ind groups of young
inverts who succeed by cunning in seducing their friends. The mention
of these phenomena, which from time to time give rise to school
scandals, should be enough to make any one who is unprejudiced
understand the urgency for instructing children betimes in sexual
questions. This is a duty which is necessary in the name of hygiene
and morality.

It is evident that if parents and masters exchange ideas on this
subject with children, freely but decently, they will soon bring to
light the sexual nature of the latter. They will discover which girls
are cold and indifferent, and which are precociously erotic.

It is needless to say that one should speak and act differently in the
two cases. There is no risk in instructing the first on the whole
sexual question, but prudence is required with the latter, who should
be guarded against anything which stimulates their appetite, by
warning them of the dangers of venereal disease, illegitimate children
and seduction.

We sometimes meet with young girls of hysterical nature with inverted
inclinations, who become enamored of other girls and have a sexual
repugnance for men. Occasionally a sadist is discovered.

Among boys we observe analogous differences in the intensity and
precocity of the sexual appetite. An attentive observer will
frequently discover homosexual appetites in boys, for these are
comparatively common. Other perversions, such as sadism, masochism,
fetichism and exhibitionism, etc., are more rarely met with.
Masturbation is common in both sexes.

The great advantage of such discoveries is that children affected with
sexual perversions can be put under special supervision, and above all
things kept away from boarding schools, where they are subject to
great temptations. An invert in a boarding-school is in reality almost
in the same position as a young man who sleeps in the same room as
young girls, and no one thinks of the danger.

When perversion is recognized, the subject should not be treated as a
criminal, nor even as a vicious individual, but as a patient afflicted
with a nervous affection who is thereby dangerous to himself and
others. He should be treated and prevented from becoming a center of
infection for his surroundings. Inverts should be specially supervised
and taken care of till adult age. When they come of age, in my
opinion, it would be an innocent idea to allow them to marry persons
of their own sex, as they so much desire t