Psychopathia Sexualis, with Especial Reference to Contrary Sexual Instinct:

the foundation of sexology

The rare first English language edition of one of the earliest medical treatments of non-traditional sexuality, including sexual pathologies, fetishes, paraphilias, and queer identities. Originally published in German in 1886.

'The best known of Krafft-Ebings works, Psychopathia Sexualis, a forensic study of sexual abnormalities, "was an enormous success and the signal for a wave of intensive research in sexual problems"' (Hook & Norman 1238). Published for a professional audience, the book was based on case histories taken by the author himself. 'An adherent of Wilhelm Griesinger's school of "brain psychiatry," which held that psychiatric disturbances were to be classed among the organic brain diseases' he considered all sexual activity outside of procreative heterosexual relationships to be inherently abnormal and the result of 'heredity and degeneration' (Hook & Norman, The Norman Library of Science and Medicine 1237).

First English language edition; 8vo; 32-page publisher's ads at rear dated 1892, contents toned; original brown cloth, titles to spine gilt, patterned endpapers, cloth rubbed, hinges professionally conserved, very good condition; 436pp.

Hook & Norman, The Norman Library of Science and Medicine 1238.