen as best symbolizing the relationship which He would have us consider His toward us–Father. Let us then seek to understand the proper nature and use of the sexual organs.
A healthy man develops from his blood a fluid which in some mysterious way is capable, under certain circumstances, of calling into life a new being who, starting from an egg less than one one-hundredth of an inch in diameter, and developing in and out of the mother’s body for some years, will eventually and throughout life present unmistakable evidences of the source of the fluid which originated this new life, in the form of remarkable resemblances to certain traits of the person in whose body that fluid was secreted. This fluid (called “semen” or the “seminal fluid”) gradually collects in a small sac which it sooner or later distends, and by so doing sets in motion a train of phenomena designed to bring about its discharge, but extremely complicated and very imperfectly understood.
The mind is influenced powerfully, and either a vague instinctive attraction toward members of the opposite sex, or a very definite impulse toward the sexual act is aroused, according to the experience, previous habits, knowledge, or moral stamina of the particular individual. This mental impression reacts upon the sexual organs themselves, which thus more powerfully attracts attention to their desires, while their physical condition is automatically made more favorable for carrying the fluid to be discharged into proximity to the egg to be vitalized by it; a change of form and position occurring in these organs, that closes the outlet from the urinary bladder and arranges nerves, muscles, and passages conveniently for the emptying of the little sac containing the vitalizing fluid.
If, now, no attention be paid to the demands of the organs in question, the fluid sets up nervous influences which result in its discharge, usually during the hours of sleep, a fact which is of itself amply sufficient to overthrow any claims that the sexual act is absolutely necessary. Habitual and persistent neglect of the sexual desires will result in their subsidence and the lengthening of the intervals at which they are felt, owing to diminished production of the fluid which is their prime excitant; and eventually the accumulation of this fluid will entirely cease, but not till long after maturity and persistent repression shall have fixed the character and state in life of the individual.
But if, on the other hand, indulgence be accorded to sexual desires, only one right, natural, and healthful course is open to the man–that, namely, of joining in the bonds of holy wedlock the woman who commands the love of his heart, the respect of his mind, and who, recognizing that the sexual organs, so- called, by no means fully comprehend all the sexual functions, meets his advances actively with eyes, lips, breasts, limbs, and body as well as with the organs upon which her capacity for motherhood depends, assured that in so doing she is responding to the heaven-appointed impulses and methods than can raise her to the lofty pinnacle of motherhood, and give her children animated with the qualities which have called forth her love for her husband and given her a right to respect herself.
In this way, and in this way only, can the sexual instincts fulfil the design of the Creator. Any attempt to limit the act exclusively to the organs which false shame or prudery would ignore, and to deny to them their full dignity and activity, can only result in local excitement but little better than masturbation, save that it can result in offspring of a puny, bloodless, half-vital sort. Any attempt to give play to these instincts out of wed-lock involves contact with moral poison and physical, disease-breeding filth; involves the soul-consuming excitements of law-breaking, of sulking from discovery, and of spasmodic, irregular, and inordinate sexual activity; costs health, strength, wealth, self-respect, and virtue; sacrifices purity and the restraining and elevating power of a true valuation of woman blood; exchanges liberty for the domination of a creature too vile to be called a woman; barters useful citizenship for the state of the criminal sapping the foundations of society by striking at marriage and the family; and degrades the impulse toward fatherhood into a disgusting animalism.
Nor can these facts be too widely proclaimed or too much emphasized. The mothers and fathers of this land are too prone to nurse the flattering delusion that their sons are pure and innocent, and will escape the wiles of the strange woman, and hence the impressionable and teachable period of youth is allowed to pass without the needed warning, for fear that the warning itself may open the avenue to temptation. The idea is delusive. The danger of the warning is nothing in comparison with the danger of silence, which exposes ignorance to the inevitable, the positively unavoidable temptation the power of which probably few women realize. The temptress lurks and bides her opportunity. Rarely does she speak when a woman is within hearing. The whispered word in the ear of youth is her weapon, and what man would be likely to say to the woman he esteems that such a word had been spoken by one of those who have often every outward appearances of being ladies? This evil lurks and hides, and those who would fight it must neglect no safeguard and spare no warning. No man can reach twenty without being tempted many times -no matter whether he live on the farm, in village, or in city. For any mother to believe that her son will not be put to the test is the height of folly and blindness. But there is hope that he may pass through the fire of temptation unscathed if he be but thoroughly armed and equipped with knowledge of the danger and the way of escape, with principle and strength of character, and a high idea of his responsibilities to God, society, and himself.
The sexual act is an exhausting one. It takes hold of the whole body, and demands the best energies of every part of the system. It requires so much of nerve-force that it ought always to be followed by a period of rest. It is true that there are states of the system in which vitality is low while the impulse to the act is unusually strong, as is sometimes the case in consumption and with those who have indulged the sexual appetites to excess; but such demands are abnormal, and should be resisted precisely as should the ravenous, insatiable hunger that is a symptom of some forms of dyspepsia. No rule can be given regarding the frequency with which the sexual act may be performed. Men differ greatly in regard to their capacities in this as in all other respects. It may be said, however, that when anything more lasting or unfavorable than a temporary feeling of lassitude follows the act, it is indicative of excess. But the act should always be fully completed when once begun. With some men this is impossible by a single effort. On account of some idiosyncrasy they experience a discharge of semen almost as soon as they attempt sexual intercourse–a premature and unsatisfying result that should be followed in from two to three hours by another effort which will usually fully and properly empty the sac of its semen.
Member New York State and County Homoeopathic Medical Societies ;
Formerly Staff-Physician to the College and Wilson Mission
Dispensaries ; Fellow of the N. Y. Academy of Anthropology ; Member American Historical Association,