The Cause. 



mode d'etre, 1'epilepsie sauf, sans duree indeter- 

 minee, il a beaucoup d'analogie avec le spasme 

 venerien que les anciens, frappes du fait nom- 

 maient ' Epilepsia brevisJ Enfin 1'experience ne 

 permet pas de contester Tinfluence genitale sur la 

 genese de cette triste infirmete et le rapproche- 

 ment des crises. Quantites d'observations de 

 savants estimes en font foi et sont trop connues 

 pour etre rep6tees ici. (Etude Medico- 

 Philosophque par le Docteur Pouillet. 

 " Epilepsie.") 



Doubtless many people object to these subjects 

 being dealt with in such plain language as that 

 used by some of the French writers. But the 

 importance of the subject is so great that it 

 demands the plainest of plain language, and the 

 courage to resist any attempt to taboo it. Note 

 what was said by a writer in the principal 

 medical organ of this country, only a few years 

 ago, viz. : " The practice of masturbation has 

 come to be regarded as an incurable evil, and the 

 discussion of so unsavoury a subject is therefore 

 tabooed." (Lancet, September 23rd, 1899.) 



How in the name of reason is this evil to be 

 overcome, if the subject is tabooed ? Are our 

 children to be left a prey to this curse of civilisa- 

 tion, simply because the subject is too unsavoury 

 for us to discuss ? Never let it be said that 

 Englishmen allowed posterity to suffer such an 

 enormity, for the paltry reason that they had 

 not sufficient courage to deal with a distasteful 

 subject. 



The same writer tells us : " Still the habit is 

 prevalent with a certain class of neurotics, and 



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