A recently surfaced 1864 letter provides a glimpse into a little-discussed affliction among Civil War soldiers – chronic masturbation.
The handwritten note by Confederate Lt. William Dandridge Pitts inquires about the condition of his brother Charles, who was discharged from the army in 1862 due to an unspecified “illness.” Charles was residing at the Western Lunatic Asylum in Virginia.
According to Charles’ doctor and accounts from fellow soldiers, his illness was a relentless addiction to masturbation. “I have had some conversation with the physician who attended my brother previous to his going to the asylum,” Lt. Pitts wrote, “and he advises me…that [Charles] was addicted to masturbation, while in camp.”
The letter highlights the mental health toll of the war, even before combat began. Soldiers forced to endure their comrades’ “self-pollution” no doubt developed deep psychological scars.
While masturbation remained taboo in the Victorian era, it was pervasive enough in the military to earn the nickname “Johnny Reb.” The irony of this affliction among troops from Virginia, the “state for lovers,” was surely not lost on the Pitts family.
The letter survives in excellent condition despite its delicate subject matter. This “director’s cut” offers intimate insight into secret struggles in Civil War ranks.
A 20-year-old woman from Northwest Indiana was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly violently pulling a man’s penis. Police were called to the 700 block of Dearborn Road in Portage Township just before 7:15 p.m. on a battery report. The caller, a 26-year-old man from Valparaiso, reported that he was in a verbal argument with Zephanie Pennywell in the kitchen when she chased him, grabbed his shirt, and then grabbed his penis in a violent manner, refusing to let go and starting to pull. A roommate provided video footage of the incident, which showed Pennywell charging the man and grabbing his groin area for a brief period. Later, she was apprehended at a bar on the 300 block of U.S. Route 6. Pennywell claimed that she warned the man to stop provoking her and that the next person who annoyed her would be “d***ed.” She admitted to grabbing the man’s penis in an effort to harm him after failing to punch him in the crotch. Pennywell has been charged with battery.
In a bizarre and costly crime, thieves have made off with two tanks of high-value bull semen from a farm in Clogher, County Tyrone. The theft of the cryogenic storage units represents a major financial blow, with the contents estimated to be worth a substantial sum into the tens of thousands of pounds.
The thieves targeted the farm sometime between Monday evening and Tuesday morning. The stolen semen was valuable genetic material used for artificial insemination in cattle breeding programs.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has launched an investigation and is appealing for witnesses. Given the highly specialized nature of the stolen property, they believe the tanks would be difficult for the thieves to sell on. Anyone noticing suspicious activity related to agricultural genetic materials is encouraged to contact the police immediately.
Wellness influencers swear by the newest craze: perineum sunning. They’re getting some sun where the sun doesn’t shine.
Tanning one’s cans, also known as perineum sunning by influencers, is the hottest wellness trend.
An influencer who goes by the name Ra of Earth states, You will receive more energy from this electric node in a mere 30 seconds of sunlight on your butthole than you would in an entire day being outside with your clothes on. He makes a gesture toward the sun while three naked men lie down, point their backs to the sky, and make sounds of pleasure in a viral video that has received over 35,000 views.
A step-by-step Sun Worship exercise from The Tao of Sexology: has also been posted by Ra of Earth. According to Dr. Stephen T. Chang’s book The Book of Infinite Wisdom, the practice can aid in keeping the area healthy and germ-free.
Earth’s Chang and Ra aren’t the only ones. It appears that other influencers are similarly motivated to take in some of the most vile rays.
[Thirty] seconds of injection of direct sunlight to the anal orifice is equivalent to being outside in the sun for the entire day! Influencer Troy Casey writes.
One Californian claims that taking vitamin D supplements improves her sleep and regulates her hormones.
A picture of a woman who goes by the name Metaphysical Meagan captions it, For the past few weeks I have included sunning my bum and yoni into my daily rising routine. The picture shows the woman completely naked on a rock. Meagan claims that her study of Taoism was the first place she learned about perineum sunning, and she has recently switched from drinking coffee in the morning to sunning her anus.
The peculiarity grabbed the more extensive web’s eye after one Twitter client posted Meagan’s photograph and inscription, to the tune of in excess of 84,000 preferences.
Even celebrities are getting their bums sunbaked. Shailene Woodley, best known for her holistic lifestyle that doesn’t even include a television, has admitted that she has also done perineum sunning.
She told Into The Gloss in 2014, Another thing I like to do is give my vagina a little vitamin D. I was reading an article about yeast infections and other genital problems written by an herbalist I studied. She said that vitamin D is the best thing. If you feel tired, spend an hour in the sun to see how much energy you have. Or, if you live in a region with prolonged winters, spread your legs and enjoy the sunshine when it finally arrives.
Be that as it may, clinical experts are a long way from persuaded the training has any legitimacy.
Dr. Diana Gall of the UK-based online doctor service Doctor 4 U tells Insider, There is no evidence that sunbathing in this manner has any effect on physical well-being.
She asserts, Yes, it is beneficial for mental and physical health to practice mindfulness and meditation and get your vitamin D, but you don’t need to damage your skin in the process from sun exposure.
There are no additional benefits of doing this naked in the sun, according to Gall, who adds that there are different and safer ways to practice mindfulness.
The Federal Trade Commission is having difficulty persuading influencers to shed more light on product endorsements because they are currently letting the sun shine in their back door.
