The history of the penis is truly fascinating. From the Roman priests of Cybele, who castrated themselves in frenzied ceremonies, to medieval theologians who recommended beans to cure impotence, as they believed an erection was caused by air inflating the penis, it’s been a bumpy ride for the demon rod.

But perhaps one of the worst periods in Western history for a gentleman's credentials was the 19th century. Masturbation – the solitary vice, self-pollution, onanism or 'jerkin’ the gherkin’' – fascinated Victorian doctors, who prescribed all manner of quack cures, ranging from the mildly amusing to the outright dangerous in the quest to stop masturbation once and for all.