merely a vicious appetite,
like the appetite for alcohol or drugs, which can easily and
completely be suppressed by the exertion of will-power. I believe that
the sex instinct can be suppressed only within reasonable limits; if
an attempt is made to exceed these limits dire results are apt to
follow. But I also believe that the sex instinct can be stimulated
artificially beyond the natural needs, and among the artificial
stimulants of the sex instinct alcohol occupies first place. And bear
in mind that alcohol produces even a stronger effect on women, in
exciting the sexual passion, than it does on men. Women are more
easily upset by stimulants and narcotics, and that is the reason why
it is more dangerous for women to drink than it is for men.

So this, then, is count number one: The man and the woman who in a
sober condition would easily abstain, with their libido stimulated and
their will-power paralyzed by alcohol, indulge unnecessarily, with the
risk of venereal infection to the man and the double risk of venereal
infection and pregnancy to the woman. Count two: The man who in the
sober condition would use care and discrimination, under the influence
of alcohol soon loses all his judgment and sees an angel and a Helen
of Troy in the worst and most impudent harlot; with the result that
the chances of venereal infection are greatly increased. Count three:
Where under ordinary circumstances the man would stay a few minutes to
half an hour, under the influence of alcohol he stays several hours,
or all night, thus increasing his chances of infection a hundredfold.
Count four: Alcohol increases the congestion in the genital organs of
both man and woman and renders them much more _susceptible_ to
infection. All other factors being equal, a connection which will
under strict sobriety remain without bad results, may when one or
both partners are under the influence of alcohol be followed by
infection. Count five: The man who is in the habit of using venereal
prophylactics under the influence of alcohol becomes both careless and
reckless; he looks with contempt at preventive measures and the result
is--venereal disease.

It is impossible to give statistics and exact or even approximate
figures. But there is no question in my mind, in the mind of any
careful investigator, that if alcoholic beverages could be eliminated,
the number of cases of venereal infection would be diminished by about
one-half. And what is true of ven