Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 1 | Page 5

the Erotic Dreams of Men and Women--The
Auto-erotic Phenomena of Sleep in the Hysterical--Their Frequently
Painful Character.
II.
Hysteria and the Question of Its Relation to the Sexual Emotions--The
Early Greek Theories of its Nature and Causation--The Gradual Rise of
Modern Views--Charcot--The Revolt Against Charcot's Too Absolute
Conclusions--Fallacies Involved--Charcot's Attitude the Outcome of his
Personal Temperament--Breuer and Freud--Their Views Supplement
and Complete Charcot's--At the Same Time they Furnish a Justification

for the Earlier Doctrine of Hysteria--But They Must Not be Regarded
as Final--The Diffused Hysteroid Condition in Normal Persons--The
Physiological Basis of Hysteria--True Pathological Hysteria is Linked
on to almost Normal States, especially to Sex-hunger.
III.
The Prevalence of Masturbation--Its Occurrence in Infancy and
Childhood--Is it More Frequent in Males or Females?--After
Adolescence Apparently more Frequent in Women--Reasons for the
Sexual Distribution of Masturbation--The Alleged Evils of
Masturbation--Historical Sketch of the Views Held on This Point--The
Symptoms and Results of Masturbation--Its Alleged Influence in
Causing Eye Disorders--Its Relation to Insanity and Nervous
Disorders--The Evil Effects of Masturbation Usually Occur on the
Basis of a Congenitally Morbid Nervous System--Neurasthenia
Probably the Commonest Accompaniment of Excessive
Masturbation--Precocious Masturbation Tends to Produce Aversion to
Coitus--Psychic Results of Habitual Masturbation--Masturbation in
Men of Genius--Masturbation as a Nervous Sedative--Typical
Cases--The Greek Attitude toward Masturbation--Attitude of the
Catholic Theologians--The Mohammedan Attitude--The Modern
Scientific Attitude--In What Sense is Masturbation Normal?--The
Immense Part in Life Played by Transmuted Auto-erotic Phenomena.
APPENDIX A.
The Influence of Menstruation on the Position of Women.
APPENDIX B.
Sexual Periodicity in Men.
APPENDIX C.
The Auto-erotic Factor in Religion.
INDEX.

DIAGRAMS.

THE EVOLUTION OF MODESTY.
I.
The Definition of Modesty--The Significance of Modesty--Difficulties
in the Way of Its Analysis--The Varying Phenomena of Modesty
Among Different Peoples and in Different Ages.
Modesty, which may be provisionally defined as an almost instinctive
fear prompting to concealment and usually centering around the sexual
processes, while common to both sexes is more peculiarly feminine, so
that it may almost be regarded as the chief secondary sexual character
of women on the psychical side. The woman who is lacking in this kind
of fear is lacking, also, in sexual attractiveness to the normal and
average man. The apparent exceptions seem to prove the rule, for it will
generally be found that the women who are, not immodest (for
immodesty is more closely related to modesty than mere negative
absence of the sense of modesty), but without that fear which implies
the presence of a complex emotional feminine organization to defend,
only make a strong sexual appeal to men who are themselves lacking in
the complementary masculine qualities. As a psychical secondary
sexual character of the first rank, it is necessary, before any psychology
of sex can be arranged in order, to obtain a clear view of modesty.
The immense importance of feminine modesty in creating masculine
passion must be fairly obvious. I may, however, quote the observations
of two writers who have shown evidence of insight and knowledge
regarding this matter.
Casanova describes how, when at Berne, he went to the baths, and was,
according to custom, attended by a young girl, whom he selected from
a group of bath attendants. She undressed him, proceeded to undress
herself, and then entered the bath with him, and rubbed him thoroughly
all over, the operation being performed in the most serious manner and

without a word being spoken. When all was over, however, he
perceived that the girl had expected him to make advances, and he
proceeds to describe and discuss his own feelings of indifference under
such circumstances. "Though without gazing on the girl's figure, I had
seen enough to recognize that she had all that a man can desire to find
in a woman: a beautiful face, lively and well-formed eyes, a beautiful
mouth, with good teeth, a healthy complexion, well-developed breasts,
and everything in harmony. It is true that I had felt that her hands could
have been smoother, but I could only attribute this to hard work;
moreover, my Swiss girl was only eighteen, and yet I remained entirely
cold. What was the cause of this? That was the question that I asked
myself."
"It is clear," wrote Stendhal, "that three parts of modesty are taught.
This is, perhaps, the only law born of civilization which produces
nothing but happiness. It has been observed that birds of prey hide
themselves to drink, because, being obliged to plunge their heads in the
water, they are at that moment defenceless. After having considered
what passes at Otaheite, I can see no other natural foundation for
modesty. Love is the miracle of civilization. Among savage and very
barbarous races we find nothing but physical love of a gross character.
It is modesty that gives to love the aid of imagination, and in so doing
imparts life to it. Modesty is very