History of Circumcision from the Earliest Times to the Present

History of Circumcision from the
Earliest
by Peter Charles
Remondino

The Project Gutenberg EBook of History of Circumcision from the
Earliest
Times to the Present, by Peter Charles Remondino This eBook is for
the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.net
Title: History of Circumcision from the Earliest Times to the Present
Moral and Physical Reasons for its Performance
Author: Peter Charles Remondino
Release Date: October 21, 2007 [EBook #23135]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY
OF CIRCUMCISION ***

Produced by Bryan Ness, LN Yaddanapudi and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced

from images generously made available by The Internet
Archive/Million Book Project)

No. 11 IN THE PHYSICIANS' AND STUDENTS' READY
REFERENCE SERIES
HISTORY OF CIRCUMCISION FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO
THE PRESENT.
MORAL AND PHYSICAL REASONS FOR ITS PERFORMANCE,
WITH A HISTORY OF EUNUCHISM, HERMAPHRODISM, ETC.,
AND OF THE DIFFERENT OPERATIONS PRACTICED UPON
THE PREPUCE.
BY
P. C. REMONDINO, M.D. (JEFFERSON),
Member of the American Medical Association, of the American Public
Health Association, of the San Diego County Medical Society, of the
State Board of Health of California, and of the Board of Health of the
City of San Diego; Vice-President of California State Medical Society
and of Southern California Medical Society, etc.
[Illustration]
PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON: F. A. DAVIS, PUBLISHER. 1891.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1891, by F. A.
DAVIS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington,
D.C., U.S.A.
Philadelphia Pa., U. S. A.: The Medical Bulletin Printing House, 1231
Filbert Street.
[Illustration: HEBRAIC CIRCUMCISION]

PREFACE.
In ancient Egypt the performance of circumcision was at one time
limited to the priesthood, who, in addition to the cleanliness that this
operation imparted to that class, added the shaving of the whole body
as a means of further purification. The nobility, royalty, and the higher
warrior class seem to have adopted circumcision as well, either as a
hygienic precaution or as an aristocratic prerogative and insignia.
Among the Greeks we find a like practice, and we are told that in the
times of Pythagoras the Greek philosophers were also circumcised,
although we find no mention that the operation went beyond the
intellectual class. In the United States, France, and in England, there is
a class which also observe circumcision as a hygienic precaution,
where, from my personal observation, I have found that circumcision is
thoroughly practiced in every male member of many of the families of
the class,--this being the physician class. In general conversation with
physicians on this subject, it has really been surprising to see the large
number who have had themselves circumcised, either through the
advice of some college professor while attending lectures or as a result
of their own subsequent convictions when engaged in actual practice
and daily coming in contact both with the benefits that are to be derived
in the way of a better physical, mental, and moral health, as well as
with the many dangers and disadvantages that follow the
uncircumcised,--the latter being probably the most frequent incentive
and determinator,--as in many of these latter examples the operation of
circumcision, with its pains, annoyances, and possible and probable
dangers, sink into the most trifling insignificance in comparison to
some of the results that are daily observed as the tribute that is paid by
the unlucky and unhappy wearer of a prepuce for the privilege of
possessing such an appendage.
There is one thing that must be admitted concerning circumcision: this
being that, among medical men or men of ordinary intelligence who
have had the operation performed, instead of being dissatisfied, they
have extended the advantages they have themselves received, by
having those in their charge likewise operated upon. The practice is

now much more prevalent than is supposed, as there are many Christian
families where males are regularly circumcised soon after birth, who
simply do so as a hygienic measure.
For the benefit of these, who may congratulate themselves upon the
dangers and annoyances that they and their families have escaped, and
for the benefit of those who would run into these dangers but for timely
warning, this book has been especially written. To my professional
brothers the book will prove a source of instruction and recreation, for,
while it contains a lot of pathology regarding the moral and physical
reasons why circumcision should be performed, which might be as
undigestible as a mess of Boston brown bread and beans on a French
stomach, I have endeavored to make that part of the book readable and
interesting. The operative chapter will