oncerned. In a careful study of sexual perversity in a large asylum,
Naecke found that, while moderate masturbation could be more easily traced
among men than among women, excessive masturbation was more common among
women. And, while among the men masturbation was most frequent in the
lowest grades of mental development (idiocy and imbecility), and least
frequent in the highest grades (general paralysis), in the women it was
the reverse. (P. Naecke, "Die Sexuellen Perversitaeten in der Irrenanstalt,"
_Psychiatrische en Neurologische Bladen_, No. 2, 1899.)

[309] Mammary masturbation sometimes occurs; see, e.g., Rohleder, _Die
Masturbation_ (pp. 32-33); it is, however, rare.

[310] Hirschsprung pointed out this, indeed, many years ago, on the ground
of his own experience. And see Rohleder, op. cit., pp. 44-47.

[311] In many cases, of course, the physical precocity is associated with
precocity in sexual habits. An instructive case is reported (_Alienist and
Neurologist_, October, 1895) of a girl of 7, a beautiful child, of healthy
family, and very intelligent, who, from the age of three, was perpetually
masturbating, when not watched. The clitoris and mons veneris were those
of a fully-grown woman, and the child was as well informed upon most
subjects as an average woman. She was cured by care and hygienic
attention, and when seen last was in excellent condition. A medical friend
tells me of a little girl of two, whose external genital organs are
greatly developed, and who is always rubbing herself.

[312] R.T. Morris, of New York, has also pointed out the influence of
traditions in this respect. "Among boys," he remarks, "there are
traditions to the effect that self-abuse is harmful. Among girls, however,
there are no such saving traditions." Dr. Kiernan writes in a private
letter: "It has been by experience, that from ignorance or otherwise,
there are young women who do not look upon sexual manipulation with the
same fear that men do." Guttceit, similarly, remarks that men have been
warned of masturbation, and fear its evil results, while girls, even if
warned, attach little importance to the warning; he adds that in healthy
women, masturbation, even in excess, has little bad results. The attitude
of many women in this matter may be illustrated by the following passage
from a letter written by a medical friend in India: "The other day one of
my English women patients gave me the following reason for having taught
th