Page:Psychopathia Sexualis (tr. Chaddock, 1892).djvu/195

Rh sought help of various physicians. Cold-water cures and hypnotism were unsuccessful. The most celebrated physicians advised him to marry, and assured him that, as soon as he once really loved a girl, he would be free from his fetichism. The patient had no confidence in his future, but he followed the advice of the physicians. He was cruelly disappointed in the hope which the authority of the physicians had aroused in him, though he led to the altar a lady distinguished by both mental and physical charms. The wedding-night was terrible; he felt like a criminal, and did not approach his wife. The next day he saw a prostitute with the required chic. He was weak enough to have intercourse with her in his way. Then he bought a pair of elegant ladies’ boots, and hid them in bed, and, by touching them, while in marital embrace, after a few days, he was able to perform his marital duty. He ejaculated tardily, for he had to force himself to coitus; and, after a few weeks, this artifice failed, because his imagination failed. He felt unspeakably miserable, and would have preferred to make an end of himself. He could no longer satisfy his wife, who was sensual, and much excited by their previous intercourse; and he saw her suffering severely, both mentally and morally. He could not, and would not, disclose his secret. He experienced disgust in marital intercourse; he felt afraid of his wife, and feared the coming of night and being alone with her. He could no longer induce erection.

He again made attempts with prostitutes, and satisfied himself by touching their shoes. Then the puella had to touch his penis, when he would have ejaculation; but, if this did not take place, he would attempt coitus with the lewd woman; without success, however, for ejaculation would occur immediately. In absolute despair, the patient comes for consultation. He deeply regretted that, against his inner conviction, he had followed the unfortunate advice of the physicians, and made a virtuous wife unhappy, having deeply injured her, both mentally and morally. Could he answer God for continuing such a marriage? Even if he were to discover himself to his wife, and she were to do everything for him, it would not help him; for the familiar perfume of the demi-monde was also necessary.

Aside from his mental pain, this unfortunate man presented no remarkable symptoms. Genitals perfectly normal. Prostate somewhat enlarged. He complained that he was so under the domination of his boot-ideas that he would even blush when boots were talked about. His whole imagination was given up to such ideas. When he was on his estate, he often suddenly had to go a distance of ten miles to the city, to satisfy his fetichism with shoe-stores or with puellis.

This pitiable man could not bring himself to take treatment; for his faith in physicians had been greatly shaken. An attempt to ascertain whether hypnosis and a removal of the fetichistic association by this means, were possible, increased the mental excitement of the