Carla Serarcangeli
Museum of the History of Medicine Department of Experimental Medicine and Pathology University of Rome 'La Sapienza' Rome, I
Gennaro Rispoli
U.O.C. Director General Surgery Ascalesi Hospital, ASL 1, Na
Keywords:
Castration , History , Instruments
Abstract
Human Castration has been performed from early times for different reasons: to punish and revenge,to display one's religious fanaticism, to protect or to control women, for eunuch's trade, for therapeutical purposes.In early modern times men were castreted to obtain sopranos voices,or for eugenic or racial reasons. Nowdays chemical castration is used as a therapeutic treatment or as a way to punish rape and other criminal behaviours.Castration is a surgical or chemical act that may obviously cause serious physical and psychological consequences.
