Sexology

by William H. Walling

We present this work with pardonable pride, believing it will be the means of saving many lives and a vast amount of suffering and needless unhappiness. The importance and demand for a work of this character cannot be doubted. Its need has been announced upon the floor of the Senate Chamber; in resolutions adopted by Church Assemblies; in the Pulpit; in our Religious and Medical Journals; and the need of the knowledge it contains is evidenced by the newspapers, in their daily records of disagreements, separations, desertions, seductions, adultery, insanity, suicide, murder and death, the cause of which in almost every case is admitted by all authorities and shown by the Records of our Courts to be ignorance of the Laws of Nature, of self and of sex. It is to the unfortunate victims of these dreadful conditions that this book directly appeals. It is written to enlighten and benefit those who have recklessly plunged into marriage, who have assumed that relationship at once so holy and so intricate, where knowledge is essential, yet substituted by ignorance; marriage, whose only incentive is to get "a home" or secure a "partner." It is this "home" and this "partner" that we desire to reach, as well as to enlighten those who mentally and physically are capable of the functions of wedlock, but who for lack of knowledge suffer in silence. In attempting to map out the rights and wrongs of the relations that exist between human beings, and which govern their life, health, intellect, love, power, happiness, usefulness and honor, we cannot avoid a feeling of responsibility, a desire and absolute determination to record nothing without careful investigation and due consideration-and yet an equal desire to hold back nothing that can give them a proper understanding of themselves.

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Nicole C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another scaremongering book. However, interesting for the fact that it's both progressive and regressive at the same time. I guess that's not really surprising for the time period.

Of course, standard "masturbation is bad, mmmkay" advice, but also, the good doctor believes boys and girls should go to separate schools and events, starting from about 5 years old or so, to prevent any possible sexual awakening.

He advises men to gently introduce intercourse to their wives, and not just assaulting them; also believed that brutality in the bedroom should be ground for divorce. However, believes that any couple trying to use birth control methods are "monsters." And in addition, that the withdrawal method was a foundation for cancers of the female organs, because sperm is apparently soothing to the uterus or something.

It's not surprising, considering the very Christian worldview of the book, that Walling is anti-abortion, but what IS is the fact that the word is used outright, instead of being couched in euphemisms like other books of the time period.

Remember, only Christian marriages are truly happy. People are too busy with carnality and leaving God by the wayside, he says, so it's no wonder so many marriages are fraught. And women agitating for the right to vote are "monstrosities," for you obviously can't be a wife and mother as well as be a suffragette.