No. 11 IN THE PHYSICIANS’ AND STUDENTS’ READYREFERENCE 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., ANDOF THE DIFFERENT OPERATIONS PRACTICEDUPON 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 ofCalifornia, and of the Board of Health of the City of San Diego;Vice-President of California State Medical Society and ofSouthern California Medical Society, etc.
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.
Hebraic Circumcision(From an old sixeenth century Italian print in the author’s collection,representing the scene of the Holy Circumcision.)
PREFACE.
In ancient Egypt the performance of circumcision was at one time limitedto the priesthood, who, in addition to the cleanliness that thisoperation imparted to that class, added the shaving of the whole body asa means of further purification. The nobility, royalty, and the higherwarrior class seem to have adopted circumcision as well, either as ahygienic precaution or as an aristocratic prerogative and insignia.Among the Greeks we find a like practice, and we are told that in thetimes of Pythagoras the Greek philosophers were also circumcised,although we find no mention that the operation went beyond theintellectual class. In the United States, France, and in England, thereis a class which also observe circumcision as a hygienic precaution,where, from my personal observation, I have found that circumcision isthoroughly practiced in every male member of many of the families of theclass,—this being the physician class. In general conversation withphysicians on this subject, it has really been surprising to see thelarge number who have had themselves circumcised, either through theadvice of some college professor while attending lectures or as a resultof their [iv]own subsequent convictions when engaged in actual practice anddaily coming in contact both with the benefits that are to be derived inthe way of a better physical, mental, and moral health, as well as withthe many dangers and disadvantages that follow the uncircumcised,—thelatter being probably the most frequent incentive and determinator,—asin many