Part 11 (2/2)
”'Married now, with home and children around me, I can at least thank G.o.d for the experience which will a.s.suredly be the means of preventing my little daughters from indulging in any such dangerous pleasure. But, if a young girl, pure and innocent in the beginning, can be brought to feel what I have confessed to have felt, what must be the experience of a married woman? _She_ knows what every glance of the eye, every bend of the head, every close clasp means, and knowing that, reciprocates it, and is led by swifter steps and a surer path down the dangerous, dishonorable road.
”'I doubt if my experience will be of much service, but it is the candid truth, from a woman who, in the cause of all the young girls who may be contaminated, desires to show just to what extent a young mind may be defiled by the injurious effects of round dances. I have not hesitated to lay bare what are a young girl's most secret thoughts, in the hope that people will stop and consider, at least, before handing their lilies of purity over to the arms of any one who may choose to blow the frosty breath of dishonor on their petals.'”
Much more might be added on this important subject, would the limits of this work allow; but this must suffice. We beg the reader to consider carefully and prayerfully the facts presented before deciding that dancing is so harmless as many persons suppose.
Physical Causes of Unchast.i.ty.--Some of the physical causes of impurity in women have been previously referred to, since it is through physical injuries that unhealthful clothing exerts its influence. Too little is generally known of the intimate connection between physical and mental conditions. Doubtless, many vices originate in physical imperfections. Indeed, when the full bearing of physical influences upon the mind is allowed, it is difficult to avoid pleading extenuating circ.u.mstances in the cases of the greatest share of transgressors of both moral and civil laws. This principle is especially applicable to s.e.xual relations.
In males, one of the most general physical causes of s.e.xual excitement is _constipation_. The vesicula seminalis, in which the seminal fluid is stored, is situated, as will be remembered, at the base of the bladder.
It thus has the bladder in front, and the r.e.c.t.u.m behind. In constipation, the r.e.c.t.u.m becomes distended with feces, effete matter which should have been promptly evacuated instead of being allowed to acc.u.mulate.
This hardened ma.s.s presses upon the parts most intimately concerned in the s.e.xual act, causing excessive local excitement. When this condition is chronic, as in habitual constipation, the unnatural excitement often leads to most serious results. One of these is the production of a horrible disease, _satyriasis_, the nature of which has been previously indicated.
_Constipation_ in females has the same tendency, though the dangers are not quite so great. The irritation is sufficient, however, to lead to excitement of the pa.s.sions.
_Intestinal worms_ often produce the same result in children.
_Local uncleanliness_ is another very frequent cause which is often overlooked. The natural local secretions quickly become a source of great irritation if not removed by daily was.h.i.+ng. Certain anatomical peculiarities sometimes exist in the male which greatly aggravate this difficulty, and for which circ.u.mcision, or an equivalent operation, is the remedy.
_Irritation of the bladder_, producing incontinence of urine, is another enemy to chast.i.ty. It should receive prompt attention and treatment. In children, this irritability is indicated by wetting of the bed at night. In cases of this kind, allow the child little drink in the latter portion of the day. See that the bladder is emptied just before he goes to bed. Wake him once or twice during the night, and have him urinate. Use all possible means to remove the cause of irritation by giving him plenty of out-of-door exercise and a very simple, though nutritious, diet. Avoid meat, eggs, and condiments.
Modern Modes of Life.--Aside from all of the causes already enumerated, there are many other conditions and circ.u.mstances, the result of modern habits of living, that tend directly toward the excitement of sensuality. Superheated rooms, sedentary employments, the development of the mental and nervous organizations at the expense of the muscular, the cramming system in schools, too long confinement of school-children in a sitting position, the allowance of too great freedom between the s.e.xes in the young, the demoralizing influence of most varieties of public amus.e.m.e.nt, b.a.l.l.s, church fairs, and other like influences too numerous to mention, all tend in the one direction, that of abnormal excitation and precocious development of the s.e.xual functions.
It is not an exaggeration to say that for one conforming to modern modes of living, eating, sleeping, and drinking, absolute chast.i.ty is next to an absolute impossibility. This would certainly be true without a special interposition of Providence; but Providence never works miracles to obviate the results of voluntary sin.
CONTINENCE.
Continence differs from chast.i.ty in being entire restraint from s.e.xual indulgence under all circ.u.mstances, while chast.i.ty is only restraint from unlawful indulgence. As we have both physical and mental chast.i.ty, so continence should be both mental and physical. Many of the observations on the subject of ”Chast.i.ty” apply with equal force to continence. The causes of incontinence are the same as those of unchast.i.ty. The same relation also exists between mental and physical continence as between mental and physical chast.i.ty.
The subject of continence evidently has a somewhat wider scope than that of chast.i.ty, as generally understood; but as we have considered the latter subject so fully, we shall devote less s.p.a.ce to this, leaving the reader to make the application of such preceding remarks as reason may suggest to him are equally appropriate here.
Without stopping to consider the various circ.u.mstances under which absolute continence is expedient, or desirable, or morally required, we will proceed at once to examine the question, Is continence harmful?
Continence not Injurious.--It has been claimed by many, even by physicians,--and with considerable show of reason,--that absolute continence, after full development of the organs of reproduction, could not be maintained without great detriment to health. It is needless to enumerate all the different arguments employed to support this position, since they are, with a few exceptions, too frivolous to deserve attention. We shall content ourselves chiefly with quotations from acknowledged authorities, by which we shall show that the popular notions upon this subject are wholly erroneous. Their general acceptance has been due, without doubt, to the strong natural bias in their favor. It is an easy matter to believe what agrees well with one's predilections. A bare surmise, on the side of prejudice, is more telling than the most powerful logic on the other side.
”We know that this opinion is held by men of the world, and that many physicians share it. This belief appears to us to be erroneous, without foundation, and easily refuted.”[6]
[Footnote 6: Mayer.]
The same writer claims ”that no peculiar disease nor any abridgment of the duration of life can be ascribed to such continence.” He proves his position by appealing to statistics, and shows the fallacy of arguments in support of the contrary view. He further says:--
”It is determined, in our opinion, that the commerce of the s.e.xes has no necessities that cannot be restrained without peril.”
”A part has been a.s.signed to _spermatic plethora_ in the etiology of various mental affections. Among others, priapism has been attributed to it. In our opinion, this malady originates in a disturbance of the cerebral nerve power; but it is due much less to the retention of sperm than to its exaggerated loss; much less to virtuous abstinence than to moral depravity.”
There has evidently been a wide-spread deception upon this subject.
”Health does not absolutely require that there should ever be an emission of s.e.m.e.n, from p.u.b.erty to death, though the individual live a hundred years; and the frequency of involuntary nocturnal emissions is an indubitable proof that the parts, at least, are suffering under a debility and morbid irritability utterly incompatible with the general welfare of the system.”
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