Death By Masturbation
The origin of the belief that too much masturbation can lead to blindness, smallpox, and an untimely death.
Years ago, someone mentioned that during the 1700s, masturbation was considered to be a potentially fatal affliction. I assumed that the risk of death was because of the danger of masturbating while perhaps riding a horse and then falling off. But no, it turns out that prior to the 1800s, there were medical experts who declared the act of masturbation was in and of itself considered to be not only evil but also medically dangerous
At that time, the term for masturbation was onania, derived from Onan, a biblical figure who, according to the book of Genesis, married his dead brother’s widow Tamar, but always withdrew during sex and “spilled his seed on the ground” to avoid producing a child who would inherit his brother’s property. Evidently God was not happy about this turn of events and struck him dead.
Onanism subsequently became synonymous with withdrawal as a means of contraception… and masturbating. Obviously, coitus interruptus and masturbation are not even remotely the same thing, other than both “spill seed,” but were nonetheless linked in 1712 with the publication of a pamphlet titled:
“Onania, “The Heinous Sin of Self Pollution and all its Frightful consequences in both Sexes considered with spiritual and physical advice to those who have already injured themselves by this abominable practice“.
No need to read the pamphlet; the title gives you a pretty good idea of what was inside. The author was “anonymous” (can you blame him?) but later revealed as a surgeon/huckster by the name of John Marten who conveniently sold the “cure” for the disease he invented.
