There has been much discussion as to which one of these was the cause
of the effects observed in these cases. Some have attributed all the
evil to one cause, and some to the other. That the loss of semen is
not the only cause, nor, perhaps, the chief source of injury, is proved
by the fact that most deplorable effects of the vice are seen in children
before puberty, and also in females, in whom no seminal discharge nor
anything analogous to it occurs. In these cases, it is the nervous shock
alone which works the evil.
Again, that the seminal fluid is the most highly vitalized of all the
fluids of the body, and that its rapid production is at the expense
of a most exhaustive effort on the part of the vital forces, is well
attested by all physiologists. It is further believed by some eminent
physicians that the seminal fluid is of great use in the body for
building up and replenishing certain tissues, especially those of the
nerves and brain, being absorbed after secretion. Though this view is
not coincided in by all physiologists, it seems to be supported by the
following facts:--