CIRCUMCISION. From a medical as distinguished from a ritual aspect this simple operation consists in removal of a suf ficient portion of the foreskin to allow of its free retraction beyond the glans penis. The operation is performed chiefly for purposes of cleanliness and to facilitate removal of the smegma which normally collects beneath the foreskin but sometimes is necessary to allow free passage of urine. For these purposes it is done as a preventive measure in the infant. In adults the chief reason for its performance is balanitis or inflammation beneath the foreskin due to lack of cleanliness or to the presence of a venereal sore; in this case circumcision is a necessary part of the treatment. It is noteworthy that in India the Hindus who do not circumcise ritually suffer far more frequently from cancer of the penis than the Mohammedans who circumcise. (See MUTILATION AND