Summary of BRYK`S Origination of Routine Male
Circumcision:
DENUDATION and THE FORESKIN COMPLEX
see also Full
Index of Bryk.
All following quotes are linked to their context, so at the least, future researchers
will have less trouble finding the relevant passages.
Summary of
BRYK`S Discussion of Denudation and Phimosis
| Bryk based his understanding of routine circumcision on the basic
tendency of uncovering the glans, which he calls denudation. He refers to many cultures
where an almost intuitive uncovering of the glans takes place. He
establishes (Bryk`s italics) "This mechanical uncovering of the glans is the fundamental
motive for circumcision." - Undoubtedly
this is a very common and elementary occurrence, sometimes even a custom, but as he says "It did not cause circumcision, but stimulated
it and prepared the ground" He argues that this
"prepared the ground" for observations in the animal and
adult world, which provided the "impetus" to introduce circumcision
as a routine measure. |
In "Circumcision among Man and Woman" (1931)
Bryk refers to his previous book African Eros (1928): |
p.
181 - (Deutsch S.
155)
Thus, now comes lastly, my explanation which will describe motives
of a psychological as well as imitative nature. It was implied in African-Eros
however no proof was offered. This will now be corrected.
Regarding the statement that Africans being true
natural peoples and observing the genitals of animals in detail, I
mentioned in a footnote (p. 122) "Especially domestic animals.
These observations particularly concerning the erection of the stallion,
bull etc.,would have given the impetus to cut back the prepuce." |
| On the reason for circumcision I said (p.
55 - (Deutsch S
55)): " It seems far more to me that the main reason
for circumcision is not difficult to derive from the nature of sexuality.
Men strive to make the often complicated sexual act as comfortable
as possible; and it is beyond discussion, that in this the foreskin
often places a decided restriction in the way, which is sometimes even
painful, for after penetration the glans can be strangulated, which
complicates the act, or, when the prepuce does not lay the glans bare,
which accelerates the ejaculatio seminis. What could
be more obvious than to remove this obstacle, especially since by doing
this one gained a decoration signifying the attainment of maturity." |
("the glans can be strangulated,
... the prepuce does not lay the glans bare," - we note here that
Bryk actually describes paraphimosis and phimosis without naming them.) |
He describes many cultures where an almost intuitive
uncovering of the glans takes place among youths. |
p. 198 - (Deutsch S.169)
"This mechanical uncovering of the glans is the fundamental
motive for circumcision. It did not cause circumcision, but stimulated
it and prepared the ground for it. It is curiousto find that
even among peoples who circumcise their children, there are still practices
and precepts, which clearly show this custom of denudation." |
Bryk offers some terrifying descriptions of the foreskin complex and then his conclusion. |
p.
203 - (Deutsch S.174)
Thus the foreskin "muzzles" the youth and is a serious hindrance to
completing the sexual act. We have shown that this becomes a complex
governing his entire emotional life. |
p.
204 - (Deutsch S.174)
The complex can often lead to very serious mental depressions and disturbances.
In one case known to me, the entire schizoid inferiority complex of
a young man, could be traced to his inability to manually uncover his
glans. The man in question, by the way a very talented young natural
scientist, suffered from a congenital phimosis, which he unfortunately
recognised too late, for when subsequently as an adult, he let himself
be circumcised his inferiority complex had already completely ruined
him. |
Hochenegg: p.204 (Deutsch S.175)
"On achieving the denudation (of his glans) the man`s painful
anxiety is not yet over. During intercourse, indeed, even during the
preliminary stiffening of his member, , once
morethe foreskin-complexmakes itself obvious in an uncomfortable and negative manner.
"During erection the glans, (which together
with the entire Radix penis increases considerably in
size), emerges from its enveloping preputial cover, in such a manner
that the prepuce gradually draws backwards behind the corona
glandis, that is, as far as the youth has been able
to achieve with his manipulation. Here, as a rule, it stops framing
the groove behind the glans in a "collar", and must first
be pushed further backwards by hand if ever the same position should
be acheived as during the immissio penis. lt is only after this that the now completely smoothed blade of
the foreskin conforms with the skin of the member.
"The boy, constrained by his foreskin complex often experiences
disapointment as a result of this, he had imagined that the foreskin
would go further backwards, as shown by the examples of the erection
of the dog, horse or bull,but now he notices that the frenulum,
the ligament joining the blade of the foreskin with the glans and penis,prevents any further backwards movement. He conceives the idea
of cutting through the frenulum. Perhaps he had already heard from
his older comrades in suffering, that due to its shortness it sometimes
rips during coitus." |
p. 208 - (Deutsch S.179)
... the now senescent man, ever since his youth under the spell of
the foreskin complex, would and must logically have arrived at the
idea of removing the source of his torment. |
Even after this conclusion Bryk continues his discussion.
To me it seems he is not sure of his conclusion. However, he rejected foreskin conditions as the origin some 100 pages previously. |
Collin p.95 (Deutsch S.75)
" ... the usefulness of circumcision consists in:
a) Prevention of phimosis and paraphimosis
e) The circumcised man never runs the risk of bleeding
as a result of the rupture of the ligament of the foreskin, which often
happens during coitus." |
Nuri Bey: p.102 (Deutsch S.82)
"The pain of stretching and ripping the ligament during coitus, diminishes
sexual enjoyment and hinders its fulfilment" |
He assumes that the first ever circumcision was due
to foreskin conditions |
p. 96 (Deutsch S. 76)
There can be no doubt that even in the dark beginnings of time, surgical
interventions were carried out on the foreskin on medical grounds,
then it is certain even in those times, that congenital phimosis occurred
manifesting in the manner, that physiologically, the inner blade of
the foreskin did not release from the glans or the opening of the foreskin
was so narrow, that the prepuce could never be retracted behind the
glans. Additionally acquired phimosis and phimosis of old-age must
have received operative removal in those days, as in today`s healing
practice. I would even go as far as to assumethat the first
circumcision on Earth took place out of purely medical grounds, ... |
However he rejects the idea that foreskin conditions could have catalysed the introduction of routine circumcision:
- astoundingly - because 2 other anthropologists maintained such conditions are a rarity.. |
Eylmann: p.
98 (Deutsch S.
78)
"Cases of the sort where the opening is so small, that making
love causes pain, and even urinating is not easy occur so seldomly
that our discussion does not need to take them into consideration." |
| (consider: "so small, that making love causes pain,
and even urinating is not easy" --- These two symptoms together would
not only be rare, but impossible! The degrees of phimosis which cause
pain during sex do not restrict urination. See Phimosis) |
Trusen: p. 95 (Deutsch S.75)
" .. such random and always only sporadic and transient ailments
of the foreskin, such as Gonorreah, phimosis and paraphimosis, as well
as the rupture of the ligament do not demand such a generally practised
preventative measure" |
| His conclusion on foreskin conditions is clearly |
p.
97 (Deutsch S.
77)
However, it contradicts the primitive way of thinking to anchor this
occasional operation in the cultural practice |
|