The prepuce being (in extreme cases) tightly fixed to the margins of the urethral orifice, the _meatus urinarius_ still retains the same calibre as when birth took place, and becomes far too small for the needs of the rapidly growing child. A difficulty in effectually voiding the bladder is experienced, and may eventually result in complete retention. The little patient tugs at the seat of unpleasant sensation; and this elongates the folds of skin at the extremity of the penis, normally somewhat redundant, and extremely distensile. The muscular force of the bladder being spent upon overcoming the obstruction at the narrow meatus, the urine trickles out feebly, and 'balloons' in the soft pouches beyond, which continuously retain a few drops. Hence great local irritation and excoriation. It is not warrantable, however, to speak of _contraction_ of the penile mucous membrane. No contraction takes place, except as a consequence of inflammatory attacks; and these, in the infant, are rarely sufficient to cause any material shrinking. The phenomenon is simply one of natural development under a rigid restraining envelope; and though eventually the aperture is found narrow enough, the 'contraction' is relative only. So also, in every male child there is more or less seeming redundancy of skin at the end of the penis;--for natural physiological reasons. The condition is apt, as first stated, to become factitiously enhanced under the pressure of urinary obstruction. But there is seldom or never a _real superfluity of integument_ in this locality _ab initio_; in excess of what the subsequent needs of the full-developed organism may be reasonably supposed to warrant. It is requisite to lay some stress on these two points, as tending materially to influence our conceptions of the practice condemned in this pamphlet. Although plainly not absolutely essential to the due increase in bulk of the penis, or to the subsequent performance of its functions, it is _prima facie_ obvious that the prepuce must be intended to subserve some useful purpose. That, according to Dr. Willard (Keating's _Cyclopædia_), 'is to protect the head of the organ, during the years when the penis is but a portion of the urinary apparatus; and later, by its friction over the sensitive corona, to enhance the ejaculatory orgasm.' The latter half of this statement may fairly be questioned, as the prepuce is completely retracted during coition; and so no friction over 'the corona' can well take place under ordinary conditions. The first part, however, is unimpugnable; and to it may be added some consideration of the protection afforded during the first efforts at functional use.