The curse of manhood

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The Curse of Manhood is the title of a work by the British evangelist Henry Varley in the German translation by Robert von Zwingmann . The subtitle is "Two Lectures for Men". The work has seen numerous revisions and new editions. The first edition from 1883 initially consisted of a lecture, which was expanded by a second after four years. The German translation after the 8th English edition of 1887 comprised 90 pages, the 15th edition from 1919, on the other hand, is a version shortened to only 47 pages.

Varley's writing met with broad approval and support from his contemporaries, especially the clergy. So has z. B. Canon Wilberforce “let the parts of the lecture, which are mainly used for youths and young men, be published as a special edition for them”. In this form it was used not only in Great Britain, but also in Germany - in some cases until the middle of the twentieth century - for the moral strengthening of the youth.

Summary of the content

Varley starts from the premise that the semen is of paramount importance for the life and health of men and "must be preserved under all circumstances as a precious commodity". With this he joins a view that was widespread at the time that the life energy is weakened by wasting semen.

Based on this, Varley takes similar views as before him z. For example, the Swiss doctor Simon-Auguste Tissot in his experiment published in 1760 on the diseases that arise from self-infliction .

Veiled foreign words such as masturbation , onanism or terms that are reserved in a valuation such as “ masturbation ” do not appear in Varley's writing. He always speaks disparagingly of "self-defilement" and describes it as "destructive sin", "deadly habit", "humiliating habit", "pernicious vice " or the like.

As a consequence of the "self-defilement" he conjures z. B. "Pale skin, anemia, clouding of the eyes, drooping of the flesh, muscle wasting , poor memory, short stature, tight chest, weak lungs, tendency to rashes and colds, indigestion, depression, drowsiness and sluggishness". In more severe cases, it could also lead to “nervous tension, rheumatic attacks, memory loss, epilepsy ” and “ insanity ” up to deaths from “ consumption ”. Quotation: "One must without any question look for the main cause of illness, emaciation and death among youths and young men in that shameful habit."

Varley strongly condemns all forms of fornication and fornication as a "grave sin against God". He deplores the negligence of the governments, which turned a blind eye to the "swamp of perdition" that was rampant in the big cities and tacitly tolerated the "vice".

Varley cites numerous examples as alleged evidence of the devastating consequences of "viciousness". He urges married couples to use their sexuality in moderation and appeals to men who have not been able to resist the temptations of their instincts to free themselves from their “vice” with God's help and take a laborious and lengthy path “to gradually regain theirs mental and physical health ”.

Web links

Wikisource: Trial of those diseases that arise from self-infliction - Translated from Latin, 1760  - Sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The curse of manhood , Hann. Münden, published by Reinhold Werther, after 1887?
  2. ↑ 15th edition in the German National Library DNB 574683577
  3. ↑ The curse of manhood , Hann. Münden, Verlag von Reinhold Werther, after 1887 ?, Foreword, p. 3.
  4. ↑ z. B. in Daoism (→ Daoist sexual practices, section on male ejaculation and masturbation )
  5. ↑ The curse of manhood , Hann. Münden, Verlag von Reinhold Werther, after 1887 ?, p. 8.