Circumcision in Man and Woman: Its History, Psychology and Ethnology

The problem of circumcision (circumcisio - cutting around) in man and woman, which, since primeval times, has been practiced by countless peoples, independently of race and religion, has as yet not been clarified. To discover and to present the reason for circumcision is the purpose of this work.

He who enters into the study of circumcision must cut a cross-section through all spheres of culture; for here the very roots of the history of mankind are touched, since in this ancient custom, which today is still practiced by millions, the origins of the formation of government, magic, religion, surgery, hygiene, and last but not least, sexual culture, intersect. Therefore, the subject is of vital importance to the anatomist, the hygienist, the ethnologist, the student of sex, the theologian, the psychoanalyst, and naturally, the historian who must hold all of this knowledge together at a focus point, because only in this way can he follow the course of development and the interpretation of history.

This history of circumcision is at the same time a history of its conception and an essential chapter from the history of our sex-life in general.