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Numerous animal preparations with little or no nutritious value have been used as aphrodisiacs, throughout the years.
According to a medieval recipe, black ants would be dried, and mixed with olive oil immediately before consumption. Lizards were also highly regarded by both Arabs and Southern Europeans – they would dry the lizard, pulverise it and consume the powder with a sweet white wine. Alternatively, the lizard could also be the main constituent of a more elaborate dish.
In “The Perfumed Garden”, it is suggested that rubbing the penis and the vulva with the bile of a jackal will make those parts more willing for sex. The Perfumed Garden goes on to note that a man can melt down fat from the hump of a camel and rub his penis with it, just before sex. It will then perform wonders, and the woman will praise it for its work; the book asserts (or, at least it will act as a lubricant).
Leeches were used to increase the size of the penis – They are put in a bottle, which is kept enclosed in the warmth of a dunghill until the leeches have turned into a homogenous mass – Then this substance is used as a liniment for anointing the penis.
According to Pliny, the gall of a boar would stimulate an erection. And, in some Asian countries, even gallstones are believed to be an aphrodisiac, and therefore can have a market value of many tens of thousands of dollars per kilo.
The flesh of the Nilgiri Languor and the lion-tailed macaque is reputed for its aphrodisiacal properties, according to Ramachandran et al. (1987).
In Hong Kong, certain shark species can fetch hundreds of dollars apiece, because of the demand for shark fins as an aphrodisiac. The fins are removed, dried for two days and then cooked into shark fin soup.
Asses’ milk had a reputation as an aphrodisiac amongst the Romans and Arabs, but mainly when used topically. Rubbing the genitals twice a day with the milk allegedly had beneficial effects; and according to “The Perfumed Garden”, the virile member would become “uncommonly strong and vigorous”. It is also supposed to have effects on women – Poppea, the wife of the Roman emperor Nero, is said to have bathed in it.
Ambergris: is a product derived from certain whales, and can occasionally be found on ocean beaches. It is extremely expensive and used for perfume production. According to Arabic folklore it is also an aphrodisiac. Dr. SA Taha and colleagues reported that in rats, ambrein, a constituent of ambergris, produced “recurrent episodes of penile erection, a dose-dependent, vigorous and repetitive increase in intromissions and an increased anogenital investigatory behaviour“.
Antlers: Most likely because of their similarity to an erect penis, horns and antlers have long been used as aphrodisiacs, especially in Eastern Asia. Reindeer shed their antlers annually, and these abandoned reindeer antlers are often imported to Japan as aphrodisiacs. The Tibetan Red Deer (Cervus elaphus wallichi) has long been listed as extinct by the World Conservation Union, but a herd of 200 animals was discovered fairly recently about 100 miles east of Lhasa, Tibet, on an alpine meadow, at an altitude of about 4,000 meters. The reason for their earlier supposed extinction (and their current threat), is that they are coveted for their velvety antlers, which are highly prized as aphrodisiacs.
Chan Su: is a traditional Chinese medication used, amongst other things, as a topical anaesthetic. It is prepared from the skin of the toad Bufo bufo gargarizans and contains bufadienolides and bufotenine. Several fatalities have been reported over the years, as a result of ingestion of this drug (the deaths were caused by cardiac dysrhythmia). Even when used topically, Chan Su is not in any way an amorous adjuvant, when ingested, its contents of cardio-active steroids such as resibufogenin, bufalin and cinobufagin, is certain to have detrimental effects.
Oysters: During the time of the Roman Empire oysters enjoyed an aphrodisiac reputation, which has only increased over the ages. Oysters are low in fat and high in minerals, and so are therefore quite healthy foods. Phosphorus, Iodine and Zinc are beneficial, especially Zinc, which is said to increase sperm and testosterone production, as well as the secretion of vaginal lubricant.
On the other hand, according to Norman Lewis in his book “Aphrodisiacs I Have Known“, a group of male pearl-divers on the island of Kamaran (off the Arabian coast) get most of their nourishment from oysters – and have very low sex drives.
One reason for the popularity of seafood, and oysters in particular, could be that such food generally is light, so you do not end up over-stuffed (and then underperforming) after half a dozen oysters. Casanova is said to have been a firm believer in oysters, eating fifty of them raw every morning in his bath, together with the lady he fancied at that moment.
Rhino Horn: Powdered rhinoceros horns are regarded as something of a panacea in Eastern Asia, believed effective against anything from nosebleeds and headaches to diphtheria and food poisoning. In addition, they are widely believed to increase male sexual endurance, including the ability to achieve an erection. However, it should be noted that the original rhino aphrodisiac was the dried penis, and not the horn. Further, widespread poaching of rhinos has led to all five rhino species being included on the list of endangered animals.
A rhino’s horn is not attached to its skull, and so is therefore not a true horn, but a growth of densely compressed dermal fibres, made up of keratin; which is the same material that is found in hair and nails. Consequently, consumption of powdered nail clippings could be expected to provide more or less the same results as a rhino’s horn.
Inagaki and Oida investigated the low molecular weight constituents of rhino horn, and found Sugar, Phosphorous and Ethanolamine are present along with several free amino acids, such as Aspartic acid, Threonine, Ornithine, Lysine, Histidine and Arginine (which, people have speculated, may increase the intensity of sensation during sex).
The use of rhino horns (and tiger bones) for medical purposes was declared illegal by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, in 1993.
Snake Blood: In parts of Eastern Asia snake blood is used to boost the flagging male libido. The exact snake species doesn’t really matter as long as it’s truly poisonous, although cobras seem to be favoured. It is claimed that the best effects are obtained from fresh blood, and in Malaysia, special parlours exist where live snakes are served. The snake tail is pierced and the customer sucks blood from it for a few minutes to increase his capacity for love-making. No information is available on how often the same snake can be reused.
Tiger preparations: Tiger whiskers are used as an aphrodisiac in Indonesia, but in Malaysia the same preparation is regarded as a strong poison. In Eastern Asia, many tiger parts are considered to be powerful aphrodisiacs, including bones, fat, liver and penis. No doubt after consumption, just like the tiger, you will be able to make love for a full 15 seconds!
Animal genitalia aphrodisiacs
Organotherapy was popular with the Romans, for treating sexual problems. This therapy is based on the belief that the consumption of a healthy animal organ might cure illnesses in the corresponding human organ. Thus, the Romans ate all kinds of animal genitalia, including penises, wombs and testes, from animals ranging from monkeys to cocks. Apicus, in his “De re coquinaria” includes several recipes for stuffed womb of pig and cow, mainly as dishes to increase fertility.
The use of deer genitals as an aphrodisiac dates back to antiquity. Hippocrates recommends the penis, an organ that according to Dioscoride, can also be used as an antidote against snake bites.
Preparations of deer penis were included in several pharmacopoeias as late as the 18th century, for example, in Sweden, Pharmacopoeia Wirtenbergensis, published in 1750, recommends “Cervi Priapus” against poisoning, bladder stones and blood in the urine, and also claims that this is an excellent aphrodisiac.
Deer testicles, “Testiculi cervi”, were less popular, but nevertheless included in the famous “Pharmacologia” by Dale, published in 1696, as an aphrodisiac.
Finally, an indirect use of animal genitalia is suggested in “The Perfumed Garden”: Boil an ass’s penis together with onions and a large quantity of corn. Feed this dish to fowl, which you eat afterwards. This will apparently increase the size and capacity of a man’s penis.
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