anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第192部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ing　an　account　in　Latin　text　of　the　modus　operandi　of　a　practice　among　the　Nubian　women　of　removing　the　clitoris　and　nymphae　in　the　young　girl；　and　abrading　the　adjacent　walls　of　the　external　labia　so　that　they　would　adhere　and　leave　only　a　urethral　aperture。

This　ancient　custom　of　infibulation　is　occasionally　seen　at　the　present　day　in　civilized　countries；　and　some　cases　of　infibulation　from　jealousy　are　on　record。　There　is　mentioned；　as　from　the　Leicester　Assizes；　the　trial　of　George　Baggerly　for　execution　of　a　villainous　design　on　his　wife。　In　jealousy　he　〃had　sewed　up　her　private　parts。〃　Recently；　before　the　New　York　Academy　of　Medicine；　Collier　reported　a　case　of　pregnancy　in　a　woman　presenting　nympha…infibulation。　The　patient　sought　the　physician's　advice　in　the　summer　of　1894；　while　suffering　from　uterine　disease；　and　being　five　weeks　pregnant。　She　was　a　German　woman　of　twenty…eight；　had　been　married　several　years；　and　was　the　mother　of　several　children。　Collier　examined　her　and　observed　two　holes　in　the　nymphae。　When　he　asked　her　concerning　these；　she　reluctantly　told　him　that　she　had　been　compelled　by　her　husband　to　wear　a　lock　in　this　region。　Her　mother；　prior　to　their　marriage；　sent　her　over　to　the　care　of　her　future　husband　（he　having　left　Germany　some　months　before）。　On　her　arrival　he　perforated　the　labia　minora；　causing　her　to　be　ill　several　weeks；　after　she　had　sufficiently　recovered　he　put　on　a　padlock；　and　for　many　years　he　had　practiced　the　habit　of　locking　her　up　after　each　intercourse。　Strange　to　relate；　no　physician；　except　Collier；　had　ever　inquired　about　the　openings。　In　this　connection　the　celebrated　Harvey　mentions　a　mare　with　infibulated　genitals；　but　these　did　not　prevent　successful　labor。

Occasionally　infibulation　has　been　used　as　a　means　of　preventing　masturbation。　De　la　Fontaine　has　mentioned　this　fact；　and　there　is　a　case　in　this　country　in　which　acute　dementia　from　masturbation　was　cured　by　infibulation。　In　this　instance　the　prepuce　was　perforated　in　two　opposite　places　by　a　trocar；　and　two　pewter　sounds　（No。　2）　were　introduced　into　the　wounds　and　twisted　like　rings。　On　the　eleventh　day　one　of　the　rings　was　removed；　and　a　fresh　one　introduced　in　a　new　place。　A　cure　was　effected　in　eight　weeks。　There　is　recent　mention　made　of　a　method　of　preventing　masturbation　by　a　cage　fastened　over　the　genitals　by　straps　and　locks。　In　cases　of　children　the　key　was　to　be　kept　by　the　parents；　but　in　adults　to　be　put　in　some　part　of　the　house　remote　from　the　sleeping　apartment；　the　theory　being　that　the　desire　would　leave　before　the　key　could　be　obtained。

Among　some　peoples　the　urethra　was　slit　up　as　a　means　of　preventing　conception；　making　a　meatus　near　the　base　of　the　penis。　Herodotus　remarks　that　the　women　of　a　certain　portion　of　Egypt　stood　up　while　they　urinated；　while　the　men　squatted。　Investigation　has　shown　that　the　women　were　obliged　to　stand　up　on　account　of　elongated　nymphae　and　labia；　while　the　men　sought　a　sitting　posture　on　account　of　the　termination　of　the　urethra　being　on　the　inferior　side　of　the　base　of　the　penis；　artificially　formed　there　in　order　to　prevent　conception。　In　the　Australian　Medical　Gazette；　May；　1883；　there　is　an　account　of　some　of　the　methods　of　the　Central　Australians　of　preventing　conception。　One　was　to　make　an　opening　into　the　male　urethra　just　anterior　to　the　scrotum；　and　another　was　to　slit　up　the　entire　urethra　so　far　as　to　make　but　a　single　canal　from　the　scrotum　to　the　glans　penis。　Bourke　quotes　Palmer　in　mentioning　that　it　is　a　custom　to　split　the　urethra　of　the　male　of　the　Kalkadoon　tribe；　near　Cloncurry；　Queensland；　Australia　Mayer　of　Vienna　describes　an　operation　of　perforation　of　the　penis　among　the　Malays；　and　Jagor　and　Micklucho…Maclay　report　similar　customs　among　the　Dyaks　and　other　natives　of　Borneo；　Java；　and　Phillipine　Islands。

Circumcision　is　a　rite　of　great　antiquity。　The　Bible　furnishes　frequent　records　of　this　subject；　and　the　bas…reliefs　on　some　of　the　old　Egyptian　ruins　represent　circumcised　children。　Labat　has　found　traces　of　circumcision　and　excision　of　nymphae　in　mummies。　Herodotus　remarks　that　the　Egyptians　practiced　circumcision　rather　as　a　sanitary　measure　than　as　a　rite。　Voltaire　stated　that　the　Hebrews　borrowed　circumcision　from　the　Egyptians；　but　the　Jews　claimed　that　the　Phoenicians　borrowed　this　rite　from　the　Israelites。

Spencer　and　others　say　that　in　the　early　history　of　the　Christian　religion；　St。　Paul　and　his　Disciples　did　not　believe　in　circumcision；　while　St。　Peter　and　his　followers　practiced　it。　Spencer　mentions　that　the　Abyssinians　take　a　phallic　trophy　by　circumcision　from　the　enemy's　dead　body。　In　his　〃History　of　Circumcision；〃　Remondino　says　that　among　the　modern　Berbers　it　is　not　unusual　for　a　warrior　to　exhibit　virile　members　of　persons　he　has　slain；　he　also　says　that；　according　to　Bergman；　the　Israelites　practiced　preputial　mutilations；　David　brought　200　prepuces　of　the　Philistines　to　Saul。　Circumcision　is　practiced　in　nearly　every　portion　of　the　world；　and　by　various　races；　sometimes　being　a　civil　as　well　as　a　religious　custom。　Its　use　in　surgery　is　too　well　known　to　be　discussed　here。　It　might　be　mentioned；　however；　that　Rake　of　Trinidad；　has　performed　circumcision　16　times；　usually　for　phimosis　due　to　leprous　tuberculation　of　the　prepuce。　Circumcision；　as　practiced　on　the　clitoris　in　the　female；　is　mentioned　on　page　308。

Ceremonial　Ovariotomy。In　the　writings　of　Strabonius　and　Alexander　ab　Alexandro；　allusion　is　made　to　the　liberties　taken　with　the　bodies　of　females　by　the　ancient　Egyptians　and　Lydians。　Knott　says　that　ablation　of　the　ovaries　is　a　time…honored　custom　in　India；　and　that　he　had　the　opportunity　of　physically　examining　some　of　the　women　who　had　been　operated　on　in　early　life。　At　twenty…five　he　found　them　strong　and　muscular；　their　mammary　glands　wholly　undeveloped；　and　the　normal　growth　of　pubic　hairs　absent。　The　pubic　arch　was　narrow；　and　the　vaginal　orifice　practically　obliterated。　The　menses　had　never　appeared；　and　there　seemed　to　be　no　sexual　desire。　Micklucho…Maclay　found　that　one　of　the　most　primitive　of　all　existing　racesthe　New　Hollanderspracticed　ovariotomy　for　the　utilitarian　purpose　of　creating　a　supply　of　prostitutes；　without　the　danger　of　burdening　the　population　by　unnecessary　increase。　MacGillibray　found　a　native　ovariotomized　female　at　Cape　York　who　had　been　subjected　to　the　operation　because；　having　been　born　dumb；　she　would　be　prevented　from　bearing　dumb　children；a　wise；　though　primitive；　method　of　preventing　social　dependents。

Castration　has　long　been　practiced；　either　for　the　production　of　eunuchs；　or　castrata；　through　vengeance　or　jealousy；　for　excessive　cupidity；　as　a　punishment　for　crime；　in　fanaticism；　in　ignorance；　and　as　a　surgical　therapeutic　measure　（recently；　for　the　relief　of　hypertrophied　prostate）。　The　custom　is　essentially　Oriental　in　origin；　and　was　particularly　used　in　polygamous　countries；　where　the　mission　of　eunuchs　was　to　guard　the　females　of　the　harem。　They　were　generally　large；　stout　men；　and　were　noted　for　their　vigorous　health。　The　history　of　eunuchism　is　lost　in　antiquity。　The　ancient　Book　of　Job　speaks　of　eunuchs；　and　they　were　in　vogue　before　the　time　of　Semiramis；　the　King　of　Lydia；　Andramytis；　is　said　to　have　sanctioned　castration　of　both　male　and　female　for　social　reasons。　Negro　eunuchs　were　common　among　the　Romans。　All　the　great　emperors　and　conquerors　had　their　eunuchs。　Alexander　the　Great　had　his　celebrated　eunuch；　Bagoas；　and　Nero；　his　Sporus；　etc。　Chevers　says　that　the　manufacture　of　eunuchs　still　takes　place　in　the　cities　of　Delhi；　Lucknow；　and　Rajpootana。　So　skilful　are　the　traveling　eunuch…makers　that　their　mortality　is　a　small　fraction　of　one　per　cent。　Their　method　of　operation　is　to　encircle　the　external　genital　organs　with　a　tight　ligature；　and　then　sweep　them　off　at　one　stroke。　He　also　remarks　that　those　who　retain　their　penises　are　of　but　little　value　or　trusted。　He　divided　the　Indian　eunuchs　into　three　classes：　those　born　so；　those　with　a　penis　but　no　testicles；　and　those　minus　both　testicles　and　penis。　Curran　describes　the　traveling　eunuch…makers　in　Central　India；　and　remarks　upon　the　absence　of　death　after　the　operation；　and　invites　the　attention　of　gynecologists　and　operators　to　the　successful；　though　crude；　methods　used。　Curran　says　that；　except　those　who　are　degraded　by　practices　of　sexual　perversions；　these　individuals　are　vigorous　bodily；　shrewd；　and　sagacious；　thus　proving　the　ancient　descriptions　of　them。

Jamieson　recites　a　description　of　the　barbarous　methods　of　making　eunuchs　in　China。　The　operators　follow　a　trade　of　eunuch…making；　and　keep　it　in　their　families　from　generation　to　generation；　they　receive　the　monetary　equivalent　of　about　8。64　for　the　operation。　The　patient　is　grasped　in　a　semi…prone　position　by　an　assistant；　while　two　others　hold　the　legs。　After　excision　the　wounded　parts　are　bathed　three　times　with　a　hot　decoction　of　pepper…pods；　the　wound　is　covered　with　paper　soaked　in　cold　water；　and　bandages　applied。　Supported　by　two　men　the　patient　is　kept　walking　for　two　or　three　hours　and　then　tied　down。　For　three　days　he　is　allowed　nothing　to　drink；　and　is　not　allowed　to　pass　his　urine；　the　urethra　being　filled　with　a　pewter　plug。　It　generally　takes　about　one　hundred　days　for　the　wound　to　heal；　and　two　per　cent　of　the　cases　are　fatal。　There　is　nocturnal　incontinence　of　urine　for　a　long　time　after　the　operation。

Examples　of　castration　because　of　excessive　cupidity；　etc。；a　most　unwarranted　operation；are　quite　rare　and　are　usually　found　among　ecclesiastics。　The　author　of　〃Faustin；　or　le　Siecle　Philosophique；〃　remarked　that　there　were　more　than　4000　castrated　individuals　among　the　ecclesiastics　and　others　of　Italy。　The　virtuous　Pope　Clement　XIV　forbade　this　practice；　and　describes　it　as　a　terrible　abuse；　but　in　spite　of　the　declaration　of　the　Pope　the　cities　of　Italy；　for　some　time；　still　continued　to　contain　great　numbers　of　these　victims。　In　France　an　article　was　inserted　into　the　penal　code　providing　severe　punishment　for　such　mutilations。　Fortunately　castration　for　the　production　of　〃castrata；〃　or　tenor　singers；　has　almost　fallen　into　disuse。　Among　the　ancient　Egyptians　and　Persians　amputation　of　the　virile　member　was　inflict