[Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) : a life with aphrodisiacs].

Giacomo Girolamo Casanova was born in Venice, the son of actors, on 2 April 1725. After studying theology and law, he was ordained as an abbé, but after 3 years he left the clergy. In 1742 he graduated with a degree in law but never seriously practiced as an attorney. Occupational episodes included stints as a soldier, secret agent, lottery operator, embassy secretary, and violinist. He became world famous after his escape from "The Leads" (a famous Venetian prison), which he described in detail in his 15-volume, French-language memoirs. Because of his countless romantic adventures, which he also described in great detail, we want to generate a kind of "vita sexualis."His not-so-insignificant medical knowledge, together with his unruly libido as well as his pronounced imagination, led to a more than astonishing career. His experiences and descriptions appear today to be very relevant and testify a great deal about medical laymen's knowledge and ingenuity. For Casanova, the use of different aphrodisiacs or love amulets served only one purpose, and that was to continuously broaden his frivolous adventures.When he died as a result of chronic bladder disease on 4 June 1798 in Bohemia, he left behind - besides the broken hearts of countless women - a fascinating biography that provides a comprehensive and intriguing portrait of the customs of the 18th century.