undoing of aiguillettes (impotence for a time)

know, o vizir (god be good to you!), that impotence arises from three causes:

firstly, from the tying of aiguillettes.191

secondly, from a feeble and relaxed constitution.

and thirdly, from too premature ejaculation.

to cure the tying of aigullettes you must take galanga,192 cinnamon from mecca, cloves, indian cachou,193 nutmeg, indian cubebs, sparrow-wort,194 cinnamon, persian pepper, indian thistle,195 cardamoms,196 pyrether, laurelseed, and gillyflowers. all these ingredients must be pounded together carefully, and one drinks of it as much as one can, morning and night, in broth, particularly in pigeon broth; fowl broth may, however, be substituted just as well. water is to be drunk before and after taking it. the compound may likewise be taken with money, which is the best method, and gives the best results.

the man whose ejaculation is too precipitate must take nutmeg and incense (oliban)197 mixed together with honey.

if the impotence arises from weakness, the following ingredients are to be taken in honey: viz., pyrether, nettle-seed,198 a little spurge (or cevadille), ginger, cinnamon of mecca, and cardamon. this preparation will cause the weakness to disappear and effect the cure, with the permission of god the highest!

i can warrant the efficacy of all these preparations, the virtue of which has been tested.

the impossibility of performing the coitus, owing to the absence of stiffness in the member, is also due to other causes. it will happen, for instance, that a man with his verge in erection will find it getting flaccid just when he is on the point of introducing it between the thighs of the woman. he thinks this is impotence, while it is simply the result, may be, of an exaggerated respect for the woman, may be of a misplaced bashfulness, may be because one has observed something disagreeable, or on account of an unpleasant odour; finally, owing to a feeling of jealousy, inspired by the thought that the woman is no longer a virgin, and has served the pleasure of other men.