ONAN ESCHEWED - Rick Grunder

erroneous views, so typical of his era, against other forms of sexual liberality –
cautions embodied in Dr. Naphey's work. With its delightful Western railroad
distribution association, this volume serves as a little relic of the dissemination of
anti-masturbation views that are not entirely relinquished by the Church that
Jenson served, even to the present day (however moderated and de-emphasized
as the years progress; see item 62).
Napheys warns that, "There is hardly any part of our subject which is more
difficult to treat than this, and yet there is none which demands more urgently
plain speaking, and emphatic language." At the same time, he promises a rather
more enlightened view than what is found in more extreme works on
masturbation . . .
There have been unfortunately, many wretched books put forth upon this topic
filled with overdrawn pictures of its result, and written merely for the purpose of
drawing the unwary into the nets of unscrupulous charlatans. There is also a
wide diversity of opinion among skilful physicians themselves as to its
consequences. [p. 71, following the sentence quoted just above, without break]
Napheys does then quote serious authors who magnify the disastrous results of
masturbation, including Rev. John TODD (see item 106 in this collection), to
whom Napheys dedicates this book. This is a curious blend of protest against
becoming alarmist, combined with onerous warnings. The author admits that
the external symptoms of masturbation so often cited in other works have "led to
suspicion of innocent persons" (p. 73) and "are for the medical man to
understand, and would only mislead the unprofessional reader." (p. 74). Yet he
quotes "Dr. Henry Maudsley of England" who writes that "self-abuse notably
gives rise to a particular and disagreeable form of insanity" so severe that the
sooner the victim dies ("sinks to his degraded rest"), the better for himself and
"for the world, which is well rid of him." (pp. 74-75, citing "Journal of Mental
Science [July, 1868]).
After all this, Dr. Napheys still assures us "that very many men, now hale and
happy, have met and conquered the tempter; that so long as the mind itself is
not actually weakened, there is good hope for them . . ." (p. 79). Besides purity of
mind and avoidance of anything pleasant in life, there are medical remedies like
bromide of potash, Elixir of Iupulin, iron chloride and Sulphate of quinine
(pp. 80-81 - yum!). But if a youth cannot stop masturbating, he should not marry,
because he will only curse his children who will inherit such "wretched"
tendencies, p. 82. And finally, we get to the ultimate darkness of that age, near
the end of the chapter . . .
When everything else fails we have no hesitation in recommending surgical
treatment. This is of various kinds, from repeated blistering to that ancient
operation which Latin writers tell us was practised upon the singers of the
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