Onanism, or Masturbation 203 



grain for the male and prefer the various grains, especially 

 oats, barley, peas and beans in moderate quantity. To these 

 should be added hay and grass in sufficient amount. Roots, 

 tubers, meal and molasses are not considered essential as a 

 part of the food supply for breeding males, but may, by aid- 

 ing in the maintenance of a good state of digestion, con- 

 tribute to the general vigor. 



The feeding of salt has long been regarded as important 

 for maintaining fertility, and some have superstitiously ac- 

 corded it a prominent place, but it can not act directly and 

 serves merely to favor fertility indirectly by aiding diges- 

 tion and assimilation. 



Apparently some believe that a male breeding animal re- 

 quires a different kind of food from the female. Funda- 

 mentally that is absurd, but when a bull is kept absolutely 

 confined and is wholly idle physically, he requires less food 

 per unit of body weight than a cow which is yielding a lib- 

 eral quantity of milk and probably gets some exercise daily 

 in the open field or paddock. The feeding needs to be ad- 

 justed the same as it would be between a cow which is milk- 

 ing heavily and another which is dry. 



F. Onanism, or Masturbation 



Masturbation, as a cause of sterility, is mentioned chiefly 

 in the stallion and the bull. It is said to be very common in 

 improperly kept stallions. Spinola (Handbuch der spec. 

 Pathol. 1858, II Bd.) records this vice in the bull. 



In the stallion there is an erection, the penis is moved up 

 and down, imitating coitus, and finally ejaculation occurs. 

 In the bull, the ejaculation is induced by an erection and 

 the alternate protrusion and withdrawal of the penis. This 

 is generally seen in idle males which are closely confined, 

 over-fed, and sparingly used for breeding, and in racing 

 stallions when sexual debility is brought about by hard 

 work. It is undetermined whether the vice causes the im- 

 potence or the sexual weakness induces the masturbation. 



Correction may be brought about by such feeding, exer- 

 cise and other care as will maintain the general vigor of the 



