ropathic taint? At present
it is difficult to answer this question precisely. There is good ground to
believe that a fairly large proportion of families are free from such
taint. In any case it seems probable that the families to which the
inverted belong do not usually present such profound signs of nervous
degeneration as we were formerly led to suppose. What we vaguely call
"eccentricity" is common among them; insanity is much rarer.

FIRST APPEARANCE OF HOMOSEXUAL INSTINCT.--Out of 72 cases, in 8 the
instinct veered round to the same sex in adult age or at all events after
puberty; in 3 of these there had been a love-disappointment with a woman;
no other cause than this can be assigned for the transition; but it is
noteworthy that in at least 2 of these cases the sexual instinct is
undeveloped or morbidly weak, while a third individual is of somewhat
weak _physique_, and another has long been in delicate health. In a
further case, also somewhat morbid, the development was rather more
complicated.

In 64 cases, or in a proportion of 88 per cent., the abnormal instinct
began in early life, without previous attraction to the opposite sex.[185]
In 27 of these it dates from about puberty, usually beginning at school.
In 39 cases the tendency began before puberty, between the ages of 5 and
11, usually between 7 and 9, sometimes as early as the subject can
remember. It must not be supposed that, in these numerous cases of the
early appearance of homosexuality, the manifestations were of a
specifically physical character, although erections are noted in a few
cases. For the most part sexual manifestations at this early age, whether
homosexual or heterosexual, are purely psychic.[186]

SEXUAL PRECOCITY AND HYPERESTHESIA.--It is a fact of considerable interest
and significance that in so large a number of my cases there was distinct
precocity of the sexual emotions, both on the physical and psychic sides.
There can be little doubt that, as many previous observers have found,
inversion tends strongly to be associated with sexual precocity. I think
it may further be said that sexual precocity tends to encourage the
inverted habit where it exists. Why this should be so is obvious, if we
believe--as there is some reason for believing--that at an early age the
sexual instinct is comparatively undifferentiated in its manifestations.
The precocious accentuation of the sexual impulse leads to definite
crystallization of the emo