No language could adequately describe the suffering of the patient.

Burchard elicited the history that the man had suffered from nocturnal emissions and erotic dreams of the most lascivious nature, sometimes having three in one night.

During the day he would have eight or ten erections, unaccompanied by any voluptuous emotions.
In these there would rarely be any emission, but occasionally a small mucous discharge.

This state of affairs had continued three years up to the time Burchard saw him, and, chagrined by pain and his malady, the patient had become despondent.

After a course of careful treatment, in which diet, sponging, application of ice-bags, and ergot were features, this unfortunate man recovered.
Bruce mentions the case of an Irishman of fifty-five who, without apparent cause, was affected with a painful priapism which lasted six weeks, and did not subside even under chloroform.