orthless or dangerous drugs and certain to lead to some painful malady or
death. All these patent medicines should be carefully avoided. People who
are troubled with any of these ailments should not attempt to doctor
themselves by taking drugs, but a competent physician should be consulted.
Eating rye, corn, or graham bread, oatmeal, cracked wheat, plenty of fruit,
etc. is a splendid medicine. If that is not sufficient, then a physician
should be consulted.

18. DRUGS WHICH MODERATE DESIRE.--Among one of the most common domestic
remedies is camphor. This has stood the test for ages. Small doses of half
a grain in most instances diminishes the sensibility of the organs of sex.
In some cases it produces irritation of the bladder. In that case it should
be at once discontinued. On the whole a physician had better be consulted.
The safest drug among domestic remedies is a strong tea made out of hops.
Saltpeter, or nitrate of potash, taken in moderate quantities, are very
good remedies.

{251}

19. STRICTLY SPEAKING there is a distinction made between _impotence_ and
_sterility_. _Impotence_ is a loss of power to engage in the sexual act and
is common to men. It may be imperfection in the male organ or a lack of
sufficient sexual vigor to produce and maintain erection. _Sterility_ is a
total loss of capacity in the reproduction of the species, and is common to
women.

There are, however, very few causes of barrenness that cannot be removed
when the patient is perfectly developed. Sterility, in a female, most
frequently depends upon a weakness or irritability either in the ovaries or
the womb, and anything having a strengthening effect upon either organ will
remove the disability. (See page 249.)

20. "OVER-INDULGENCE in intercourse," says Dr. Hoff, "is sometimes the
cause of barrenness; this is usually puzzling to the interested parties,
inasmuch as the practices which, in their opinion, should be the source of
a numerous progeny, have the very opposite effect. By greatly moderating
their ardor, this defect may be remedied."

21. "NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE.--A certain adaptation between the male and
female has been regarded as necessary to conception, consisting of some
mysterious influence which one sex exerts over the other, neither one,
however, being essentially impotent or sterile. The man may impregnate one
woman and not another, and the woman will conceive by one man and not by
another. In the marriage of Napoleon