Many other articles of food beside fish have been regarded as aphrodisiac. Many insect eating reptiles, a bird called torcol and numerous insects of which it is useless to speak. Eggs have also been regarded as having the same property, and also truffles, mushrooms, artichokes, celery, cocoa and all its preparations, onions and condiments as ginger, pepper, and vanilla, and finally certain fruits as strawberries, apricots, peaches, pineapples, &c.
Among the articles which we have named there are certainly some which being heating and exciting, may cause desire although containing nothing more specific than a great many substances which are esteemed as antiaphrodisiac, because being cooling and soothing they may produce the opposite effect. Among these latter, we find milk, which, according to Ste. Marie, generally contributes less to form the semen than most other articles of food. Among these also we may mention fresh vegetables and particularly the sorrel, purslain, lettuce, endive, cucumber, mushroom, melons, &c. To these may be added the flesh of young animals, chicken, lamb, veal, &c., and also cooling drinks, as orgeat, lemonade, &c. The regimen best adapted for appeasing all carnal desires consists as we have seen in an antiphlogistic diet which is composed of those fluids or solids which when introduced into the stomach are digested and assimilated with the slightest possible degree of excitement and heat. This regimen is that which should be prescribed to those patients who possess a certain degree of vigor and wish to protect themselves against urgent and dangerous desires.
Different medicines have also been prescribed for the same purpose: many of them act in the same manner as the articles of food we have mentioned: of this character are tisans of marshmallows, violets, barley, emulsions, water distilled from lettuce, purslain, &c.: of a similar character are iced drinks, ice given internally, and even prepared ices. To calm the excitement of the genital organs drugs having a positive influence on the nervous system are also administered. Thus camphor given alone or in combination with nitre has often been prescribed for this purpose. The special action of this article on the urinary passages, leads to the belief that in some cases it may be useful. Primrose and St. Basil have boasted of the internal use of cicuta for moderating too ardent desires. Opium and its preparations have been prescribed for the same purpose. The use of this article by the Orientals and its effects upon them render us rather suspicious of it; there may be cases however in which it is useful. Belladonna deserves more confidence. Dr. Powell, in the London medical magazine for April, 1824, relates the case of a young girl 27 years old, who for more than three years experienced twice a month and even more frequently violent attacks of a libidinous hysteria: her cure was attributed to a potion composed in part of the tincture of belladonna, which was used to such an extent as to produce dilatation of the pupils. The results obtained by Chaussier, and by many others, from applying belladonna to the neck of the uterus either to combat rigidity in labor or to alleviate puerperal convulsions, lead us to think that medicine may prove efficacious in satyriasis and nymphomania. Thridace also may be tried in these cases, and Angelot has related a case of spermatorrhœa supervening in consequence of excesses at the table which was cured by this remedy. Distilled cherry-tree water also might be added which Louyer Villermay indicates as useful in nymphomania.