affect general health, especially in pre-adolescent and
early adolescent years. Probably the greatest nervous damage comes
because there is often greater excess than is possible in natural
sexual relations; the strain of all sexual excess is more in loss of
nervous energy than of secretions. The safest advice one can give
children is that the doctors agree that unnecessary touching of sexual
organs has interfered with the health of many children and that those
who avoid this are most likely to grow up strong in body and mind. This
is the truth and practically the whole of the known truth that might
have influence with young people.

[Sidenote: Mental habit.]

Mental masturbation or "day dreaming" concerning sexual functions is
probably more harmful than mechanical manipulation. It is believed to
be more common in young women than in men. However, there is little
reliable evidence as to the prevalence of the habit. As an educational
problem, there is nothing to be done beyond informing all adolescent
young people that allowing their minds to dwell on sexual affairs may
interfere with nervous health, scholarship, and future efficiency in
life. Hard mental and physical work and strenuous play as a daily
routine will avoid or solve most such difficulties of young people.

[Sidenote: Not hopeless.]

In all dealing with this problem of young people, we must beware of
overemphasis or exaggeration. Parents and teachers should do all
possible to prevent and cure the habit; but there is still hope for
most young people who, in spite of warning, occasionally lapse into
their old habits. Both men and women of this type have led their
classes through college and won success afterwards. Probably they would
have done still better if entirely free from the habit. On the other
hand, men and women of neurotic inheritance combined with the habit
have suffered nervous collapse during college years; and it is
scientific to assume that the additional nervous strain produced by
masturbation was a contributing factor. Evidently, we dare make no
definite prophecy as to what will happen to one who in early life forms
the habit of masturbation. There is no excuse for excessive alarm in
any ordinary case; but, as we have seen, there are good reasons why
parents and teachers should calmly and yet firmly help young people
avoid unnatural sexual activity.

To those who must consider the problem of masturbation in boarding
schools, I recommend