Are We a Declining Race ? 



Yellowlees rings the prepuce with silver wire as 

 the snouts of swine are wired to prevent their rout- 

 ing. The plan is ingenious enough, and has been 

 to a certain extent successful. In females, even, 

 clytoridectomy has failed." ("Psychological 

 Medicine," Bucknill and Tuke). 



Surely, if no other remedies than blistering, 

 ringing, Faradisation, and doses of bromide of 

 potassium can be applied, it would be better to 

 put an end to such existences. As a matter of 

 fact I have read of cases where bromide of 

 potash has been used with fatal results. But we 

 have seen that other means may be used (" me 

 fit diriger tous mes efforts vers sa moralisa- 

 tion "). 



Numerous other authors mention epilepsy as a 

 result of " Tabus des plaisirs de 1'amour " : 



" Comme toutes les affections morales vives et 

 soutenues, ils augmentent 1'irritabilite c^rebrale, 

 et causent les vapeurs hysteriques, 1'hypo- 

 chondrie, les chlorose, le folie, la demense, 

 1'epilepsie." (" Nouveaux Elements d'hygiene," 

 par Charles Londe). 



" Une troisieme verite, aussi bien prouvee que 

 les exces veneriens jettent dans 1'epilepsie." 

 (" Traite de 1'epilepsie," par A. M. K. Tissot). 



" Masturbation, and other irritation of the 

 external genitals, is by most authors, given as a 

 cause of epilepsy." (Lancet, July I4th, 1900.) 



Dr. J. H. McDougal, translator of Lallemand's 

 " Treatise on Spermatorrhoea," gives an interest- 

 ing description of three cases of epilepsy which 

 were caused by this habit. But what need to 

 draw further on the testimony of the medical 



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