In Perry-Coste's case, also,
there is an apparently abnormal tendency, only shown in the more recent
years of the record, to an additional maximum in January. The records
certainly show far more points of agreement than of discrepancy, and by
their harmony, as well with each other as with themselves, when the years
are taken separately, certainly go far to prove that there is a very
marked annual rhythm in the phenomena of seminal emissions during sleep,
or, as Nelson has termed it, the ecbolic curve. We see, also, that the
great yearly organic climax of sexual effervescence corresponds with the
period following harvest, which, throughout the primitive world, has been
a season of sexual erethism and orgy; though those customs have died out
of our waking lives, they are still imprinted on our nervous texture, and
become manifest during sleep.
The fresh records that have reached me since the first edition of
this book was published show well-marked annual curves, though
each curve always has some slight personal peculiarities of its
own. The most interesting and significant is that of E.M. (see
_ante_ p. 116), covering four years. It is indicated by the
following monthly frequencies, summated for the four years:--
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
16 13 14 22 19 19 12 12 14 14 12 24
E.
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