[Highlights of the history of onanism]

For many societies in the world onanism is taboo because of religious and medical ethics. From ancient times until the present day this type of body sensation is disclaimed by modern communities like a recurrent theme. After the discovery of the mechanism of fertilisation by the biologist Eduard van Beneden (1846-1910) in 1875 the feminine clitoris was declared to be a dispensable organ. The clitoris was suspected of causing hysteria, epilepsy and other forms of insanity. In the eighteenth century masturbation performed by young men was classified as a consumptive disease that caused inevitable death. The following presentation gives an historical overview through the history of onanism that demonstrates the artistic, philosophical and medical point of view on the sexuality of men.