The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-01-11
advances. One of the best educators

was the cause of the failure of a good
many young men at West Point.
An eminent authority in New York
City said, That most OF our schools
are hot beds of this ruinous loathsome
vice" and he added "apply any
numerical test you please, catechise
promiscuously every boy you meet, and
nine out of ten years old AID upward
practice it more or less.
The skilled eye of the physician reads
the evidence of guilt in the face of
many a enc. yet artificial modestY
covers it over until the viper has crel t
into the birds nest and is destroying the
young of homes and schools.
The superintendent of large lunatic
asylum says, those who think infor-
nation on this subject is unnecessary
or injurious are hardly aware how ex-
tensive the habit is with the young, or
how early in life it IS practiced. He
says he never conversed with a lad of
y years Of age who did not know all
about the practice. A keeper of an IN
sane ward once told me that at least
one third of the inmates practiced it.
1t is widespread and far reaching in its
results and unless corrected may lead
to destruction. Who can read that
fearful arraignment Of Paul in the first
chapter of Romans and not stand
aghast.
Though secret it is none the less pre-
valent, but this only adds to its i'll eff
fects. Nor is it confined to boys though
they succumb most easily, but it
touches all classes. Its rayages are
mostly felt from 70 to IS, yet it reaches
into mature years.
We are apt to question this, because
only the most aggravated cases are
brought to the notice of doctors Most
cases escape detection because INDUCED
moderately, yet they only though the
less completely impair the intellect and
lay the foundation for diseases. Says
medical writer AT first glance the
onamist presents an aspect of languor
weakness and thinness.. The counte-
nance is pale, sunken, fabby often
leaden, or more or less livid with a dark
circle around the sunken eyes, which
are dull and lowered or averted. A sad,
shameful spiritless physognomy. Some
times a dry cough, easily fatigued,
pain in the spine or weakness in the
back; digestive arrangements, loss of
appetite or progressive emaciation. "
Sometimes the appearance is pulmo-
nary consumption.
But what of the moral degradation.
There's loss of memory and intelligence,
morose and unequal disposition mental
abstraction, aversion to pleasures and
stupidness. A noted German physician
says the Masturbator gradually loses
his moral faculties; he acquires a dull
silly, embarrassed. listless, sad efemi-
nate exterior. He becomes incident;
,averse to and incapable of intellectual
eXertion; presence of mind deserts him;
he is troubled and unquiet whenever
he finds himself in company; his men,
DRY daily loses more and more, is for
getful, all the vivacity, all the pride.
all the qualities OF the spirit by which
these unfortunates formerly attracted
their equals, abandon them and leave
them no longer anything but contempt.
The last crisis of melancholy and the
most frightful suggestion of despair
commonly end in Fastening the death
of these unfortunates, or else they fall
into complete apathy and sunken be-
low those brutes which have the least
instinct, they retain only the figure of
| their race.
/ Who has not seen some of these poor
unfortunates who have persisted in
SHINING against God and self; who have
violated the laws of the creator and de-
stroyed the image of God in themselves
or changed it to that Of beast. Lower
than the brute his glance is downward
and with the seal of reprobation stamp
ed on his brow he descends into death.
OF course not all suffer so, but such is
the tendency, the result of excuses;
the end of the confirmed on a mist.
Here is the natural reaplng of such
sowing. 1t is a violation of the laws
of God and nature. People judge that
because they are not all punished alike
morally, the danger is magnifed. The
fewest number lose their reason or be-
come ldiotic, or die a terrible death,
yet enough to prove the evils and dan
ger of the sin, while those who persist
in the practice will succumb sooner or
later. There is no exemption from
this law. The confirmed masturbator
will die the death and the occasional
onanist will suffer IN proportion to his
iniquity.
Consult any physician of reputation,
read any book of note and both will
testify to the consequences of the