HipPocrates

by

Fifth Estate # 66, November 14-27, 1968

Dear Dr. Schoenfeld:

photo, Dr. Eugene Schoenfeld speaking at Community Arts Auditorium, May 28, 1969
Dr. Eugene Schoenfeld speaking at Community Arts Auditorium, May 28, 1969 at a benefit for Open City. Photo: Alan Gotkin.

In a recent column you printed the letter of a girl whose “problem” was a boyfriend who had an almost continuous erection and made her sore with continuous and lengthy intercourse. I think you missed the obvious solution. Let her share her good fortune with a girl friend. God knows there are many sexually frustrated girls who would be happy to get half of such a good thing.

My husband has a similar problem(?) and this is how I solved it to the satisfaction of both of us and also a girl friend. The problem of my husband (I don’t really feel it is a problem) is not continuous erection but rather frequent erection.

My husband is 52 years old and we have been married 27 years. About two years ago, following recovery from a heart attack, he became very passionate again.

Recently I brought a girlfriend into the picture because she wasn’t getting any sex and I knew I had enough to share. (He has 3 or more ejaculations each evening.)

We have found that the three of us are all happy with our relationship. My husband has had frequent check-ups with a complete physical just a few weeks ago.

I would like to know if such hyper-sexuality is something unusual in men of 52. Please don’t suggest any way of changing things. I (we three) like it just as it is.

ANSWER: The frequency of sexual activity which you mention IS rather unusual for a man of your husband’s age. I have no suggestions for you.

QUESTION: I’ve been smoking grass for one meager year and tobacco for one meager month. Since I’ve started cigarettes, I’ve been unable to attain any sort of respectable high.

Do you think stopping tobacco might help?

ANSWER: The practice of smoking cigarettes is a known health hazard leading to lung cancer, emphysema and possibly peptic ulcers and heart disease.

QUESTION: Can excessive masturbation cause a person to not enjoy intercourse to the fullest extent when he grows up?

Will it cause his penis to get calluses on the top?

ANSWER: Masturbation is not known to cause physical or emotional problems whatever its frequency. It’s a shame that schools aren’t yet permitted to teach children that masturbation won’t rot their brains, drive them crazy or cause hair to grow on the palms of their hands.

Given a choice, most people prefer sexual activity with another person but even married couples sometimes write to ask if something is wrong with masturbating occasionally. Various reasons may cause them to do so but it happens so often it seems to be in that part of the Bell curve of human experience we arbitrarily classify as “normal.”

Calluses? I’ve never seen, heard or read of such a case, but if it happens, DO NOT use Dr. Scholl’s medication.

QUESTION: In the showers I notice all very fat men have a penis barely an inch long. Why?

ANSWER: An aroused (angered) colleague stoutly maintains this is a false observation, caused, no doubt, by lack of familiarity with obese people. Increased fat tissue covering the base of the penis accounts for this belief. Have you ever read about Fatty Arbuckle?

QUESTION: Could you please explain what inverted nipples are and what, if anything, is the cure?

ANSWER: Inverted nipples turn in rather than out. The condition is rather common and should cause no concern unless it occurs after puberty. Pregnancy may cause them to evert. I’ve also seen a picture of a suction device used to evert the nipples similar to those used to stimulate the flow of breast milk. Some gynecologists suggest having a close friend suck inverted nipples at least once daily to cause eversion. Find someone trying to kick cigarette addiction.

Dr. Schoenfeld welcomes your questions. Write to him c/o P.O. Box 9002, Berkeley, Calif 94719

Top