The private medical friend, or, A warning voice to young men : an essay on the errors of youth and the secret infirmities of the generative organs, resulting from solitary habits, youthful excess, or infection, with practical observations on the premature failiure of sexual power illustrated with many cases in proof of the Author's succesful mode of treatment / by Henry Smith.

Smith, Henry, active 1982.

Date:: 1857

Credit: The private medical friend, or, A warning voice to young men : an essay on the errors of youth and the secret infirmities of the generative organs, resulting from solitary habits, youthful excess, or infection, with practical observations on the premature failiure of sexual power illustrated with many cases in proof of the Author's succesful mode of treatment / by Henry Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$cause should he be led to examine his urine carefully*, for he will then detect the presence of seed, both by the smell, and by the appearance of the water as it passes trom ham, particularly the last few drops, which will generally be found to be thick or stringy. In other cases ot this class, the discharge does not wait for the irritating action ot the urine. The visicles have become so thoroughly deprived ot all energy that they are almost useless, and a thin imperfect semen constantly exudes from the orifice of the penis too palpably to be mistaken. It is not uncommon tor us to have patients thus affected, whose linen is always stained. In these]extreme instances, we may remark, the very desire, as well as the capacity, for venereal gratification is tor the time gone j there is never a sufficient accumulation ot seed to cause any excitement, and the penis is rarely or never erected ■* These two classes form together a body of persons suffer¬ ing all the worst consequences of nervous debility, the entire number of whom, could it be ascertained, would surprise those patients who are not yet so far involved in the dis¬ ease, but who may soon be so, if they unwisely neglect early symptoms, and defer resorting to a timely means ot cure when it is within their reach. Even in these last, and se\ ei es stages, however, the cure is always certain, if the patient will use his opportunity of seeking our aid before be has ex¬ posed himself to the organic break-up which is called con¬ sumption. CHAPTER V. THE ONANIST AS HE IS.—THE DANGERS THAT SURROUND HIM. 0, wad some power the gift but gie us, To see oursel’s as others see us, It wad frae mony a danger free us, And foolish notion! This philosophical reflection of the poet Burns was made on seeing a louse crawling over a fine lady’s bonnet in church, quite unconsciously to herself, and while she seem¬ ed to think that her dress was “ the admired of all admi¬ rers,” and that she was certainly about the most “ respect¬ able” person in the House of Godthatday. How indignant would this self-flattering lady have been at the bare sug¬ gestion that such a thing as a louse could possibly approach her gentility} but how utterly confused and fallen from her$

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