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From: dzd@cosivax.UUCP (Dean Douthat)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Virtus Dormitiva
Message-ID: <140@cosivax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 3-Aug-85 00:01:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: cosivax.140
Posted: Sat Aug  3 00:01:50 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 6-Aug-85 09:12:33 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: COSI, Ann Arbor, MI
Lines: 24

In message <6443@ucla-cs.ARPA> Eric McColm writes:
>To coin a word:  "rapism", the disorder that both allows and compels certain
>men to rape.  Very little is known about it.  It is possible the rapist has
>a view of the world that is very different from that of others.  Understanding
>this world view could provide the basis for eliminating rape, at last and
>forever.

In  Moliere's  play  "La  Malade'  Imaginaire",  the protagonist is a "learned
doctor".  When asked what in opium puts people to sleep, he "explained" it  is
virtus  dormitiva  [Latin:  sleep-producing  power].   Other examples: Aether,
phlogiston (heat flow), ascorbic (no scurvy) acid.  No doubt the  good  doctor
would be right at home with illness theories of criminality.
-- 
Dean Z. Douthat
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   I have no connection with COSI except as a guest on their local network
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If one were to bring together all customs considered sacred by some group and
then to take away all customs considered immoral by some group, nothing
would remain.

Anacharsis