THE
SEXUAL QUESTION

A SCIENTIFIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL, HYGIENIC
AND SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY

BY

AUGUST FOREL, M.D., PH.D., LL.D.

Formerly Professor of Psychiatry at and Director of the
Insane Asylum in Zurich (Switzerland)

ENGLISH ADAPTATION FROM THE SECOND GERMAN
EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED

BY

C.F. MARSHALL, M.D., F.R.C.S.

Late Assistant Surgeon to the Hospital for
Diseases of the Skin, London

ILLUSTRATED
REVISED EDITION

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS BOOK COMPANY
HENRY AND PACIFIC STREETS
1931

Copyright, 1906
Copyright, 1922

owned by
Physicians and Surgeons Book Co.




PRINTED IN U.S.A.

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

This book is the fruit of long experience and reflection. It has twofundamental ideas—the study of nature, and the study of thepsychology of man in health and in disease.

To harmonize the aspirations of human nature and the data of thesociology of the different human races and the different epochs ofhistory, with the results of natural science and the laws of mentaland sexual evolution which these have revealed to us, is a task whichhas become more and more necessary at the present day. It is our dutyto our descendants to contribute as far as is in our power to itsaccomplishment. In recognition of the immense progress of educationwhich we owe to the sweat, the blood, and often to the martyrdom ofour predecessors, it behoves us to prepare for our children a lifemore happy than ours.

I am well aware of the disproportion which exists between themagnitude of my task and the imperfections of my work. I have not beenable to study as much as should be done the innumerable works whichtreat of the same subject. Others, better versed than myself in theliterature of the subject, will be able later on to fill thisregrettable lacuna. I have endeavored, above all things, to study thequestion from all points of view, in order to avoid the errors whichresult from any study which is made from one point of view only. Thisis a thing which has generally been neglected.

I must express my thanks to my friend, Professor Mahaim, andespecially to my publisher and cousin, S. Steinheil, for the helpand excellent advice which they have given me in the revision of mywork; also to Professor Boveri, who has been kind enough to revisethe figures, 1 to 17.

Dr. A. Forel.

Chigny près Morges (Suisse).

[ix]

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

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