early transformed into impudent Don Juans.
They may be as courageous, as clever and as strong as others and yet
be disposed to all kinds of evil tricks and follies. It is, therefore,
not true, as is so often said, that it is possible to recognize a
masturbator by his face or manner.

These excessive onanists no doubt do themselves harm in various ways,
but the great error of taking sexual hypochondriasis for the type of
onanists, is to confound cause with effect. Sexual hypochondriasis is
in no way the effect of onanism, but precedes it, and onanism is
rather its effect, or is simply associated with it. It is obvious that
onanism, by its depressing effect, aggravates a mind beset with
hypochondriacal anxieties.

It results from these facts, first, that a sexual hypochondriac should
be treated as a hypochondriac and not as an onanist; secondly, that
the worst slaves of masturbation are not to be looked for among pale
and dejected individuals.

Among women, especially young girls, hypochondriasis is not common and
cases of sexual hypochondriacs who accuse themselves of masturbating
are rare among them. Women who masturbate generally keep their secret
and are apparently very little affected by it. However, onanism does
them nearly as much harm as men; it is true they have no loss of
semen, but the repetition and intensity of the nervous irritation are
greater than in man, and it is this which causes most exhaustion. In
spite of this, it is curious to observe that women who masturbate are
generally less ashamed than men, and are apparently less depressed by
it. We must bear in mind that the loss of semen by masturbation has in
man a peculiarly depressing effect, for it lacks its object and
represents an absolutely abnormal satisfaction of the sexual appetite.

It may be objected that this difference is due to another cause, that
women who masturbate have less moral tone and are especially depraved
individuals. I agree that this is often the case, but far from always.
The intensity of the sexual excitability in women has nothing in
common with their character; it may be associated with high
intelligence, with high moral and aesthetic qualities, and even with a
strong will. On the other hand, deficiency in moral sense and will may
occur with sexual frigidity, and, as we have already seen, may lead to
sexual excess without any voluptuous sensation, in accordance with the
peculiarities of feminine sentiment. These facts sh