A Solemn Appeal

SIGNS OF SENSUALITY IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS

“‘Satan never keeps secrets,’ ‘Murder will out.’ And so will sensuality. We can tell the rake, and designate the wanton; and say truly, who has known the other sex, and how; as well as who seeks solitary gratification, and who is pure. The signs of all these things come to the surface, and cannot be disguised. SOAP 243.2

“To transfer all these signs to paper is impossible; nor can a fraction of them be fully given without too much digression. Many of them, the ‘natural language’ of the faculties discloses, which a phrenologist alone can fully understand. If, by casting her eyes over a congregation, the lewd woman can easily select her patrons, why cannot we also discern them? We can, by the following, among other indices: SOAP 243.3

“Carrying the hands frequently to these organs by way of changing their position; or sitting with the former partly inclosing the latter; because the latter, being inflamed by overaction, are uneasy, and the former are carried to, and move them about, to give relief. Such, if married, may know only their own companion, but it will be both lustful and excessive. If unmarried, they either abuse themselves, or else seek foreign indulgence. Which, may be distinguished by a slight difference in a certain position often assumed by each, which the natural language of Amativeness perfectly explains. SOAP 244.1

“The amorous man has also a lascivious expression of the eyes and lips, and always manifests sexual curiosity when he observes females; and often turns to look at them. Or, when anything is said about the other sex, he acts or laughs as if something very curious, or wanton, or vulgar, had been said, and relishes it, because he looks at every thing through glasses of lust. Or else he unequivocally condemns and denounces every thing pertaining to this subject, especially by way of obviating this evil, as foul and filthy; because to him it is so. A rake can easily be marked by these and kindred signs. SOAP 244.2

“Reader, is it expedient to give the indices of wantonness in woman? Yet they are equally, if not still more, apparent. SOAP 245.1

“The solitary libertine may be known, partly by these signs, and, in addition, by the following: In conversation, he never looks you full in the face; but averts his eyes, especially downward, as if ashamed of himself. He also avoids meeting the glances of females, yet steals every opportunity to look at them, and intently observes, particularly those portions which constitute and characterize the sex. Though very shy of females, and all in a tremor while in their presence, when others are by, yet when alone, he is forward and gross in his advances, and apt to take liberties; and is silly and sickish in their company, as if prompted by a mean passion, instead of being actuated by that love ‘which maketh not ashamed.’ SOAP 245.2

“Mark well this fundamental difference between the conduct of those who are actuated by true love, and by lust in any of its forms. Now, precisely this difference obtains touching the manners, carriage, expression, every thing, of his conduct towards woman whose amativeness is pure or perverted. SOAP 245.3

“The private sensualist may be further known by his pallid, bloodless countenance, and hollow, sunken, and half-ghastly eyes, the lids of which will frequently be tinged with red; while if his indulgence has been carried very far, he will have black and blue semi-circles under his eyes, and also look as if worn out, almost dead for want of sleep, yet unable to get it, etc. He will also have a half-wild, half-vacant stare, or half-lascivious, half-foolish smile, especially when he sees a female. He will also have a certain quickness, yet indecision, of manner; will begin to do this thing, then stoop and essay to do that, and then do what he first intended; and in such utterly insignificant matters as putting his hat here or there, etc. The same incoherence will characterize his expressions, and the same want of promptness mark all he does. Little things will agitate and fluster him. Nor will he be prompt, or resolute, or bold or forcible; but timid, afraid of his own shadow, uncertain, waiting to see what is best, and always in a hurry, yet hardly know what he is doing, or wants to do. Nor will he walk erect or dignified, as if conscious of his manhood and lofty in his aspirations, but will walk and move with a diminutive, cringing, sycophantic, inferior, mean, self-debased manner, as if depreciated and degraded in his own eyes; thus telling you perpetually by his shamed looks and sheepish manner that he has been doing something low, mean, contemptible and vulgar. His secret practices have impaired both his physical and mental manhood, and thereby effaced the nobleness and efficiency of the masculine, and deteriorated his soul, besides having ruined his body. Be entreated, O foolish and wicked, not thus to dethrone the man and enthrone the animal! SOAP 246.1

“He will, moreover, be dull of comprehension, incorrect, forgetful, heedless, full of blunders of all sorts, crude and inappropriate in his jokes, slow to take the hint, listless, inattentive, absent-minded, sad, melancholy, easily frightened, easily discouraged, wanting in clearness and point of idea, less bright than formerly, and altogether depreciated in looks and talents compared with what he would have been if he had never contracted this soul-and-body-ruining practice. SOAP 247.1

“Pain at or near the small of the back, is another dark symptom. It at least shows that the sexual apparatus is diseased, because the nerve from them enters the spinal column at this place, so that their inflammation renders it proportionally tender and painful. Sexual excess in any of its forms will give this pain. True, other causes may have deranged these organs, and given this pain, yet this is the great cause. Some victims of this passion have running sores in the small of the back, and are generally tender there. SOAP 247.2

“Many other signs evince carnality, yet these must suffice. Nor am I quite clear in giving these, because they will expose so many of my erring fellow-men, now unsuspected. Yet, again, such are dangerous, and ought to be exposed - at least, allowed to tell their own carnal story. Let every sensualist, especially private libertine, remember that he is marked and known, and read by all men who have eyes and know how to use them. This exposition is made, in part, to shame them out of degrading vice into moral purity and virtue. SOAP 248.1