"In India a bit of stick is used as a probe, and carried round and round between the glans and prepuce, to ascertain the exact extent of the frenum, and that no unnatural adhesions exist.".
I have had this online for years ... I always wondered why this should be necessary unless all the men had phimosis - now I realise the connection with
Boon ME, Susanti I, Tasche MJ, Kok LP, Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated male and female genital carcinomas in a Hindu population. The male as vector and victim. Cancer 1989 Jul 15;64(2):559-65
Boon speculates without giving any references "In Bali, up to 50% of men over the age of 18 has some degree of Phimosis." Of interest: "In a Hindu population in a predominantly Muslim country not only is circumcision not practiced, but phimosis is often left untreated because of a prohibition to intervene with the male foreskin"... the study unfortunately doesn`t tell us any more on this theme.
I remember years ago seeing pictures or hearing of yogis who stretch their foreskins down to their knees ...
and then I found the following
Parkash S, et.al.: "Human subpreputial collection: its nature and formation." J Urol 110(2), 211-212 (1973) (88) Gives an indication of frequencies among Indian men: " ... 1,000 male subjects seen as out patients and of 98 patients treated surgically for phimosis ...", "The high incidence of phimosis - 21 per cent in those treated for carcimona and 12 per cent in the over-all outpatient population - can definitely be ascribed to a lack of personal hygiene", "Since most patients were unaware that the prepuce was retractable, the history of phimosis often appeared to be from birth."
