Matt MacNabb - A Secret History of Brands - The Dark and Twisted Beginnings of the Brand Names We Know and Love

The evils of sex also extended to the world of dance. Dr Kellogg was certain that ‘round dances’, like the Waltz, would lead to rampant immorality, such as late hours, fashionable dressing, midnight feats and improper dress. These violations of morality were something that he was utterly convinced would cause injury to the body, mind, and spirit.

It was Kellogg’s views on sexuality, abstinence, and the evils of masturbation that would linger as his most ardent and resounding notions. The recurring theme in all of Kellogg’s beliefs is purity and uncleanliness, both physical and mental. He would refer to the very notion of mental sexual arousal and the indulgence of those ‘impure thoughts’, as leading down the path of an ‘immoral life’ full of ‘vicious habits’. Kellogg was so adamant about the evils of masturbation that one of his ‘treatments’ at The San included applying carbolic acid to the clitoris of female patients, and electro-shock to prevent the harmful practice of masturbation.

The evils of masturbation, or the ‘solitary vice’, were written about extensively by Dr Kellogg in his book Plain Facts For Old And Young :

If illicit commerce of the sexes is a heinous sin, self-pollution, or masturbation, is a crime doubly abominable. As a sin against nature, it has no parallel except in sodomy (see Gen. 19:5; Judges 19:22). It is the most dangerous of all sexual abuses because the most extensively practised. The vice consists in an excitement of the genital organs produced otherwise than in the natural way. It is known by the terms, self-pollution, self-abuse, masturbation, onanism, manustupration, voluntary pollution, and solitary or secret vice. The vice is the more extensive because there are almost no bounds to its indulgence. Its frequent repetition fastens it upon the victim with a fascination almost irresistible! It may be begun in earliest infancy, and may continue through life.

A lot of the good doctor’s passions regarding the evils of masturbation quickly gave way to embellishments and obvious fear tactics. A great example of this is seen when he goes on in his book to discuss a specific case of a young boy who was inflicted with the unclean habit:

Unsuspected Rottenness. — Parents who have no suspicion of the evil, who think their children the embodiment of purity, will find by careful observation and inquiry, — though personal testimony cannot be relied upon, — that in many instances their supposed virtuous children are old in corruption. Such a revelation has brought dismay into many a family, in some cases only too late.

Not long since a case came under our care which well illustrates the apathy and blindness of parents with respect to this subject. The parents of a young man whose mind seemed to be somewhat disordered, sent word to us through a friend respecting his condition, asking advice. We suspected from the symptoms described the real cause of the disease, and urged prompt attention to the case. In a short time the young man was placed under our immediate care without encouragement of a cure, and we gave the case still closer study. The characteristic symptoms of disease from self-abuse were marked, but the father was positive that no influence of that kind could have been at work. He had watched his son narrowly from infancy, and did not believe it possible for him to have been guilty. In addition, the young man had long been remarkable for his piety, and he did not believe there could be any possibility of his being guilty of so gross a crime.

A short time sufficed, however, to secure the indisputable evidence of the fact by his being caught in the act by his nurse.

This young man was a sad example of what havoc is made with the ‘human form divine’ by this debasing vice. Once a bright boy, kind, affectionate, active, intelligent, the pride of a loving mother and the hope of a doting father, his mind had sunken to drivelling idiocy. His vacant stare and expressionless countenance betokened almost complete imbecility. If allowed to do so, he would remain for hours in whatever position his last movement left him. If his hand was raised, it remained extended until placed in a position of rest by his attendant. Only with the utmost difficulty could he be made to rise in the morning, to eat, drink, or walk. Only by great efforts could he be aroused from his lethargy sufficiently to answer the most simple question. The instinctive demands of decency in regarding the calls of nature were not respected. In short, the distinguishing characteristics of a human being were almost wholly obliterated, leaving but a physical semblance of humanity, — a mind completely wrecked, a body undergoing dissolution while yet alive, a blasted life, no hope for this world, no prospect for the next. In the insane asylums of the country may be seen hundreds of these poor victims in all stages of physical and mental demoralisation.

Kellogg continues, using a lot of extreme terms for the causes of masturbation, such as ‘wicked’, ‘evil’, ‘danger’, ‘corruption’ and ‘devastating’. He was convinced that the disease of self-abuse could lead to anything ranging from bladder stones and epilepsy to children emerging with sexual excitement from spanking or whipping.

This is all so very disconcerting, but fear not… it is easy for parents to control this danger in their children, according to Dr Kellogg. There are a grand total of thirty-nine suspicious warning signs to watch out for. In a final testament to the extent of Kellogg’s pre-occupation with sex, please enjoy the following list. A warning to you the reader, these range from the contrary to the absurd and are taken directly from Dr Kellogg’s own writing:

General debility, coming upon a previously healthy child, marked by emaciation, weakness, an unnatural paleness, colorless lips and gums, and the general symptoms of exhaustion, when it cannot be traced to any other legitimate cause, as internal disease, worms, grief, overwork, poor air, or poor food, and when it is not speedily removed by change of air or appropriate remedial measures, may be safely attributed to solitary vice, no matter how far above natural suspicion the individual may be. Mistakes will be rare indeed when such a judgment is pronounced under the circumstances named. Premature and defective development is a symptom closely allied to the two preceding. When it cannot be traced to such natural causes as overstudy, overwork, lack of exercise, and other influences of a similar nature, it should be charged to self-abuse. The early exercise of the genital organs hastens the attainment of puberty in many cases, especially when the habit is acquired early; but at the same time it saps the vital energies so that the system is unable to manifest that increased energy in growth and development which usually occurs at this period. In consequence, the body remains small, or does not attain that development which it otherwise would. The mind is dwarfed as well as the body. Sometimes the mind suffers more than the body in lack of development, and sometimes the reverse is true. This defective development is shown in the physical organization of males, in the failure of the voice to increase in volume and depth of tone as it should, in deficient growth of the beard, and in failure of the chest to become full and the shoulders broad. The mind and character show the dwarfing influence by failure to develop those qualities which especially distinguish a noble manhood. In the female, defective development is shown by menstrual derangements, by defective growth either in stature, or as shown in unnatural slimness, and in a failure to develop the graces and pleasing character which should distinguish early womanhood. Such signs deserve careful investigation; for they can only result from some powerfully blighting influence.