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29 J. Psychiatry & L. 103 (2001)
Aphrodisiacs - Then and Now

handle is hein.journals/jpsych29 and id is 107 raw text is: The Journal of Psychiatry & Law 29/Spring 2001 COMMENTARY Aphrodisiacs-then and now BY PROFESSOR RALPH SLOVENKO The history of mankind has been marked by the search for aphrodisiacs (a word derived from the name Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love). Aphrodisiacs come and go; none are forever. They can be classified into two principal groups: psycho-physiological (visual, tactile, olfactory, aural) and internal (food, alcoholic drinks, drugs, love potions and med- ical preparations). The first group is based on the premise that the senses can be stimulated to heighten sexual awareness. To be sure, sight, touch, smell and hearing can be very erotic. They include seeing nude photos, red bra and panties, kissing, and even the smell of a new car. The second group is based on the old belief, founded on deep hope, that certain foods or spices have sexually stimulating qualities. Herbs of one kind or another have been widely used. One person, age 58, has a teaspoonful of honey and glycerin before retiring every night and he says It really works. According to The Economist (Jan. 6, 2000), Vietnamese men eat dogs believing that the adrenaline in the animal's body increases their sexual prowess. © 2001 by Federal Legal Publications, Inc.