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Masturbation: why it is considered outrageous to talk about it
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Masturbation. Apparently, the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of our planet at least once in their lives have been inclined to this method of satisfying the main instinct, although talking about it is considered outrageous, except in a derogatory manner.
Mels van Driel's new book, With the Hand: A History of Masturbation, is a rare example of a taboo subject being explored. The author attempts to cover all the nuances of masturbation: medical, religious, art history, philosophical...
Perhaps the most interesting part is the historical and medical one. For example, the influential Swiss doctor Samuel Auguste Tissot in his 18th century claimed that sperm is concentrated blood, so uncontrolled parting with seminal fluid is considered not only wasteful, but also unsafe for health. He compiled a whole list of diseases that can arise from masturbation - almost to the point of blindness. In reality, if we are to believe the leading doctors, masturbation reduces the risk of prostate cancer and alleviates the clinical signs of restless leg syndrome. However, this does not have a great influence on social opinion.
Tissot's work had a very big influence on the development of medicine at that time. Both funny and scary methods of treating the passion for masturbation were proposed. One English medical journal suggested placing a bird cage on the genitals. Others recommended mutilating and even removing the genitals. For representatives of the weaker sex as well.
It would be tempting to believe that Tissot's treatise and the subsequent madness were inspired by some religious nonsense or another, but no. The author of the book comes to the conclusion that it was not the clergy who first anathematized masturbation, but the figures of the Enlightenment - based on scientific research.
Unfortunately, Mr. van Driel “floats” outside the history of medical and religious attitudes toward masturbation. But overall, his work (considering the meager selection of monographs on this sensitive topic) is said to be worthy of attention.