Report on a case of sadism∗

Abstract

James M. Reinhardt, in his book Sex Perversion and Sex Crimes (1937), considered sado-masochism as a trial of cruelty. Gregory (Psychiatry, 1961) stated that sadism is experience of sexual pleasure from inflicting physical or mental pain on others. The term is derived from the Marquis de Sade (1740-1819) who practiced or phantasied sex perversion, sadistic or otherwise. The term masochism denotes sexual pleasure obtained from physical or mental pain and is derived from the name of Leopold von Sacher Masoch (1836-1895) who subjected himself as a slave to women. He also wrote a novel, Venus in Fur, describing some masochistic practices. Various techniques have been used by the sadist and the masochist to inflict pain upon themselves or others, including flagellation, hanging, chaining, roping, torturing, etc. Piquers are sadists who like to stab their victims, not necessarily to death. Extreme sadistic urges may lead to lust murder, cannibalism or necrophilia. A sadistic murderer, Peter Kurten, killed many men, women in children in Germany. A sadistic homosexual mass murderer, Hartman, killed many boys in Germany after World War I and sold their flesh for food. Allen defined sadism as obtaining sexual pleasure from acts of cruelty. He classified sadism according to degrees, such as (1) cruel acts with only concomitant sex pleasure; (2) cruel acts accompanied with erection and sexual satisfaction but without ejaculation, and (3) cruel acts with full sexual satisfaction followed by erection and ejaculation. Some investigation revealed that both traits of sexual deviation could be combined in the same personality, male or female.