a peculiar stimulus whenever he handled hair. In other cases of
fetichism which I have had under observation, the abnormal fetichistic
tendency went much further back. An underclothing fetichist began at the
age of seven to be greatly interested in his sister's and in the
maidservant's underclothing, touching such articles of clothing as often
as he could, and pressing up against them in a caressing way. The choice
of reading is sometimes determined by perverse sensibilities, the sexual
nature of which may often not become apparent until a considerable
period has elapsed. I know certain persons with masochistic and with
sadistic tendencies, who in childhood preferred to read stories about
robbers and slaves, the use of fetters and the descriptions of violence
of all kinds playing a peculiar part in their imaginations. It must be
regarded as definitely established that children sometimes deliberately
incur corporal punishment in order to enjoy masochistic sexual
sensations. The best-known instance is that of Jean Jacques Rousseau,
who at _the age of seven_ was chastised by Mademoiselle Lambercier, and
thereupon experienced agreeable sensual feelings. He himself tells
us[106] how sincere was his affection for Mademoiselle Lambercier, and
his extremely tractable disposition would have tended to prevent his
deliberately seeking to commit an improper act. And yet in spite of this
the chastisement was repeated, and again he experienced a secret
stimulation. In a little erotic work of the eighteenth century, _Le
Joujou des Demoiselles_, we find under the heading of "Le Fouet" ("A
Whipping"), the following short poem, relating to a girl twelve years of
age:--

"A l'age de douze ans, pour certain grave cas,
Que je sais et ne dirai pas,
Lise du fouet fut menacee
A sa maman, justement courroucee,

Lise repondit fierement,
Vous avez tout lieu de vous plaindre,
Mais pour le fouet tout doucement,
Je suis d'age a l'aimer et non pas a le craindre.

At the age of twelve, for a good reason,
Which I know, but will not tell,
Lise was threatened with a whipping.
To her mother, justly incensed,

Lise answered proudly,
You have just cause of complaint,
But as regards a moderate whipping,
I am of an age to enjoy and not to fear it."

The awakening of sex has further effects upon the mental life of the
child. Its curiosity is