Friday, April 26, 2013

Insanity and The 'Secret Vice' (Masturbation)

By Wm. M. Awl, Superintendent of the Ohio Lunatic Asylum

This degrading practice is quite a frequent cause of mental imbecility and insanity, and vary few recover either their bodily health or serenity of mind. Upon this subject we have reason to believe our annual reports in the past three or four years by those who appeared to be entirely ignorant of the injurious effects of this habit, until their attention was arrested by reading our remarks. The interest of parents and the guardians of youth has also in some degree been awakened to the fearful influence of this secret indulgence, upon both physical and mental health.

FROM: "Recovery From Insanity Produced by Different Causes", 1844, "The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal", Vol. XXIX, No. 26.

IMAGE: Tennessee Asylum for the Insane

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