The works concerning prostitution in large cities also contain numerous statements concerning this matter.
Léo Taxil (_op. cit._, p. 228) describes masochistic scenes in Parisian brothels. The man affected with this perversion is there also called “slave.”
Coffignon (“La corruption à Paris”) has a chapter in his book entitled “Les Passionels,” which contains contributions to this subject.
It is interesting and worthy of mention, that one of the most celebrated of men was subject to this perversion, and describes it in his autobiography (though somewhat erroneously). From “Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions” it is evident that he was affected with masochism.
Rousseau, with reference to whose life and malady Möbius (“J. J. Rousseau’s Krankengeschichte,” Leipzig, 1889) and Chatelain (“La folie de J. J. Rousseau,” Neuchatel, 1890) may be consulted, tells, in his “Confessions” (part i, book i), how Miss Lambercier, aged thirty, greatly impressed him when he was eight years old and lived with her brother as his pupil. Her solicitude, when he could not immediately answer a question, and her threats to punish him if he did not learn well, made the deepest impression on him. When, one day, he had blows at her hands, with the feeling of pain and shame, he also experienced sensual pleasure that incited a great desire to be whipped by her again. It was only for fear of disturbing the lady, that Rousseau failed to make other opportunities to experience this lustful, sensual feeling. One day, however, he unintentionally gave cause for a whipping at Miss Lambercier’s hands. This was the last; for Miss Lambercier must have noticed something of the peculiar effect of the punishment; and from this time on she did not allow the eight-year-old boy to sleep in her room. From this time Rousseau felt a desire to have himself punished by ladies pleasing to him, a la Lambercier; but he asserts that until his youth he knew nothing of the relation of the sexes to each other. As is known, Rousseau was first introduced to the real mysteries of love in his thirtieth year, and lost his innocence through Madame de Warrens. Until that time he had had only feelings and impulses attracting him to woman, in the nature of passive flagellation and other masochistic ideas.