SEI F-POLLUTION. 123 



creates an offensive breath, repulsive mouth and soiled linen. It 

 impairs the voice, furrows the cheek and sallows the complexion. 

 And last, but not least, it makes angry mothers and scolding wives. 



SELF-POLLUTION. 



There are various names given to the unnatural and degrading 

 vice of producing venereal excitement by the hand, or other means, 

 generally resulting in a discharge of semen in the male and a cor- 

 responding emission in the female. Unfortunately, it is a vice by 

 no means uncommon among the youth of both sexes, and is 

 frequently continued into riper years. 



Symptoms The following are some of the symptoms of 

 those who are addicted to the habit: Inclination to shun 

 company or society; frequently being missed from the company of 

 the family, or others with whom he or she is associated ; becoming 

 timid and bashful, and shunning the society of the opposite sex; 

 the face is apt to be pale and often a bluish or purplish streak under 

 the eyes, while the eyes themselves look dull and languid and the 

 edges of the eyelids often become red and sore; the person can not 

 look any one steadily in the face, but will . drop the eyes or turn 

 away from your gaze as if guilty of something mean. 



The health soon becomes noticeably impaired; there will 

 be general debility, a slowness of growth, weakness in the lower 

 limbs, nervousness and unsteadiness of the hands, loss of memory, 

 forgetfulness and inability to study or learn, a restless disposition, 

 weak eyes and loss of sight, headache and inability to sleep, or 

 wakefulness. Next come sore eyes, blindness, stupidity, consump- 

 tion, spinal affection, emaciation, involuntary seminal emissions, 

 loss of all energy or spirit, insanity and idiocy the hopeless ruin 

 of both body and mind. These latter results do not always 

 follow. Yet they or some of them do often occur as the direct con- 

 sequences of the pernicious habit. 



The subject is an important one. Few, perhaps, ever think, or 

 ever know, how many of the unfortunate inmates of our lunatie 

 asylums have been sent there by this dreadful vice. "Were the 

 whole truth upon this subject known, it would alarm parents, as 

 well as the guilty victims of the vice, more even than the dread of 

 the cholera or small-pox. 



Preventive Measures When the parents are satisfied 

 that their child is indulging in this habit, take immediate measures 

 to break it up. It is a delicate matter for parents, especially for a 

 father, to speak to his son about. It is different with the mother; 

 she can more readily speak to a daughter upon subjects of that 

 nature, and if guilty, portray to her the danger, the evil conse- 

 quences and ruin which must result if the habit is not at once and 



