Page:Psychopathia Sexualis (tr. Chaddock, 1892).djvu/68

50 excitement occurs, occasioned by pruritus; and also in cases where there is neuropathic taint. Magnan (Annales médico-psychol., 1885, p. 157) reports the case of a lady who was afflicted mornings with attacks of frightful erethismus genitalis, and the case of a man, aged 55, who was tormented at night by unbearable priapism. In each case there was a neurosis.

The central origin of sexual excitement is of frequent occurrence in persons having neurotic taint or hysteria, and in conditions of psychical exaltation. Here, where the cortex and the psycho-sexual centre are in a condition of hyperæsthesia (abnormal excitability of the imagination, increased ease of association), not only visual and tactile impressions, but also auditory and olfactory sensations, may be sufficient to call up lascivious concepts.

There are several illustrative cases in men and women in the author’s article, “On Certain Anomalies of Sexual Instinct,” Cases 6 and 7 (Archiv für Psychiatrie, vii, 2); Cases 3 and 5 are given here.