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



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