Word: eunuchism
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...historic site. When the course is completed by a Japanese-Chinese consortium sometime next year, the cry of "Fore!" may be faintly heard at the nearby tomb of Emperor Xi Zong, who ruled from 1620 to 1627. Even Xi, who is remembered for turning over power to a eunuch, would undoubtedly relish the stately rhythms of the royal and ancient sport. His modern-day counterparts will surely appreciate a game in which handicaps allow players of different abilities to compete as equals...
This is the basic premise of Sex and Destiny, a broad and impassioned new world-view by the Australian feminist best known for The Female Eunuch--her contribution to feminist ideology. But some feminists may be upset by this book, as it is not exactly NOW party-line. On the other hand, there will be few who remain unmoved by this ambitious and often emotional look at such topics as gynecological methods, contraception, and the myth of the population explosion...
...prominent urologist about his prostate cancer, the patient recalled, "the elderly doctor proceeded to lay a bomb on me. The only procedure he would consider was surgical castration and radical removal of the prostate. I thought, 'Jesus... they're going to turn me into a 6-ft. eunuch!' " At Memorial, however, a surgeon decided on an experimental procedure: inserting capsules of radioactive iodine into Alexion's prostate instead of removing the gland. It worked...
Boorstin clearly relishes such tales, not only about notable discoverers like Columbus and Magellan but also about the half-forgotten Cheng Ho, a Chinese eunuch who set forth in the 15th century with a gigantic fleet of more than 300 vessels and nearly 40,000 men. Exploring as far as Zanzibar, Chêng Ho brought back to the imperial zoo its first giraffe, which the Chinese were convinced was a unicorn, whose horn was said to provide the most powerful of aphrodisiacs...
After five centuries, scholars still have difficulty coming to terms with the contradictions of a tempestuous man. He was often inexcusably vicious in his writings (he wrote, for instance, that one princely foe was a "fainthearted wretch and fearful sissy" who should "do nothing but stand like a eunuch, that is, a harem guard, in a fool's cap with a fly swatter"). Yet he was kindly in person and so generous to the needy that his wife despaired of balancing the household budget. When the plague struck Wittenberg and others fled, he stayed behind to minister...