Onanism (self-abuse; masturbation) – The term, ‘onanism,’ is derived from a Biblical source. It is related that gentle Mr. Onan, the son of Juda, forced by his father’s will to comfort his brother’s wife, preferred frustre ejaculation to natural intercourse, thereby gaining immortal fame, onanism being named after him.
Masturbation is a form of sexual self-gratification, not requiring the participation of an accomplice. True, there may be a sort of mutual onanism, where one individual or group obliges the other, but this is an auxiliary method of procedure for mutual convenience’s sake, and is not indispensable to gain gratification. True masturbation is one-sided sexualism. If is a form of auto-eroticism or sexual self-service. ...
Masturbation is known among animals. Dogs, monkeys, stallions, elephants and bulls resort to sexual gratification. In human beings, this tendency is well-nigh universal. Almost everybody has, at some time or other, worshipped the onanistic goddess. Authorities, who have inquired among friends, students, patients and acquaintances, arrived at the high mark of between 60-99% masturbators. Some took a fling at it for a while. Others remained more faithful followers. In children, up to and at the onset of puberty, onanism is practically the only adequate form of sexual activity. In this case, the sex urge asserts itself at a time when sex differentiation remains incomplete. And while the fog of the semi-conscious urge has not yet become permeated by the rays of a clear desire, masturbation already serves its purpose.
The first stimulus that puts the sexual mechanism into action may be accidental. Some sort of involuntary movements, producing friction and stroking of the genitals, may be the first spark that lights up the easily inflammable imagination of the child. The forbidden fruit, once consumed, is a powerful inducement for further trial. Among such incidental factors furthering the development of onanistic habits, are also instances of ‘inner friction,’ occurring during sudden emotional disturbances.
Emotions run in wave-like oscillations. Any disturbance on the surface of the emotional high tide is automatically transferred into other spheres of feeling. The child is emotional and easily swayed by sentiments which may seem to us trivial, like fright, excitement, excessive joy and sudden mental shock. Undue haste in completing a composition in school may result in onanistic excitement. Fear and frenzy can give rise to masturbation. Parents who keep their children in fear of punishment are cultivating a habit which they may not be able to control later. The surroundings and associations of the child are of paramount importance. He is easily influenced by what elders do and think, and is most amenable to suggestion and imitation. A playmate may open the gate to the autoerotic wonderland. Domestics, teachers and servants may play the role of seducers. However, the problem of onanism in children is much more complicated than that. There is no doubt that almost all children develop the habit of masturbation. ...
Normally, masturbation continues for some years and then gradually subsides. ... In some cases, it may become fixed as a life habit.
The So-Called Ill Effects of Masturbation – In itself, masturbation is not a menace to health. It is a substitute for sexual intercourse, and if repeated at regular intervals, is far from having the disastrous effects that scaremongers are wont to picture. Only all too frequent abuse continued for many years may finally affect the general health. For that matter, normal relations, when practiced in the same haphazard way, may entail similar complications. However, masturbation cannot be looked upon from the same point of view as are natural relations. The reasons are manifold.
First, there is the increased danger of repetition. Being independent of the other sex and having unlimited opportunities, one can repeat it at will. Because of undue repetition, the stimulus loses its force, and more and more incitements are required in order to induce gratification. Here lies the real danger of masturbation.
Moreover, masturbation does not relieve sexual tension. It puts an undue strain on the nervous system and leaves the sexual centers in a state of semi-congestion, which, in time, is apt to be followed by more advanced complications.
However, one must differentiate between a sturdy adult who has become a masturbator and the organism of a frail child who is an addict to onanistic habits. While the former, unless gone to extremes, will probably emerge without noticeable ill effects as far as his general health is concerned, the masturbating child will not always fare so well. ...
Most of those afflicted with habitual onanism try to control their habit. Some even interrupt the act before ejaculation in order to save the ‘precious semen’ (incomplete onanism). Others try different methods. However it may be, it is this inner conflict proper, coupled with the shock of fear, shame and defeat that strains the soul up to the breaking point. Indeed, it is the struggle to master the bad habit that does most of the harm, especially in the young and in the adolescent.
What a Mother Should Not Do – Ignorant teachers, parents and educators are prone to augment these harmful effects. In fact, the most abominable thing a mother can do is to scold her masturbating child or to scare him out of his wits. If she happens to surprise her boy in flagrante, the best she can do is to simulate, outwardly at least, disregard and lack of attention. The measures to be taken to assist those children are more of a preventive nature.
Cleanliness is an essential part of the program. Babies left in unclean diapers soaked in decomposing urine, will be subject to irritation, rashes and eczematous skin conditions, inciting scratching and manual friction. Tightly fitting clothing and diapers are likewise harmful. Once the child learns the sweet taste of friction, he will be apt to repeat it at will. Over-eating, improper food selection and indulgence in spices should be avoided in children. A tight foreskin and phimosis, resulting in inflammatory irritation (balanitis), and vaginal discharge (vulvovaginitis) should be corrected.
The bowels play an important role. Constipation should be avoided. Unreliable domestics should be kept away from children. Also a proper mental dietary, avoiding excitements, corporal punishment, etc., is essential in those cases. In other words, hygiene is the best preventive of all ills, sexual irritation included.
If, on the other hand, a mother persists in moral preaching, and tries to picture in vivid colors the terrible sin her offspring is committing, the result will be disastrous. For, a healthy child, given proper surroundings, proper exercises and something to occupy his mind, will, of his own accord, revert to normal behavior. But, he cannot be coaxed into doing so. Beware of those well-meaning but, alas, not well-informed parents and teachers, who unwittingly destroy the delicate tissue of the child’s confidence. Hands off, is the best policy, if one does not possess enough deliberative tactfulness to give his children a timely and proper sexual education.
It is, of course, a myth that onanism causes spinal disease, consumption or whatever else the popular mind has seen fit to conjure. Early cessation of the habit or restriction to proper bounds, as a rule, leaves body and soul unimpaired. But do not, in any case, pour oil on the fire.
Onanism is one of the most mooted problems and the more light shed on the whole subject, the better for all concerned. More light and more sexual enlightenment will cure most of the evils of the so-called masturbation complex. The onanist should be examined thoroughly before judgment is passed on him. It may be a habit, it may be a sickness, or it may be a passing fancy.
Onanistic Equivalents (Pollutions, Spermatorrhea, etc.) – Nightly emissions (pollutions) are related to masturbation. The underlying physiological process is almost identical. In both, imaginary sex pictures play an important role. Both result in self-gratification. But, whereas in onanism, there is a conscious endeavor to relieve sexual tension by artificial means of self-abuse, pollutions are the domain of dreams. They are unconscious attempts of the body to lighten the burden of vesicular tension. Ejaculation is the main object. The accompanying erotic dreams are a substitute for missing reality. They make superfluous further onanistic manipulations. Certain positions inducing excitation of the erogenous zones, like faulty posture during sleep, soft beddings, a full bladder, unintentional friction and excess of warmth may facilitate the appearance of ‘wet dreams.’
However, independently of these physiological pollutions, appearing in certain periods of between ten and twenty days in individuals deprived of the facilities of normal sexual exposure, there are certain pathological pollutions excelling in frequency or in the quality of the dream element, which unmask a dissatisfied perverse desire. Or they may be the result of certain bodily derangements and inflammatory conditions, which represent a glimmering focus of constant irritation. This kind of nightly emissions is anything but harmless. For, frequent emissions, amounting in extreme cases to several per night, weaken the sexual mechanism and break down the resisting power of the individual. Adding to it the same complex of fear, shame and disgust, as is encountered in onanism, mixed with the perpetual struggle to overcome the habit, one can readily imagine the by-effects on the individual psychic make-up.
Pollutions are common in males. As for females, opinion has been divided. It has been assumed by many authorities that in young girls the sexual desire was not fully developed and that there were no pollutions. Girls may experience some discharge from Batholin’s glands as an equivalent, but their dreams lack the definite element of sexual exposure. However, inquiries into the lives of girls reveal numerous incidents of orgastic dreams resulting, probably, in secretions from the cervix and other parts, such as is seen during normal intercourse. This makes it plausible that, after all, both sexes share the same virtues and some of the vices.
Other equivalents of rudimentary self-abuse are spermatorrhea (involuntary loss of semen), picking the nose, itching in the genitals and in the anal region, urticarial eruptions and some of the obscure dysmenorrhic manifestations. As to the loss of semen, one has to differentiate the true pathological form, due to relaxation and atonic conditions of the ducts and following inflammatory trauma, from those evoked by psychic influences. The same holds true of some other substitutes which have been charged to the sins of onanism, though they may have nothing to do with it. Despite claims to the contrary, not every case of pruritis (itching) of the genitals can be looked upon as an expression of onanism. Not every man who picks his nose is an adept of the onanistic cult. It may be a simple case of bad manners. Discretion is needed in order to distinguish the wheat from the chaff.
... ‘To the pure in heart, all things are pure.’ But to the prude the most sacred facts of life are vulgar and impure. Prudery is simply the expression of an unclean state of mind suppressed artificially and in its very nature depends upon pruriency and a perverted mental attitude toward the most holy of all functions. The more conspicuous the pose of prudery, as a rule, the greater is the impurity of mind thereby indicated. ...
There is nothing impure in sex, but there is in the abuse of it. Indecency is simply a question of behavior, and cannot possibly be an attribute of any part of the body. The body has been rightly termed the ‘Temple of God.’ Impurity, if present, lies in the contemplating mind, and not in the body, or in any part of it. ...
The importance of the sexual glands as a factor in the all-round strength of the body and mind is not generally understood. For in addition to their special function of reproduction they supply what is often called an ‘internal secretion,’ the importance of which in the general bodily economy cannot be overestimated. ...
How important these sexual glands are, and just what virility means in relation to strength of mind and body, is made clear by the condition of those deprived of them in childhood. ... The lesson taught by the eunuch is found in his lack of all manly qualities, both physical and mental. His high-pitched, childish voice, undeveloped body, physical weakness, lack of vital resistance and short life all indicate clearly the importance of the glands of which he has been deprived. The beard does not grow, as in the case of the virile man, the voice does not change, the muscles lack density and firmness and the nerves are weak – all of these conditions indicating a lack of general constitutional vigor due to the loss of the ‘internal secretion,’ the substances normally supplied to the living fabric by the testicles. ...
Now, castration is not practiced in civilized communities. But there are abuses and vices which accomplish gradually the same result. ... The fact is that any abuse of the organs of sex will tend to impair their power. ...
It is absolutely necessary to live a clean life and a normal life in order to maintain the health of the sexual glands and the superb mental and physical powers that go with them. This is more important in youth than at any other period, though the rule applies throughout one’s entire adult life. One cannot violate the laws of life in this respect and escape the punishment. It is necessary to reach maturity with these powers unimpaired, and thereafter to continue to avoid abuses in order to attain and retain the mental alertness and energy, the courage, the self-confidence, the ambition, and also the physical stamina that characterize true manhood. ...
Marriage can bring happiness comparable to a heaven on earth, or it can bring misery which might be compared to infernal tortures. ...
[I]n too many marriages, ... the husband ... follows the demands of uncontrolled passion, and in some instances the wife feels herself outraged on the first night of her marriage. ... The worst part of it is that the psychic or mental effect of such a brutal introduction to the marital relation is likely to prove permanent. ...
Apart from the psychological effect ..., the actual physical injuries in some instances are very serious, particularly when much force is used. Although the loss of a very little blood may usually be expected as the result of the breaking of the hymen, yet in some cases very severe hemorrhages have been brought about through the use of unnecessary violence. ...
With every marital intimacy there is a loss of a considerable amount of that life-giving fluid known as semen. One drop of semen is said to be equal to sixty drops of blood, and whether or not this statement is true, the life-creating fluid is certainly a concentrated product of extraordinary richness. ...
Marriage is often accompanied by sexual excesses. It many cases such grave mistakes bring bodily weakness and mental deficiency. All of the functions of the body are busily engaged in trying to recover the energy that has been spent in sexual dissipation. The body, it should be remembered, is just as strong as its weakest part. ... Even where no serious physical disorders appear as a result of this form of legalized and sanctioned dissipation, one should remember that it robs the brain as well as the body. It saps the energy. No man can be mentally capable and efficient who is continually draining his vitality by sexual excesses. ...
It should be said that when the relation is mutually desired, the woman can usually endure far more sexual abuse than the man. When she is gratified in the relation it is not so weakening to her when carried to excess. In other words, the border-line of excess is, as a rule, reached more quickly by the man than by the woman. If you are observing, you may note, in the course of a Sunday afternoon walk in city parks, or on the streets, many instances in which a healthy, plump and robust-looking woman is accompanied by a sallow, debilitated, thin, dragged-out and dried-out-looking husband. ...
The conditions under which a woman suffers most, in connection with abuses and excesses in the marriage relation, are those in which the act is one-sided, the wife simply serving as a tool for the gratification of her husband. This is not only a moral affront to her, but also a source of physical weakness and injury. ...
In most instances sexual excesses bring a fitting punishment. In other words, they destroy the love existing between man and wife. Satiety brings about a condition of disgust and what may be best described by the term ‘sex-antagonism.’ This is accompanied by a condition of physical repulsion and resentment that makes impossible even a peaceful companionship between the two. It is a reversal of the sex-magnetism which first drew the two together. The strength and power of this sex-antagonism is exactly in proportion to the strength and force of the attraction which was previously experienced. It is the one supreme source of friction in married life. It is the one all-powerful force which drives so many men and women to the divorce courts. ...
As a result of excesses the most sacred of all human relations is made cheap and commonplace. The marital intimacies finally lose flavor for the man, and frequently are endured by the woman simply from a sense of duty. Consequently the man is likely to be attracted by other women, and the wife, in turn, is not in all cases blind to the attractions of other men. And there you have a picture of a great many so-called homes of to-day. Husband and wife in name only. Married, though in reality separated. Living in the same house, calling it home, and apparently ‘grinning and bearing’ their unpleasant relations because of the children, or because of their fear of the notoriety that might result from a separation. ...
In some cases, [marital excesses] may also be brought about through abnormal manifestations on the part of the wife. Some women are possessed by an uncontrollable passion. They are never satisfied. The intimacies of sex are acceptable to them at all times. The man who has contracted a marriage with such a woman must either possess extraordinary will power or enormous vitality, else he is doomed to certain destruction. No ordinary man can withstand the drain on his vital resources that will almost certainly take place under such circumstances.
It should be remembered that the male is supposed to be always ready in a sexual way. In other words, he simply awaits the call of the female, while the latter is supposed to have certain periods during which alone her passions can be aroused. This rule applies throughout the entire animal world. These periods in the human race are usually found two or three days before menstruation and several days thereafter. But when a woman is not affected by those periods, and is in what might be termed a chronic state of passion, the husband confronts difficulties that are extraordinary in character. Such a marriage cannot possibly be productive of permanent happiness ...
... Love is a cementing force, a magnetic power that draws each sex toward the other. ... Love is the one solution of all marriage problems. Conserving love is the only way to insure happiness. There is much talk everywhere about marriage and divorce, preachers and writers in practically every case beating about the bush and assiduously avoiding the important fact that marital happiness and love are largely dependent upon a normal and happy sex life. ... Health and a normal life form the basis of happiness in the home, and health depends upon freedom from excesses or abuses and strict obedience to the physiological laws of marriage. ...
There are two classes of sexual disorders in men, the venereal diseases or infections on the one hand, and the various sexual weaknesses and disturbances of function on the other. ...
... Sexual excesses of any kind, whether within or without the sphere of marriage, tend to weaken and destroy virility. There is an old-fashioned idea that inasmuch as the marriage ceremony sanctions the sexual relation free indulgence therein between persons who have been united by that ceremony is perfectly proper. But excess is no less a crime against Nature because legalized by the marriage certificate. Whether within or without the marriage bond it is immoral, and destructive of sexual perfection. Unfortunately, ... sexual excesses in marriage appear to be the rule rather than the exception, with the result that there are many unhappy marriages and many debilitated men and women. ...
[There] are unnatural methods of intercourse, which, if long continued, tend to bring on either impotence or other serious weaknesses associated with congestion of the prostate gland and other parts of the generative system. The most widespread of these practices is coitus interruptus, often spoken of as ‘withdrawal.’ This consists in terminating the sexual relation just previous to the climax, or moment of highest intensity. This naturally involves a severe shock to the nerve centers concerned and cannot fail to be injurious both locally and to the general system. It is debilitating to the man, but it is usually an outrage upon the woman. ... Men who practice this method of intercourse for a term of years gradually experience a lessening of power, the ejaculation either being retarded or becoming more and more premature, and also develop a train of symptoms characteristic of nervous disorders as well as digestive and other functional disturbances.
Another injurious practice is the attempt to prolong the marital act beyond natural limits. The direct effect of this is to bring about a serious congestion of all the parts concerned, though it is probably most exhausting to the nerve centers involved. Of course the sexual act can only be prolonged by stopping it from time to time. Even then, if it is finally terminated in a natural manner, the result is not so bad as when the attempt is made to avoid the orgasm entirely. This is thoroughly unnatural and invariably harmful in the long run. ... [T]here are still some writers who advocate it, on the theory that by conserving vital energy through the retention of the seminal fluid it prolongs life. ...
If one wishes to conserve vital energy by avoiding the waste of the spermatic fluid, then the way to do it is to live a continent life, free from sexual excitement of any kind. Or, if not a completely celibate life, one in which temperance in the marital relation results naturally from obedience to a wife’s normal instincts ... To avoid waste of this fluid it is not necessary to practice absolute continence, and certainly there can be no advantage in achieving such an end by the sexually exciting and yet unnatural practice of engaging in sexual relationships in which the orgasm is suppressed. The harm done to the nervous centers, under such conditions, and the congestion of the parts will more than offset the fancied advantage of retaining the seminal fluid. If the passions have been aroused to the extent of demanding the sexual act, and if it has been entered into, then it should be concluded naturally. ...
Whether continence is harmful or not ... depends almost entirely upon whether or not one can live a life comparatively free from sexual excitement. If one can avoid sexual stimulation, it is both easy and beneficial to live a completely continent life. But if one has very strong sexual instincts and one’s passions are frequently aroused, then continuous abstinence would not only be difficult but unsatisfactory in its influence on the general health.
To avoid sexual excitement it is not alone necessary to avoid ... physical intimacies ... Erotic thoughts will do just as much harm, and after the habit of stimulating the sexual centers mentally has once been formed it is likely to be very persistent and insidious in its influence. This sensual state of mind keeps the sex centers in a state of constant excitement and the organs concerned in a state of congestion. It leads to prostate trouble, urethral congestion and irritability, varicocele [abnormal distension of the veins of the spermatic cord in the scrotum], and a general weakening of the entire function. This habit can best be described by the term, ‘mental masturbation’ ...
Alcohol is regarded by many men in the medical profession as a sexual stimulant, but there is nothing more destructive of reproductive integrity in the long run. ... Many writers have commented upon the curious effect of alcohol in both increasing the sexual appetite and diminishing the capacity for its satisfaction. It is hardly necessary to do more than refer to the facts that rape, like most other crimes, is commonly committed under the influence of alcohol, and that the groggery and the brothel are usually found together. ... The supposedly stimulating effect of alcohol on the sexual system is due largely to the fact that it first of all attacks the higher brain centres, thus lessening the power of inhibition, and naturally turning loose all the most primitive animal impulses, even though the power of satisfying these desires may be either impaired or entirely lost for the time. ...
When nicotine, the active principle of tobacco, is abstracted in its pure form, it is, perhaps next to prussic acid, the most rapidly fatal poison known. Of course in smoking one gets a very small amount of it, and the system is poisoned only gradually, but none the less the harm is done, and any man who values his reproductive vigor, and certainly one who wishes to overcome any weakness in this respect, should absolutely avoid the tobacco habit. Nicotine is a gastric irritant, it causes an undue flow of saliva, which is naturally a drain upon the system, it affects the vision, the heart, the lungs, the muscles, and especially it has a numbing effect upon the brain and nerves. ...
Drugs and stimulants of all kinds are similarly destructive to virility. There are certain drugs which are supposed to be sexually stimulating, but in the end they will be found to be injurious. Remember that anything which over-stimulates the sexual centers will only tend to exhaust them the sooner. ...
Vigorous exercise, or good hard work each day, both physical and mental, are highly desirable both for one’s general welfare and reproductive strength. A great objection to underwork, too, is that idleness, in the case of one lacking in character, permits the mind to dwell too much upon erotic fancies. Also, in some instances, the failure to use the energy of the body in legitimate ways sometimes leads the idler to divert an unnecessary and undesirable amount of it to sexual channels.
Masturbation, also commonly known as ‘self-abuse,’ is the greatest of all sexual evils, not only because of its widespread practice, and the opportunity for excesses, but especially because of the fact that it generally works its harm during the period of growth, when the results of any sexual mistake or abuse are far more serious than they would be in adult life.
The habit is injurious at any time of life, however, owing to the drain upon the constitution and the weakening or exhaustion of the nerve centers which it involves. It is truly an outrage upon the body – to such an extent that the effects are not only physical but moral or psychic as well. The mind and soul of the victim seem to be tainted at the same time that the body is weakened and sexual power impaired by this degrading practice.
Masturbation is often thought to be more harmful to boys than to girls, because of the direct drain upon the resources of the body in the case of the male through the loss of the seminal fluid. But when one considers the havoc wrought upon the more delicate nervous systems of young women it is not always so certain that they suffer less seriously from the practice than do young men.
Naturally the injury that results from this particular evil is influenced, to a very large extent, by two factors: first, the general vital vigor of the victim, and, second, by the effects on the whole physical fabric. For instance if one is what might be termed ‘high strung,’ possesses a delicately-adjusted and keenly-sensitive nervous system, the effects of a habit of this sort would be far greater than in those who might be described as phlegmatic in temperament. The phlegmatic temperament is usually protected by superior vitality, but also by less inclination to indulge in a habit of this sort. Therefore, it might be said that the more ability one possesses, the more alert and keen one’s mental capacity, the greater would be the inclination towards a habit of this sort and the greater would be the harm wrought by its indulgence.
We must also fully admit that the injury resulting therefrom is very greatly increased because of the usual inclination to worry about it. The mind and body act and react upon each other. The after effects of indulgence of this sort are strongly inclined towards mental perturbation and undoubtedly this tendency has been created as a means of self-protection from the evil, tending naturally to lessen gradually its practice.
Because of the almost universal prevalence of this evil the subject is one to which the closest attention should be given by every one, and especially by parents and educators. It is a possibility in the life of every child, boy or girl, and it is therefore imperative that parents should guard against it, not only by keeping in close touch with their children, but also by gaining and keeping their confidence and warning them of the physical and mental injury that follows self-abuse.
Owing to the secret character of the practice it is impossible to make any definite statements as to the extent to which it is carried on. Many writers of authority have even asserted that among boys the habit is universal. One investigator has said that out of every hundred men ninety-nine have masturbated at one time or another, and the hundredth is a liar. Such a statement is of course the utterance of an extremist. It may not be very far from the truth, but the situation is bad enough without exaggeration. That this secret vice has been practiced by the majority of young men to some extent, at one time or another, there seems to be no doubt. Various careful students have estimated that anywhere from seventy-five to ninety-five per cent. of young men have thus defiled themselves, some of them perhaps only for a short time, and to a moderate extent, and others excessively and for long periods. In most cases the practice is commenced in utter ignorance of the harm that may result from it, and when the victim learns that it is injurious and vicious he either stops it, or tries to stop it. In the latter case his struggle against it checks its frequency, and in that way mitigates its evil effects.
Girls are by no means free from the practice, though it is far less common among them, careful students having placed the percentage of those who indulge in it at anywhere from ten to twenty. It may be much more than this, however, owing to the greater secrecy of women in matters of this kind, and the consequent difficulty of obtaining information.
Prudery is undoubtedly one of the chief causes of masturbation, and it does not assume a merely negative role; for it not only keeps the young in ignorance of the harmfulness of the habit, but throws around the whole subject of sex an atmosphere of mystery which serves actively to stimulate the curiosity and interest of the child in this department of life, thereby making him only too ready to be initiated into practices of this kind at the first opportunity.
There is no doubt that the habit is most frequently begun through initiation by vicious or ignorant associates. It may be the stable boy, or the minister’s son, or any of the companions of the school playground. Occasionally it is a stupid, ignorant servant, possibly even a servant girl. The habit spreads as though it were some form of contagion. One learns it from another who has in turn been introduced to it by some one else.
Children are almost invariably ignorant of the fact that they are doing any real wrong, or injuring themselves, when commencing this habit. If the parents had their confidence and had warned them of the danger, they would be protected, to a great extent, against such influences. ... It may be true, as respectable, prudish people insist, that knowledge alone is not sufficient to prevent these vices in all cases. But I note that knowledge alone is often sufficient to enable the victim to break the habit, and it is far more difficult to break a habit than to avoid forming it. ...
Sometimes this habit is not acquired from others, but is commenced accidentally, or as a result of curiosity as may be observed in monkeys. Not rarely it is due to some irritation or itching of the parts concerned, which is directly due to lack of cleanliness. If strict cleanliness of these parts is maintained, the young boy or girl will usually be unconscious of their existence, unless attention is drawn to them through outside influences. ...
The hygienic requirements of the body in this matter should be taught to every child very early in life. ... The local use of plenty of soap and water is effective in preventing irritation of these parts, and when there is inflammation that makes them sensitive to soap a solution of boric acid will be found a good cleansing and antiseptic agent.
The age at which masturbation is most commonly practiced is between puberty and maturity, although it may be found at almost any time of life. It is carried on by many men and by some women throughout adult life. It is sometimes begun in early childhood, and even in infancy, usually as a result of irritation. The coming of puberty, however, with the rapid development of the reproductive system and the sex instinct, is the most dangerous period, and it is in the few years following this change that the habit is most weakening, because of the drain on the seminal fluid. Abuses that might be tolerated by an adult with comparatively little inconvenience would at the time of puberty or a little later, be sufficient to wreck the constitution.
The harmful results of masturbation are twofold in character, the habit being, first, destructive to the sexual function itself, and, second, debilitating to the constitution. In other words, the habit is unsexing on the one hand, and on the other hand tends to undermine the strength of the body generally. ...
To just what extent is masturbation injurious? ...
In the first place, there is no question that the harmfulness of the practice was greatly exaggerated by the early writers, and there is no doubt that some of the more recent writers have drawn their conclusions from the statements made by the former. On the other hand, there are many writers of the present time who go to the opposite extreme in declaring that masturbation does little or no harm in most cases.
Both of these extremes are wrong. The fact that a young man may survive an experience does not mean that it has been good for him, or without bad effects.
Many writers of the present time are undoubtedly doing much harm by belittling the effects of self-abuse. They have so much to say about the exaggerations of the early writers that the reader is likely to get the impression that the habit is not so injurious after all, and therefore does not try to break it. ... [I]t is foolish to give the impression that the practice is of little importance, or to say that nearly every one has been addicted to it and that most of them have survived with good health and functions unimpaired.
The fact is that masturbation is always detrimental, even in the most moderate degree, and when carried far is extremely destructive. If not commenced until after mature years have been arrived at the results will be less serious. Unfortunately, however, it is practiced, in nearly all cases, before the age of eighteen years, more often from fourteen to sixteen, and sometimes it is kept up from the age of twelve or fourteen until marriage – occasionally even after that. It is really true that when practiced extensively in the early years of youth the results are often almost serious enough to justify the horrible pen pictures painted by the sensational and exaggerating writers of a generation ago. And even in adult life it is sufficiently debilitating, robbing a man of his bodily energies, his mental strength, his spirit and his ambition, besides weakening the sex function itself and inducing a condition of general unfitness for marriage. It is a serious matter even in adult life.
The great consideration to keep in mind is that the harm depends very largely upon the extent to which, and the length of time during which the practice has been carried on. ... It is well to remember, also, that some constitutions seem to be much stronger than others in this respect and can stand far more abuse, just as some men can tolerate more alcohol and tobacco without showing the immediate effects, even though these poisons are continually injuring them. ...
The fact is that masturbation is always weakening and devitalizing, either in youth or in adult life. It is a process of accomplishing gradually what castration accomplishes suddenly. It means the slow undermining of manhood and all that goes with it. That the harm is often exaggerated is doubtless true, but in view of the fact that the practice, when carried far enough, utterly unfits a man for marriage and for life, any attempt to minimize its seriousness may be criminally misleading. The fact that the victim may still be able to dress himself and walk about and eat does not necessarily mean that he is a man. It does not indicate that he has not been harmed. The results may range in different cases all the way from nocturnal seminal losses and varicocele down to complete impotence. ...
What is known as ‘prematurity,’ or precipitate ejaculation, a condition which is nearly as serious as complete impotence in disqualifying the victim for marriage, is one of the most common of the results of masturbation in men. There are, of course, various degrees of prematurity, ranging from a mild case, to an extreme sensitiveness or ‘hair trigger’ condition, in which the ejaculation may take place upon slight excitement, or even before attempting the relationship. More or less prematurity is invariably the result when masturbation has been practiced to any material extent. In women the most frequent result is to delay the orgasm, perhaps through less sensitiveness. In some cases it also leads to prematurity in women. Impotence, too, may be the result in both sexes, or complete absence of any sexual desire.
Masturbation tends to exhaust the nerve centers of the spine. In also produces such a congestion of the various organs and glands of the reproductive system, and taxes their strength to such an extent as to cause varicocele, prostate enlargement, urethral inflammation, especially of the posterior urethra, possible atrophy of the testicles or other parts, seminal losses and other special disorders which will be taken up thoroughly in later chapters.
The general bodily effects of masturbation, apart from the effect on the generative system itself, are to be seen in a lack of energy or general lassitude, a weakened muscular system, an all-around lack of development, sometimes a dragging gait, weakness of the bladder, or urinary symptoms, a pale or sallow complexion, often with dark rings around the eyes, as well as pimples and blackheads, poor memory, difficulty in study or mental concentration, lack of self-confidence, a tendency to avoid the society of others, especially that of the opposite sex, and an inability to look other people in the eye. Of course these symptoms are typical only of serious cases. When the habit has not been carried very far, or has not been productive of much harm, they will not be in evidence. The mental or psychic symptoms are especially important and may be observed in varying degrees. A naturally strong-minded character may overcome some of them as for instance the lack of confidence, by force of will, but in many cases these anti-social symptoms are extremely marked. Weakened memory and poor mental concentration are among the most persistent and common of such symptoms.
The personal appearance does not, however, always indicate addiction to this habit, contrary to the statements of some of the old writers. When the individual has inherited extraordinary vitality, his natural strength may enable him to endure considerable abuse without showing it externally, so that we cannot, as a rule, judge by appearances. ...
[M]asturbation, of course, tends to derange the internal functions, weakening digestion and otherwise impairing the quality of the blood, so that pimples are likely to occur. In other words, acne is often found upon the face, shoulders, chest and back of masturbators as a symptom of lowered vitality but is not the positive indication that some have supposed. In some cases the health is undermined only slowly, during a period of years, and the appearance for a long time may indicate nothing wrong.
The nervous results of this habit are serious, being in the case of many women victims, the most pronounced of all. Neurasthenia frequently follows, and failing memory and brain fag are commonly experienced. After the habit has been broken there will be a gradual recovery from these conditions, but so long as one suffers from excessive night losses or spermatorrhea one will continue to feel these effects of nervous depletion.
The question of insanity resulting from masturbation is one that particularly requires attention, inasmuch as all the old writers on the subject had a great deal to say about it. ... [T]he truth is, according to extensive scientific investigations, that no one needs to worry about going insane as a result of this habit. ...
When insanity is not induced by heredity it results from the effect of poisons upon the body and brain, or from injuries to the head. Most insanity is directly due to the destruction of brain cells through poisoning. The alcohol poison, for instance, is to blame for one-fourth or more of all cases to be found in asylums. Habit-forming drugs are often responsible. A large percentage of criminals also are drug-fiends, when they are not alcoholic. The poison of syphilis is another cause of insanity, producing paresis or general paralysis, popularly known as ‘softening of the brain.’ In a similar way the poisons of other diseases sometimes affect the brain. ...
[T]he mental symptoms [of masturbation] I have mentioned, brain fag, poor memory, inability to concentrate and all that sort of thing, are purely neurasthenic symptoms, and not evidences of approaching insanity. They simply mean a lack of energy, impoverished blood, a depleted condition of the system, and nothing more.
There is one somewhat misleading fact that has probably had much to do with the belief that masturbation leads to madness. This is the prevalence of the vice among the feeble-minded and the insane. They lack all sense of restraint, and many of them are inclined to indulge in the practice immoderately. We should recognize in such cases that the mental defect is the cause of the habit, instead of supposing that the habit is the cause of the mental defect. It was easy for the old writers to confuse cause and effect. ...
Practically the same thing applies to locomotor ataxia and other extreme conditions. Locomotor ataxia, like paresis, is usually a result of syphilis. There are some good authorities who still hold that masturbation or sexual excess in exceptional and extreme cases may cause paralysis or locomotor ataxia, and it is possible that these conditions might result in the exhaustion of the nerve-centers of the spine. In many cases those who have abused themselves complain of aches and pains in the spine, which, perhaps indicate the partial breaking down of the nerve-centers, but paralysis and similar disorders, if possible at all, would result only from extreme and prolonged abuse of this kind.
Remember that the general bodily effect of masturbation is debility, which naturally affects all organs and functions. It is true that masturbation is actually the cause of death in many cases, but it is because the system has been undermined so that the sufferer becomes an easy victim of tuberculosis or any other disease which may come along. There is no doubt that this habit is the predisposing cause of death in thousands of cases in which the death certificate by the physician names some specific disease.
The important question is, how may the habit be conquered? Following that comes the question, how may one overcome the weakness resulting from it? For we shall have to deal not only with the actual habit, but with the various disorders of the generative system which it leaves behind. To a large extent the same treatment that will be required to overcome the effects of the habit will also help one to fight against it and overcome it.
The remedial measures must be of a two-fold character, physical and mental. It would be hard to say which of these is the more important part of the treatment, for both are absolutely essential. One can do nothing without the proper mental attitude and the strengthening of the will that will make possible the rigid restraint it will be necessary to exercise. Habit is the strongest thing in the world, and when this practice has been continued for a long time it is just as well to make up your mind in the beginning that you have a hard fight on your hands, and possibly a long fight. It is a fight, however, in which others have won and in which you can win if you stick to it.
In the first place the building up of the bodily vigor is imperative, not only for its own sake but also for the sake of the stronger mind that will result from it and which is necessary for the fight against this evil. Strength of will and mind, you will find, are difficult to develop in a poorly functioning body, with a deficient blood supply to the brain and a broken-down system of nerves. One should therefore do everything possible to cultivate bodily vigor and strength. The more nearly you can attain to a body perfectly developed in other respects, the more hope you may have of regaining your sexual strength. Take pride in your body and its strength. Build yourself up as nearly as possible into the condition of an athlete, not only by special exercises such as I am describing in another chapter, but by various athletic activities in the open air that are suited to your strength and muscular powers.
Remember that the most effective way of building up any part of the body is to improve the quality of the blood and increase the circulation. It is for this reason that exercise and other measures that tend to build up the entire constitution are essential in overcoming the effects of self-abuse. ...
The diet is important and should be non-stimulating in character. Meat and eggs should not be used too freely, and in some few difficult cases in which the assimilation is especially poor, it would be better to avoid them entirely. The red meats are especially stimulating and objectionable in some cases, although they may be helpful in a case of impotence. Fish and chicken are less pronounced in their effect, and may be used moderately. Not only alcoholic drinks, but even tea and coffee, should be avoided, and it is hardly necessary to say that pepper, hot sauces and condiments of all kinds are objectionable. This does not necessarily apply to salt. Uncooked foods, particularly fruits, green salads, nuts, buttermilk and other things that you can eat and enjoy raw should be used extensively in the diet.
It is also important to avoid any inclination toward constipation. There is no doubt that this is an important factor in many cases, accumulations in the colon naturally pressing upon the prostate and crowding the other structures in such a way as to produce excitement of the parts, or at least to increase it. Therefore the bowels should be kept open and regular. There should be no irritation of the parts through an over-distended colon.
So far as the mental treatment of masturbation is concerned, the first great requirement is to enter into the fight with the unfaltering determination that you are going to break the habit, and then stick to it until you have done so. The second essential is to stop worrying about it, and the third is to become so busy, filling your life with so many forms of mental activity, that the old habit will not have any chance to assert itself or to worry you. Your mind must be so occupied with other matters that there will be no opportunity for dwelling on licentious thoughts. The fourth requirement is to avoid being too much by yourself, and to cultivate the society of refined people just as much as you possibly can.
If the habit has taken a strong hold, you may be disappointed to find that in spite of your best resolutions you have been unable to escape from its bondage. This is a fairly common experience with those who have been addicted to this practice for a considerable time. They struggle with all their will power, restraining themselves for perhaps a considerable period, and then some day the force of the old habit may be too much for them and they ‘fall.’ At least, the result of the struggle has been to make indulgence less frequent, and that is a great deal. But one should not be content with that. One should never stop fighting until the weakness has been mastered, finally and for all. Do not be discouraged if you should have occasional failures, but each time start out again with even greater determination than before to conquer the habit and to build up the physical strength and mental stamina that will make it easier for you to succeed.
Remember that each time you resist the inclination you are helping to form the habit of resistance. Each time you gain in the power to resist, and even though you may backslide occasionally, yet by continually resisting the impulse and fighting the good fight, you will gradually gain the strength of will that will enable you to stop the practice entirely. There are some who are able to break off once and for all in the very beginning. Make up your mind that you are going to be one of that class. But if you fail, don’t be discouraged; just fight all the harder.
Cultivate pride and self-respect. Hold up your head. Make others respect you. No matter what your work may be, even if it is only study of some kind, make up your mind that you will do the best that can be done. In that way you will gain the respect of others as well as of yourself. The psychological effect of your attitude toward others is a tremendous factor. Anything that will tend to add to your sense of pride will help you powerfully.
Personal cleanliness is a tremendous aid in this particular respect. Cultivate even a fastidious attitude toward the cleanliness of your person and your apparel. The feeling of immaculate cleanliness adds greatly to one’s self-respect, and the effect upon the whole moral nature is such that one will less readily stoop to any depraved action. Try it out and you will see.
Many persons are so constituted that the manner in which they are dressed has a great deal to do with their mental attitude. As a rule the clothing need not be costly, but it should be kept clean and neat ... Do everything possible – no matter what – to arouse your pride and self-respect. ... If you cultivate a body that you can be proud of, you will be less inclined to abuse it.
Stop worrying and brooding over your trouble. Get your mind away from it. I have already explained that there is no danger of insanity, and that the mental symptoms are simply the result of the debility that naturally follows the loss of the chemically rich and highly vitalized fluids that should have been employed in building strength of brain and bone and muscle. You can absolutely depend upon it that as you tone up your vital organs and strengthen your body as a whole your mental powers will return to their full strength and you will gradually regain your sexual vigor.
So you can simply dismiss all these worries from your mind and devote yourself heart and soul to the work of getting back your manhood. Forget the past. Live for the present and the future. Make up your mind what you intend to do in a business or professional way, determine to be a success in your chosen work, and then strive for it, forgetting your weakness and the causes of it. Let your thoughts be positive and constructive, and they will crowd out the brooding, gloomy fancies. It is true that it is easier to say ‘Stop worrying,’ than to do it, but the way to do it is to fill your mind up with other things, so that the worry will simply drop out of sight and be forgotten. Let the dead past bury its dead. You are going to make a man of yourself in the best sense of the word, in every sense of the word, and let that determination satisfy you.
Mental activity is the greatest thing in the world by which to combat either this habit or any other. You cannot have too many interests to take up your time and attention. The one thing that will make success impossible is loafing. Idleness is the great insurmountable obstacle. If you have nothing to do, find something. Inactivity will give your mind a chance either to dwell upon erotic thoughts or to worry about your condition, and both of these should be rigidly avoided. Don’t be lazy. Do something! Do many things! In the very first place, get out of bed with a jump the instant you wake up. Make it a habit. Don’t lie in bed for a while, even if it does feel soft and warm. If you are on the go from the time you wake up, you will be tired enough to sleep when you go to bed, so that you will have little time to lie awake.
To keep your mind occupied, cultivate all kinds of hobbies and sources of interest. It does not matter what these are, so long as they take up your whole attention. This keeping busy will do more than anything else to enable you to conquer the habit. ... Above all, don’t forget the great outdoor pastimes. ...
It is of course imperative that you should avoid allowing your mind to dwell upon lustful fancies. ... Whenever you find your mind occupied with thoughts of this kind, immediately get up and do something active. ... The only way you can keep these thoughts out is by getting other things into your head to crowd them out. If you will follow my suggestion about having no idle time on your hands, you will have no trouble. ...
The psychological effect of masturbation in causing a lack of self-confidence, timidity in meeting people, and a tendency to avoid them, especially members of the opposite sex, is a very curious one. It demonstrates that this practice is not only an offense against the physical integrity of the body, but that it is a spiritual and moral offense as well. ...
[T]he practical thing to do in breaking away from this habit is to cultivate the company of others instead of avoiding it. The greatest of all mistakes is to be too much alone. If you could even manage to spend every minute of your waking time in the society of others it would keep you out of trouble and would make it easy to break the habit absolutely. In any case, be with others as much as possible, though of course they should not be people of vulgar tastes or with a vicious point of view. Bad associates would naturally be worse than none. However, fight against the tendency toward timidity or lack of confidence, and you will soon find that you are not so easily embarrassed. As you leave the habit further behind you you will find yourself more and more free from this curious mental condition.
Most of all I would strongly urge you to seek the company of refined members of the opposite sex. This is almost the best advice I can offer. ... The mutual enjoyment of social intercourse between the two sexes is natural, and conduces to the physical, moral and spiritual welfare of both. Of course in the company of the opposite sex, there should be no holding of hands or personal intimacies. It is often a good plan to join some congenial social group, such as is found in churches, the Y.M.C.A. and other social or religious organizations.
It will of course be necessary for each one to study his own problem. In the light of what I have said any one should be able to plan some system of safeguarding himself against yielding to the force of habit. If there is any special excitement of the generative system, a cold spinal pack applied for twenty minutes or longer, will have a satisfactory depressing effect. Fold a towel lengthwise, wring out the cold water and place upon the spine. This will not have the injurious reaction of the bromide or other drug treatment for allaying sexual excitement.
In occasional instances, it might possibly be a good plan to change one’s location, to occupy a different room, or even to go away into an entirely new environment. In this way one would be better able to get away from the force of suggestion that might cling to old surroundings. I do not say this is necessary, but it would often help.
Good books, poetry, history, oratory, music and all inspiring forms of art are among the refining influences that are valuable to raise the level of one’s thoughts to a higher plane. Beautiful pictures are helpful.
To what extent can one overcome the effects of self-abuse? It would be impossible to give an answer to this question that would fit all cases. It depends partly on the natural strength possessed by each individual, partly upon the extent to which he has indulged in the practice and partly upon how long and faithfully he works to improve himself. In what I may call the average case the prospects of satisfactory results are always good. Cases even much worse than the average are always hopeful. Even where there is impotence it is often possible to recover a fair degree of virility. ...
I will say frankly that one cannot expect to bring about revolutionary changes in a week or a month. It would take a considerable time. If the habit has extended over a period of years it may take two or three years of persistent physical culture, clean living and clean thinking to realize a satisfactory change for the better. Remember that I cannot promise such quick or such complete results in extreme cases as in the average. Yet a few months will accomplish wonders for some persons. Perhaps I might say that as a general rule the length of time for getting satisfactory results depends partly upon the number of years during which the victim has been under the influence of the habit, with the reservation that the condition is much more serious when the practice has been commenced at or near puberty than when it has been begun in maturity or near maturity. ...
If you have built up robust physical health, if you are happily married and seem to have fully recovered from the weakening effects of past follies, then you can rest assured that you will have normal and healthy children. It is not so much a question of your past as of your present condition. ... If both parents are properly nourished, if they have plenty of vitality, and are free from the effects of stimulants and poisons, they can be sure of normal, vigorous children. ...
Marriage has been much advised as a cure for masturbation. In some instances it is true that it may prove to be a complete solution of the problem, if the abuse has not been carried too far, and has been practiced in adult life chiefly because of an unmated existence. But when one is a slave to the habit, and has been decidedly weakened by it, marriage is the most dangerous of all remedies. Unless properly regulated it may weaken the sufferer still further, causing absolute impotence. Again, in many cases, the force of habit is so strong that it is continued even after marriage, which certainly is not to be recommended. One should conquer the habit first. If the masturbator is able to demonstrate that he can refrain from his injurious practice for a period of several months at a time, that he is master of himself, and that he is a man in the true sense, then marriage might be permitted. With these pointers for guidance, any man should be able to solve the problem in his own case.
Seminal losses are so common among young men as to be almost universal, and even when not definitely weakening often cause much mental distress and worry.
Though these losses most frequently take the form of nocturnal emissions during sleep, they may also occur as daytime emissions – often in connection with straining at stool – or, occasionally, as discharges backward into the bladder, or as the gradual leakage to which has been given the name of spermatorrhea. These involuntary losses of the seminal fluid are extremely debilitating in certain cases; in others they may be more alarming than injurious, and detrimental chiefly through their mental effect upon the victim. ...
[I]f you are vigorous and these emissions take place only at intervals of ten days or more, they will not be likely to have any injurious effect. ...
The primary cause of too many seminal losses is to be found chiefly in the stimulating influences of our artificial civilized life, but the direct cause in nine cases out of ten is undoubtedly masturbation. Through this habit there has been established a continuous active secretion of the seminal fluid, and after the practice has been stopped the excessive and rapidly accumulating secretion naturally finds an outlet through these emissions, occurring at intervals the frequency of which depends largely upon the extent to which self-abuse has been carried on and the parts concerned weakened. It frequently happens, also, that when one has been married and accustomed to regular sexual intercourse, involuntary emissions occur when this relationship is suddenly discontinued. ...
It may be that nocturnal emissions would occur sometimes in the case of a full-blooded and healthy young man who had never indulged in either sexual intercourse or masturbation, simply through the natural active secretion of the sexual glands, and perhaps partly as a result of more or less amorous excitement, as there is no question that various mental influences, such as lascivious thoughts, erotic stories, suggestive theatrical performances, vulgar jokes and other stimulating factors have a great deal to do with the question in all cases. I am inclined to think, however, that these losses would occur very rarely if there were not some predisposing cause such as masturbation or habitual sexual indulgence. ...
When the immediate result of seminal losses is physical and mental depletion – lassitude, sluggishness of all the vital processes, and difficulty in study or concentrated thinking – their character is plainly indicated as pathological. When no immediate ill effects are noticeable, however, they may be making an excessive drain upon the system, and quietly undermining the constitution. ...
[N]ight losses accompanied by voluptuous dreams and sensations, followed by waking, represent the normal or physiological type of involuntary emissions. If not too frequent there is little or nothing to feel concerned about. When there is no dream or sensation, and one does not wake up, it is clear that there is already a decided weakness of the sexual system. When the losses occur in the daytime they indicate an even more serious weakness of the organs, and the nerve-centers controlling them. ... Spermatorrhea does not often occur except after the most excessive masturbation, as for instance when it has been practiced daily or even more than daily, for some time. ...
The results of excessive seminal losses upon the constitution are very much the same as those of masturbation, inasmuch as there is the same drain of the chemically rich and highly vitalized semen. ... Naturally, the system can ill afford the frequent loss of the highly phosphorized seminal fluid, and the effect upon the brain is especially pronounced, as in the case of masturbation. The typical loss of memory, lack of mental energy, lack of ambition and difficulty in concentration of thought in work or study for any length of time are all pronounced in any serious case of seminal losses. ...
THE TREATMENT
... It is necessary to tone up the sexual system, strengthening the nerves, muscles and all tissues concerned. In order to do this the first requirement is to improve the circulation and build general bodily vigor ...
You will be greatly handicapped in your efforts, however, if you do not observe certain mental requirements in the way of keeping the mind free from lascivious thoughts and sexually stimulating influences. Do this ... by so filling the mind with wholesome activities and interests that there will be no room or time for sensuality. Remember that it was the mental attitude that was first chiefly responsible for the trouble. So long as you harbor erotic thoughts they will cause congestion of the generative organs and the filling up of the seminal vesicles with an excessive secretion. ... Avoid suggestive literature. Don’t read novels that dwell upon passionate love-making. Avoid the burlesque theatres. Avoid caressing members of the opposite sex and all other exciting influences or conditions. ...
A non-stimulating diet is especially important so long as there exists the sensitive and irritable condition which causes seminal losses to occur on the slightest provocation. ...
[A] full bladder during the night often helps to cause an emission through pressure upon the prostate gland and seminal vesicles, producing irritation and excitement of these parts. The bladder should be emptied before going to bed, and if you can form the habit of waking up at about two o’clock in the morning, to empty the bladder again, it would do a great deal to prevent seminal emissions from taking place. ...
Constipation must also be guarded against. It greatly aggravates the trouble, and is often a contributing cause, inasmuch as a full colon crowds all the surrounding parts and a distended rectum presses directly against the prostate gland and seminal vesicles. ... Avoid sleeping on the back. ...
Open-air life and plenty of exercise to strengthen the sexual system are especially advised. ...
All forms of cold bathing, in conjunction with exercise, will be advantageous. ... One should not, however, depend upon baths and local treatment of that character. Everything possible should be done to build vitality and improve the circulation. Mountain climbing, outdoor pastimes, cross-country walks, and outdoor sleeping are especially valuable. Air baths are of great benefit in toning up the nerves. There should be no excess of clothing or overheating of the body. ...
Masturbation in the healthy, normal boy must at all times be discouraged. Its effects on the individual’s health and development can never be beneficial. But ... let me say just a word or two to the young man or woman who has practiced the habit and wants to give it up. The only way to conquer any habit is to STOP – HERE and NOW! That’s all there is to it. Your own sense of manliness or womanliness is strong enough to conquer all the vices or habits of modern civilization. You cannot afford to violate your body by breaking nature’s law. It’s not a matter of today. It’s your future happiness, your life’s ambition, your children, and your children’s children. The sooner you learn that what you do today is determined by your acts of yesterday, and will in turn determine what you do tomorrow, the sooner you will begin to follow nature’s few simple, fundamental rules, and the happier you will be. Just make the right start today. Tomorrow will take care of itself.