“I have always been successful in my undertakings.  Stood at the head of my class at school, and in my professional work graduated with highest honors.  I have a memory for prose or verse that is the cause of envy to many of my friends.  The facts here set down are recorded in the interest of advancing study along this most important but neglected and ignored line.  That they have been truthfully recorded without favor to the black or light on the white is my sincere belief.”

    HISTORY XIX.—­E.B.  Parents sound; strong constitution in mother,
    moderately so in father; vigorous and healthy, but of refined
    nature.  Breast-milk for six months.

    “Age 4-5.  Took great delight in the little waterworks.  Severely
    punished for this.  Interest in the parts morbidly increased
    thereby.

“Age 5.  Earliest recollection of ’counter-erection’—­the penis shrinking tensely into itself, producing local and general discomfort.  This resulted from certain kinds of mauvaise-honte,—­having to kiss aged persons, having officious help at micturition, bathing, dressing, etc., which caused a sort of physical disgust.  Toward puberty the experience grew rare.  One such occasion was at about eighteen, when solicited on the street by a prostitute.  The very idea of homosexual relations produces it.  It would appear to be a powerful safeguard against promiscuous sex relations.  I have met two men subject to the same thing, and have heard of one woman subject to something analogous.  It might be called a nausea of the ‘nether heart’ in Georg Hirth’s phrase.

“Age 6-7.  Earliest recollection of erection.  Unprovoked at first.  A disposition to punish the organ and satisfaction in doing so.  From this time erection took place whenever it was thought about.

“Age 10.  Present at a discussion in the playground about the best way of intercourse, which I heard of for the first time.  This was followed by enlightenment on the source of children.  Concluded it must be very painful to both parties.  ’Just the other way,’ I was told.  But the idea of pain to the genitals was ‘interesting’ to me.  Pain felt by the other sex was ‘interesting.’  Pained looks captivated me—­I liked to imagine some mysterious trouble; and, as I learned more, ’female complaints’ interested me greatly in their subjects.  I got a ‘grateful pang’ at the pit of the stomach at the thought, but neither erection nor the opposite.  This hypogastric feeling has continued to associate itself with certain sexual impressions.  The thought of a woman mortifying herself later on excited me sexually.  Once, pulling a stay-string for fun (my wife never laced) gave me a powerful and quite unexpected erection.

“Age 12.  A girl visitor of the same age got me talking about the genitals, and at bedtime came and proposed coitus.  We failed