Psychology of sex - Total No. of Records in System :: 2032

THE BIOLOGY OF SEXErogenic Zonesso in allThis is the name now given to regions of the bodywhich in the process of tumescence are found to be sexuallyhyper-esthetic. Some regions are normallyhealthy persons; other regions of the body, indeed almostor quite any region of the body surface, may be sexuallysensitive in special cases, the degree of such sensitivenessbeing liable to vary at different times and being naturallygreater when there is a state of emotional predisposition.The genital region, the mouth, and in woman the nipplesmay be said to be normal erogenic zones. The ears, thenape of the neck, the nipples in men, the armpits, thefingers, the anus, the thighs are all not uncommon erogeniczones.The conception of erogenic zones maybe said to bedeveloped out of the ancient view of "sympathy." It wasfirst definitely formulated in medicine in the sphere ofpathology, as the hysterogenic zones of Charcot, certainregions being found at first ovarian and later morewidely dispersed which were connected, on pressure,with the causation or the arrest of spasmodic attacks; butCharcot did not associate them with sexual emotion. In1881, however, Chambard of Paris showed that, in thenormal condition and especially in women, there are onthe surface of the skin a certain number of regions comparableto the epileptogenic centers, to which the nameof erogenic centers may be applied, light and rapid excitationshere practiced under certain conditions not onlycausing voluptuous emotions but preparing, determining,or accompanying the orgasm. Fer later came on this observation,and noting the analogyof the centers to Charcot'shysterogenic zones, which Chambard had apparentlythe nameoverlooked, he termed them "erogenic zones,"[29]