History of Circumcision from the Earliest Times to the Present | Page 2

simple to the most elaborate,--besides paying more than particular attention to the subject of after-dressings. The part that relates to the natural history of man will interest all manner of people. I regret that the tabular statistics are not to be had, but in this regard we must use our best judgment from the material we have on hand; at any rate, I have tried to furnish a sufficiency of facts, so that, unless the reader is too overexacting, he will not find much difficulty in arriving at a conclusion on the subject.
P. C. REMONDINO, M.D.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, 1891.

CONTENTS.
PAGE
PREFACE, iii
INTRODUCTION, 1
CHAPTER I.
ANTIQUITY OF CIRCUMCISION, 21
CHAPTER II.
THEORIES AS TO THE ORIGIN OF CIRCUMCISION, 28
CHAPTER III.
SPREAD OF CIRCUMCISION, 34
CHAPTER IV.
CIRCUMCISION AMONG SAVAGE TRIBES, 42
CHAPTER V.
INFIBULATION, MUZZLING, AND OTHER CURIOUS PRACTICES, 46
CHAPTER VI.
ATTEMPTS TO ABOLISH CIRCUMCISION, 63
CHAPTER VII.
MIRACLES AND THE HOLY PREPUCE, 70
CHAPTER VIII.
HISTORY OF EMASCULATION, CASTRATION, AND EUNUCHISM, 82
CHAPTER IX.
PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO EUNUCHISM AND MEDICINE, 105
CHAPTER X.
HERMAPHRODISM AND HYPOSPADIAS, 117
CHAPTER XI.
RELIGIO MEDICI, 134
CHAPTER XII.
HEBRAIC CIRCUMCISION, 143
CHAPTER XIII.
MEZIZAH, THE FOURTH OR OBJECTIONABLE ACT OF SUCTION, 150
CHAPTER XIV.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CIRCUMCISION? 161
CHAPTER XV.
PREDISPOSITION TO AND EXEMPTION AND IMMUNITY FROM DISEASE, 183
CHAPTER XVI.
THE PREPUCE, SYPHILIS, AND PHTHISIS, 187
CHAPTER XVII.
SOME REASONS FOR BEING CIRCUMCISED, 200
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE PREPUCE AS AN OUTLAW, AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE GLANS, 206
CHAPTER XIX.
IS THE PREPUCE A NATURAL PHYSIOLOGICAL APPENDAGE? 217
CHAPTER XX.
THE PREPUCE, PHIMOSIS, AND CANCER, 226
CHAPTER XXI.
THE PREPUCE AND GANGRENE OF THE PENIS, 236
CHAPTER XXII.
THE PREPUCE, CALCULI, AND OTHER ANNOYANCES, 248
CHAPTER XXIII.
REFLEX NEUROSES AND THE PREPUCE, 254
CHAPTER XXIV.
DYSURIA, ENURESIS, AND RETENTION OF URINE, 275
CHAPTER XXV.
GENERAL SYSTEMIC DISEASES INDUCED BY THE PREPUCE, 284
CHAPTER XXVI.
SURGICAL OPERATIONS PERFORMED ON THE PREPUCE, 302
NOTES TO TEXT, 323
WORKS AND AUTHORITIES QUOTED, 336
INDEX, 339

INTRODUCTION.
This book is the amplification of a paper, the subject of which was, "A Plea for Circumcision; or, the Dangers that Arise from the Prepuce," which was read at the meeting of the Southern California Medical Society, at Pasadena, in December, 1889. The material gathered for that paper was more than could be used in the ordinary limits of a society paper; it was gathered and ready for use, and this suggested its arrangement into book form. The subject of the paper was itself suggested by a long and personal observation of the changes made in man by circumcision. From the individual observation of cases, it was but natural to wish to enlarge the scope of our observation and comparison; this naturally led to a study of the physical characteristics of the only race that could practically be used for the purpose. This race is the Jewish race. On carefully studying into the subject, I plainly saw that much of their longevity could consistently be ascribed to their more practical humanitarianism, in caring for their poor, their sick, as well as in their generous provision for their unfortunate aged people. The social fabric of the Jewish family is also more calculated to promote long life, as, strangely as it may seem, family veneration and family love and attachment are far more strong and practical among this people than among Christians, this sentiment not being even as strong in the Christian races as it is in the Chinese or Japanese. It certainly forms as much of a part of the teachings of Christianity as it does of Judaism, Buddhism, or Confucianism, only Christians, as a mass, have practically forgotten it. The occupation followed by the Jews also in a certain degree favors longevity, and the influence on heredity induced by all these combined conditions goes for something. But it is not alone in the matter of simple longevity--although that implies considerable--that the Jewish race is found to be better situated. Actual observations show them to be exempt from many diseases which affect other races; so that it is not only that they recover more promptly, but that they are not, as a class, subjected to the loss of time by illness, or to the consequent sufferings due to illness or disease, in anything like or like ratio with other people.
There is also a less tendency to criminality, debauchery, and intemperance in the race; this, again, can in a measure be ascribed to their family influence, which even in our day has not lost that patriarchal influence which tinges the home or family life in the Old Testament. Crimes against the person or property committed by Jews are rare. They likewise do not figure in either police courts or penitentiary records; they are not inmates of our poor-houses, but, what is also singular, they are never accused of many silly crimes, such as indecent exposures, assaults on young girls; nor do they figure in any such exposures as the one recently made by the Pall Mall Gazette.
After allowing all that, which we can, in its fullest limit, to religion, family, or social habit, there