ittle boys, sexually premature, make early attempts at sexual
intercourse. In Paris we see hardly grown youths appearing at the
specialist's clinic, quite proud that they need to be treated for
gonorrhoea. The very fact that they present themselves so coolly at
the places for the special treatment of venereal diseases, suffices to
show that they fully understand the cause of their illness." In
Jullien's opinion, venereal disease is especially serious in children,
because many of them conceal their condition as long as possible in the
hope of avoiding punishment. Barthelemy reported a case in which the
parents came to consult him because the boy was passing water every few
minutes, and because at school he was repeatedly asking to leave the
room in order to go to the urinal. Examination showed that he was
suffering from cystitis, and that this was a sequel of gonorrhoea. As
regards children of the other sex, I have myself seen cases of
gonorrhoea in which sexually immature girls have been infected in
sexual intercourse of which they themselves had been the instigators. In
most cases, infection in children results from intercourse with grown
persons, but it sometimes happens that children infect one another.
Little need be said here about the dangers of gonorrhoeal infection.
Although in children the course of the disease exhibits many
peculiarities, the general results are much the same as in adults, viz.,
pain, orchitis and epididymitis with atrophy, cystitis, &c.; and in
girls, more especially peritonitis. Other venereal infections may of
course also occur in children, such as soft chancre and syphilis. No
detailed account will be given of these diseases. Although we need
further information as to the results of venereal infection in children,
in well-informed medical circles the numerous and severe ill
consequences of such infections are well understood.

I have in this chapter spoken more especially of the dangers threatening
the child's health from the side of its sexual life. These are, of
course, not the only dangers; the moral and social dangers are even
greater. First of all, in this connexion, we have to consider the
practice of masturbation; but in our estimate of its effect upon morals,
we must be careful to avoid sanctimoniousness. The question why
masturbation is regarded as immoral has never yet been answered,
declamation being here commonly mistaken for argument. And yet reasons
may be found for the belie