Note AY — Chapter XVI · ANAESTHESIA (continued 2)

These signs may easily be suppressed by the strong-willed wife, who wishes to make her husband believe that her sexual activity is a continual sacrifice to his sensual desires and that she herself has no feeling whatsoever during the act. By this trick she tries to rule him and generally succeeds, especially when the husband is somewhat sensual by nature. This stratagem is also responsible for men’s general belief in women’s frigidity. In their youth men associate with venal women who are naturally anaesthetic in their activities for hire. Later on they are tricked by their wives. Even great writers are deceived in this respect by their fair partners.