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: ASCII

*** 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 to