Wendy Zukerman reports; August 16, 2008
Circumcision is one of the oldest medical practices in the world. From indigenous Australians, ancient Egyptians, to devout Jews and Muslims — boys have undergone it for thousands of years. And until the 1970s it was also common in developed countries. In the 1970s paediatricians in Australia, the US and the UK changed their attitude to circumcision. Routine circumcision for all newborn boys changed from a recommended procedure in hospitals nationwide to an “unnecessary” practice in which the risks outweighed the benefits. Almost 40 years on, this official stance is largely unchanged. As a result it is estimated that between 80 and 90 per cent of boys in Australia are currently not being circumcised. But now, after scientific research showing increased benefits associated with circumcisions, there are signs of a re-think in the scientific community.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24182432-23289,00.html
Body Parts – Dr Adam Taor; 16/8/08; The Australian; No Internet Text
The gubernaculum: rudders, quivers and penis stabbing
What is it?
Testicles begin their life not in a man’s scrotum, but in his tummy. When a baby is in the womb, its testicles form high-up in the body and during development make a slow voyage, reaching their home by the end of pregnancy. These precious balls of tissue are pulled down by the gubernaculum, a ligament-like cord that runs from the bottom of the testicle to the scrotum.
How is it like US state governors?
Each gubernaculum (right and left) guides a testicle into its scrotal home. For that reason the 18th-century British surgeon John Hunter called it the “rudder of the testis”.
Gubernaculum is from the Latin for rudder, and the English word gubernatorial is an adjective relating to a governor, particularly of a US state (governor’s guide).
What does it do in adults?
By the time the testicle is snug in its scrotal sac, the gubernaculum is just a small band called the scrotal ligament. This helps tether the testicle, stopping it rolling around too much. Incidentally, the word scrotum comes from the Latin for quiver — a pouch in which hunters keep their arrows.
How is it linked to pus and giants?
John Hunter is known as the father of modern surgery; he was also a bizarre character. In an experiment to see whether gonorrhoea and syphilis were different illnesses, he dipped a needle into pus from a sex worker and stuck it into his penis, infecting himself with both bugs. He was also an obsessive specimen collector and became fixated on adding the body of an Irish giant and circus attraction to his collection. The Irishman, who was still alive, got wind of this and arranged to be buried at sea. But Hunter had him followed and, when he died, bribed the undertaker to switch the body for stones.
Tags: Circumcision, HIV/Aids, Medical