was called to these things, and at first I found it impossible to credit the half that I heard. But on visiting the almshouses, asylums and so forth, I became amazed at the horrors there revealed. I then thought that it might be peculiar only to my own countrymen, but that in free, proud, happy America, such vices, or at least such disgusting horrors, did not exist. I have since travelled over almost the entire Union, become familiar with the habits of nearly all nations and religions, and am obliged to declare that Englishmen are no worse than others. As the last cases are apt to impress us most strongly, I will copy from my diary, under date of―

"February 8th, 1875. Visited the Almshouse for the city. and county of San Francisco, Cal. This Institution receives patients and unfortunates from all parts of the State, and may so far be considered a State Institution, notwithstanding the taxpayers of the county are called upon to contribute for its entire support an injustice that should be corrected. Nature made the location an Eden of loveliness, and Art has been liberal in aiding Nature. Good order was apparent in all the arrangements, with good ventilation and a model of cleanliness.

"Saw a lady from Scotland, aged 109 years; also one from Ireland, aged 90. Visited all the wards and workshops, kitchen and dining rooms, witnessing many cases of suffering from age and infirmities. Next visited the Insane Ward belonging to the Institution, situated some distance from the main building. The quiet and harmless insane are here provided with homes and the best of care instead of being sent to the Insane Asylum at Stockton. Upon inquiry, I learned that it had been proven in numerous instances, in the cases of German women, that the use of lager beer has been the direct cause of their insanity. This fact is worthy of note, although not related to the principal cause of my visit.

"Sandwiched between the main building and this one for the insane and idiotic, I passed through a beautiful and artistic garden, where I saw ripe strawberries, nestling in delicions harmony by the side of beautiful flowers, whose fragrance perfumed the very air. If it is but one step from the sublime to the ridiculous, so, too, I discovered that it was but a

Within the

single step from the beautiful to the horrible. building I found 33 inmates. The first that attracted my attention was the head of an idiot, and one of the most strongly marked that I had ever seen Next, a boy about ten years old, who had recently been exhibited in San Francisco as a monkey. Of course this boy was very badly begotten and badly born, but surely the persons who thus exhibited this wretched abortion of humanity for money, must have also been the victims of bad antenatal conditions.

"The causes assigned for the dethronement of reason in. these 33 unfortunates, were, Masturbatlon, Indiscretions of Youth, and Sexual excesses. These were the direct causes,

but does any one ever think of the remote causes?—of the causes of these causes? Alas! but few persons, even among our intelligent physicians, appear to ever have such a thought, or if they do, their lips are sealed against uttering it. Yet there must have been a cause for these excesses and indiscretions, and in searching for it we discover that it was evil, or unnatural, antenatal conditions.

"When we define these "remote" causes we find them to have been passional excesses on the part of the parents during the periods of utero-gestation and lactation, or during the ante-conception period, for this is a very important period, whereon greatly depends the fate and conditions of the unbegotten child. Suppose that for one month prior to conception the mother had been overtasking her vital energies and at the same time indulging in passional emotions to excess. This would have been sufficient cause for her child to be a born masturbator. If the conditions of the father were similar, then expect a semi-idiot to be born."

Being unable to picture with a pen, in my Diary, these wretched abortions of humanity, I subsequently despatched an artist that he might photograph one of them to preserve as a specimen of moral horror and degradation. Anxious that it might do all the good possible by way of warning, I have procured it to be engraved, together with two other likenesses, taken at earlier periods of his life, and herewith present them for the contemplation of young men and maidens, that they may see as it were their own likeness, should they ever

See en

yield to this awful vice. Fathers and mothers would you like this as a picture of one of your children? gravings, and mark the awful changes wrought by this damning vice.

"Of the 33 wrecks here, there are 19 who have sunk so far below the brute creation that they utterly disregard the calls of nature. Even a hog will not pollute his straw, but these poor creatures appear as unconscious of evacuations as a new-born infant. Only think of it! Full grown, living, breathing specimens of the genus homo, must have their clothing changed, sometimes, as many as five times in a single day, as I was informed by the courteous and obliging Superintendent. They can neither dress nor undress, and have to be fed like little children. The God-portion of their nature has fled, Reason is dethroned, and nothing remains but a germ of the lowest type of animal life, as stupid and senseless as a radiate!

"One of these particularly attracted my attention. He was a German by birth, aged 28 years, and had been an inmate of the institution for a year. When admitted he could work a little, but now, in spite of all care and precaution' he

was totally incapacitated for any kind of labor.

He was

bent half double, leaning against the wall, with both hands pressed against his generative organs. So completely had he

perverted his nature, that constant excitement seemed an absolute necessity of his most wretched existence. I asked him if he was sick.

"Yes,' he answered. "Where?' I enquired.

"Where my hands are.'

"What caused your sickness?'

66 6 'Lying too long on the wrong side.'

"This was all the information that I could glean from him, and as may be seen from his replies he possessed only a glimmering of intellect.

"There are 70 females in the institution, about ten of whom are the miserable victims of this soul and body-destroying vice. Women suffer less than men, on account of the catemenial; yet to look upon their wasted, haggard forms, contrasting them with a plump, rosy-cheeked maiden, such as every true man feels like worshipping, and they seem so loathsome that we

wonder how a man can become more degraded or suffer more from this filthy vice. I will close this sickening memoranda by suggesting that our Supervisors remove these poor sufferers to the city, and place them on exibition, for the benefit of the young and as a terrible warning to such as might otherwise become the victims of this debasing vice."

With a feeling of relief I turn away from discussing this nauseating subject for the present, although I may return to it again anon, hoping that every person who reads this work may be so impressed with the disgusting and horrible crime of masturbation that if not yet a victim, there will be no danger of becoming one; and that such a feeling of loathing arise as to cause one to commit suicide sooner than ever be guilty again. True, I look upon suicide as an awful crime, yet what is masturbation but slow self-murder? Nor is the wretch who practices it the only victim of murder, for if he lives, there is danger that he may beget a whole progeny of masturbators, who will continue the filthy breed of

may