Page:Fielding - Sex and the Love Life.pdf/91

 sufferer in the process of reproduction. For the most part, with a cruelty that baffles the processes of the rational or philosophic mind, nature has condemned woman to a far more difficult position than man in the intercourse of the sexes and in the preservation of the species. In her biologic rôle, she has been over-powered and forced by man. She is always compelled to make the most severe sacrifices for the sake of the new generation, first when the new being is germinating within her body, later in the throes of parturition, and finally when the helpless mite of humanity is entrusted to her maternal care. And only too often she fails to receive the respect and protection due to her for the performance of these difficult functions. When everything is considered, it is fortunate that as a rule the young woman who has never come into intimate contact with the male appears to be endowed with a relatively weak sexual urge.

The sexual impulse in normally constituted individuals is by no means constant in its intensity. Apart from the temporary indifference resulting from gratification, and apart from the decline in the impulse that sometimes occurs after prolonged continence, the mode of life is a factor of great importance. The urbanite who is continually reminded of sexual matters and subjected to greater erotic stimuli, is quite inevitably more disposed than the countryman to sexual excitement. A sedentary and sheltered mode of life, a diet composed too largely of animal food and highly seasoned condiments, have a stimulating influence on the sexual organs.

In woman, the sexual impulse is stronger just before and after menstruation, and during the period it may also be more than usually pronounced. In neuropathic women, this increase in excitement may occur in a pronounced degree.

Sexual desire in woman, it is generally agreed, outlasts the