Note 84 — III. GENERAL PATHOLOGY.[28] (continued 3)

If it be considered that, as shown above, “sexual bondage” is a phenomenon observed much more frequently and in a more pronounced degree in the female sex than in the male, the thought arises that masochism (if not always, at least as a rule) is an inheritance of the “bondage” of feminine experience. Thus it comes into a relation—though distant—with contrary sexual instinct, as a transference to the male of a perversion really belonging to the female. This conception of masochism as a rudimentary contrary sexual instinct, as a partial effemination, here affecting only the secondary sexual character of the vita sexualis (a theory still more unconditionally expressed in the sixth edition of this work) finds its support in the statements of the subjects of Case 44 and Case 50, who present other features of effemination, and give as their ideal a relatively old woman who seeks and wins them; and, further, in the fact that the (potent) masochist prefers the rôle of succubus, as shown by statements referring to this.

It must, however, be emphasized that “bondage” also plays no unimportant rôle in the masculine vita sexualis, and that masochism in man may also be explained without any such transference of feminine elements. It must also be remembered here that masochism, as well as its counterpart, sadism, occurs in irregular combination with contrary sexual instinct.