Sex efficiency through exercises : special physical culture for women / by Th. H. van de Velde ; [photos, by E. Steinemann].
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operated either by diminishing the " tone " of the con- strictor (see Plate I.), or perhaps also by the contraction of certain transverse muscular fibres (also visible in Plate I.). But, whatever be the precise agents, women who can entirely distend or open their introitus at will, have certain in- contestable advantages both in married life and as subjects of necessary gynaecological and clinical treatment. The C. C. muscle may close convulsively under psychic influences, or as a result of disturbing local conditions. When there is fear or reluctance to admit gynaecological instruments, for instance, a woman who realises that the inspection is right and necessary may overcome her unconscious resist- ance, and, by deliberately opening her vaginal orifice, she may facilitate examination and, therefore, diagnosis and remedial measures. Or, perhaps the C. C. closes and the nerves shrink before the male organ in early married life, even though there is full psychic consent and intention for union. If the woman realises this and deliberately expands her orifice, the anatomical and nervous obstacles may be overcome. Further intimate facts are revealed in the course of medical and gynaecological practice which, far from being trivial, may influence the whole subsequent happiness of marriage, enhancing or undermining it. I refer to the peculiar difficul- ties of first intercourse. Virgins who have learnt to control the muscles of their pelvic floor may greatly reduce this difficulty by gently pouting forward the vaginal orifice instead of closing it convulsively. And after perforation has taken place, for the first few days or weeks, there is sometimes a slight soreness and difficulty, which may and should be met in the same way,* as should also any slight soreness due to a scratch, a chill, a bruise or the monthly period. Obviously, I refer here only to slight cases of involuntary rigidity of the C. C. The severe cases are spasms involving the neighbouring muscles, and termed vaginismus in the vocabulary of medi- cine. These are of psychic origin and quite refractory to local treatment whether the conscious will is involved or not. Nevertheless, vaginismus might be prevented in some cases if * See " Ideal Marriage," Chapter XIII., for further relevant facts.