1887 "Hip trouble is from falling down, an accident that children with
tight foreskins are specially liable to, owing to the weakening of the muscles produced by
the condition of the genitals." -Lewis L. Sayer, MD
"Circumcision for the Cure of Enuresis" Journal of the American Medical
Association, 1887
"There can be no doubt of [masturbation's] injurious effect, and of the proneness to
practice it on the part of children with defective brains. Circumcision should always be
practiced. It may be necessary to make the genitals so sore by blistering fluids that pain
results from attempts to rub the parts." -Angel Money. Treatment of
Disease in Children. p 421
1900 "Finally, circumcision probably tends to increase the
power of sexual control. The only physiological advantage which the prepuce can be
supposed to confer is that of maintaining the penis in a condition susceptible to more
acute sensation that would otherwise exist. It may increase the pleasure of intercourse
and the impulse to it: but these are advantages which in the present state of society can
well be spared. If in their loss increase in sexual control should result, one should be
thankful." -Editor, Medical News, Our London Letter, Medical News,
1900:77:707-8
1902 "I have repeatedly seen such cases as convulsions,
constant crying in infants, simulated hip joint diseases, backwardness in studies,
enuresis [incontinence], marasmus [malnutrition], muscular incoordination, paralysis,
masturbation, neurasthenia [depression], and even epilepsy, cured or greatly benefited by
the proper performance of circumcision." -W.G. Steele, MD,
"Importance of Circumcision," Medical World, 1902:20:518-19
1914 "It is generally accepted that irritation derived from a
tight prepuce may be followed by nervous phenomena, among these being convulsions and
outbreaks resembling epilepsy. It is therefore not at all improbable that in many infants
who die of convulsions, the real cause of death is a long or tight prepuce." -A.L.
Wolbarst, MD "Universal Circumcision as a Sanitary Measure" Journal of the
American Medical Association, 1914:62:92-7
1915 "Circumcision not only reduces the irritability of the
child's penis, but also the so-called passion of which so many married men are so
extremely proud, to the detriment of their wives and their married life. Many
youthful rapes could be prevented, many separations, and divorce also, and many an unhappy
marriage improved if this unnatural passion was cut down by timely circumcision." -L.W.
Wuesthoff, MD "Benefits of Circumcision." Medical World, 1915:33L434
1920 "Circumcision is an excellent thing to do; it helps to
prevent hernia due to straining, and later it helps in preventing masturbation. The
ordinary schoolboy is not taught to keep himself clean, and if he is taught he thinks too
much about the matter." - L. Solomons, MD "For and Against
Circumcision" British Medical Journal, June 5, 1920: 768
1935 "I suggest that all male children should be circumcised.
This is 'against nature,' but that is exactly the reason why it should be done. Nature
intends that the adolescent male shall copulate as often and as promiscuously as possible,
and to that end covers the sensitive glans so that it shall be ever ready to receive
stimuli. Civilization, on the contrary, requires chastity, and the glans of the
circumcised rapidly assumes a leathery texture less sensitive than skin. Thus the
adolescent has his attention drawn to his penis much less often. I am convinced that
masturbation is much less common in the circumcised. With these considerations in view it
does not seem apt to argue that 'God knows best how to make little boys.'" -
R.W. Cockshut, "Circumcision", British Medical Journal, 2(1935):764
1996 "Circumcision of newborns should not be routinely
performed." -Canadian Pediatric Society, Neonatal Circumcision Revisited,
Clinical Practice Guideline
