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Many Americans are surprised to hear that [[circumcision]] (the surgical removal of the [[foreskin]]) is uncommon in the western world. Foreigners are often shocked when they first hear that the practice of circumcision even exists in the United States. Circumcision was first introduced in the United States by an anti-sexual Victorian initiative which began during the 1830’s. Numerous publications from the 1830’s to times even as late as the 1970’s had advocated for circumcision as a means to prevent [[masturbation]], and to permanently desensitize, denude, and immobilize the penis.<ref name="Lallemand">{{REFbook |last=Lallemand |first=Claude-Francois |year=(1):1836; (2):1839; (3):1842 |title=Des Pertes Seminales Involontaires |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=HV4B3UaMUAYC&dq=Des+Pertes+Seminales+Involontaires+1836&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s |volume=1-3 |pages=(1):463-467; (2):70-162; (3):266-267, 280-289 |accessdate=2011-06-09Lallemand1836}}</ref><ref name="Dixon">{{REFbook

|title=Plain Facts for Old and Young.

* 1832 1836 [[Claude-Francois François Lallemand]] circumcises a patient to '''cure''' him '''from nocturnal seminal emissions''' (i.e. wet dreams).<ref name="Lallemand"/>