Hints for the young in relation to the health of body and mind / by S.B. Woodward.

  • Samuel Bayard Woodward
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hints for the young in relation to the health of body and mind / by S.B. Woodward. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    15/80
    Dear Sir :—Nothing but my deplorable situ- ation would induce me to trespass upon your mind and patience in this esoteric manner. I am well aware that I ought to apologize for thus obtruding myself upon your notice, but I am equally confident that if you could realize the full extent of my misery, you would deem no other apology necessary. Trusting, therefore, in your well known sympathy and benevolence, I have ventured to lay before you my real con- dition, hoping that if it be in your power to relieve me, you will afford me the benefit of your medical skill and experience. From the age of fourteen till within two years past, (I am now twenty-three,) I indulged in the frequent habit of self-pollution, like too many others, unconscious of the evil I was bringing upon myself. During this period I was occa- sionally subject to involuntary emissions, but not so often as to cause any alarm, till about two years since, when the occurrence became so fre- quent as to cause me much uneasiness. I was then led to reflect seriously upon my course, and to read on the subject, and resolved to ab- stain from my vile practice. This resolution had often been made before, but had as often been violated ; for the strength of the habit of