Today’s Recanting Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
Let’s have another jolly story of Christian Martyrdom from the classic of the genre, Fox’s Book of Martyrs (1848). This incident allegedly occurred during the Seventh Persecution, under Decius in A. D. 249:
Nichomachus, being brought before the proconsul as a christian, was ordered to sacrifice to the pagan idols. Nichomachus replied, “I cannot pay that respect to devils, which is only due to the Almighty.” This speech so much enraged the proconsul, that Nichomachus was put to the rack. After enduring the torments for a time, he recanted; but scarcely had he given this proof of his frailty, than he fell into the greatest agonies, dropped down on the ground, and expired immediately.
Denisa, a young woman of only sixteen years of age, who beheld this terrible judgment, suddenly exclaimed, “O unhappy wretch, why would you buy a moment’s ease at the expense of a miserable eternity!” Optimus, hearing this, called to her, and Denisa avowing herself to be a christian, she was beheaded, by his order, soon after.
Andrew and Paul, two companions of Nichomachus the martyr, A. D. 251, suffered martyrdom by stoning, and expired, calling on their blessed Redeemer.
Culled from: Fox’s Book of Martyrs
Generously suggested by: Louise
The moral of the story? Don’t hang around Nichomachus! Nothing but trouble…
Sexual Case Study Du Jour!
The following case study of a deviant with Anaesthesia Sexualis (i.e., absence of sexual feelings) is culled from Psychopathia Sexualis (1931).
I’ve no idea where this picture is from, but it was too perfect not to use.
Case 10. E., aged thirty, journeyman painter, was arrested while trying to cut off the scrotum of a boy he had caught in the woods. He gave as a motive for this act that he wished to cut it off in order than the world should not multiply. Often in his youth, with like purpose, he had cut into his own genitals.
It is impossible to learn anything of his ancestry. From his childhood he was mentally abnormal, violent, never lively, very irritable, irascible, selfish, and weak-minded. He hated women, loved solitude, and read much. He sometimes laughed to himself and did silly things. Of late years his hatred of women had increased, especially of those that were pregnant, they being responsible for the misery of the world. He also hated children, and cursed his father. He entertained communistic ideas, and berated the rich and the ministry and God, who had allowed him to come into the world so poor. He declared that it would be better to castrate all children than to allow others to come into the world fated only to endure poverty and misery. He had always had the intention, from his fifteenth year, of castrating himself, in order that he might have no part in increasing unhappiness and adding to the number of men. He hated the female sex because it was a means of procreation. Only twice in his life had he allowed women to practise manustupration on him [a hand job – DeSpair], and, with the exception of this he had never had anything to do with them. Occasionally he had sexual desire, but never for a natural gratification of it. When nature did not help him, he occasionally helped himself by means of masturbation.
He was a powerful, muscular man. The formation of the genitals presented no abnormality. On the scrotum and penis were numerous scars, the results of his attempts at self-emasculation, which, he asserted, were not carried out on account of pain. Genu valgum of right leg. No evidence of onanism could be discovered. He was moody, defiant, irritable. Social feelings were absolutely foreign to him. With the exception of imperfect sleep and frequent headaches, there were no functional disturbances.