to believe what agrees well with one's
predilections. A bare surmise, on the side of prejudice, is more telling
than the most powerful logic on the other side.

"We know that this opinion is held by men of the world, and that many
physicians share it. This belief appears to us to be erroneous, without
foundation, and easily refuted."[6]

[Footnote 6: Mayer.]

The same writer claims "that no peculiar disease nor any abridgment
of the duration of life can be ascribed to such continence." He proves
his position by appealing to statistics, and shows the fallacy of
arguments in support of the contrary view. He further says:--

"It is determined, in our opinion, that the commerce of the sexes has
no necessities that cannot be restrained without peril."

"A part has been assigned to _spermatic plethora_ in the etiology of
various mental affections. Among others, priapism has been attributed
to it. In our opinion, this malady originates in a disturbance of the
cerebral nerve power; but it is due much less to the retention of sperm
than to its exaggerated loss; much less to virtuous abstinence than
to moral depravity."

There has evidently been a wide-spread deception upon this subject.
"Health does not absolutely require that there should ever be an
emission of semen, from puberty to death, though the individual live
a hundred years; and the frequency of involuntary nocturnal emissions
is an indubitable proof that the parts, at least, are suffering under
a debility and morbid irritability utterly incompatible with the
general welfare of the system."

Does not Produce Impotence.--It has been declared that strict
continence would result in impotency. The falsity of this argument is
clearly shown by the following observations:--

"There exists no _greater error_ than this, nor one more opposed to
physiological truth. In the first place, I may state that I have, after
many years' experience, never seen a single instance of atrophy of the
generative organs from this cause. I have, it is true, met the complaint,
but in what class of cases does it occur? It arises, in all instances,
from the exactly opposite cause, abuse; the organs become worn out,
and hence arises atrophy. Physiologically considered, it is not a fact
that the power of secreting semen is annihilated in well-formed adults
leading a healthy life and yet remaining continent. No continent man
need be deterred by this apocryphal fear of atrophy of the testes, fr