3 days ago

CONTINUATION OF FEB 10TH DAY AT SEA
COPD
There was a discussion meeting for this condition just before lunch. I can’t imagine being present for this but for some people I’m sure it’s therapeutic. You hear coughing everywhere and many complain about their asthma kicking up.
Opera without fear
This is a different lecturer than our last cruise but he is equally as interesting and in some instances, amusing. His lecture today was “Beginning of Opera and Castrati Singers.” He has a lot of unique recordings, including the only recording of a castrato, and they have an often eerie quality when you know the background of these unfortunate men. Dr. Weir described and had some line drawings about the process of castration that was used. The boy of 6or 7 is drugged with opium and then tied to a table. The jugular veins are compressed (thus inducing unconsciousness). The testicles are isolated with a knot around the base. A special knife (reminded me of some of the devices used for circumcision only bigger I presume) is used to amputate the testicles. The cut site is then cauterized with a hot iron and hot tar is put over the wound.
This process is pretty gruesome by any standards but I was relieved to hear that there was some pain management and the method of finishing the wound probably meant few infections despite the location of the wound. Six or seven thousand young boys were castrated per year for a long while. When you think about it, there were many areas of the world where this was practiced but not to retain the unique voice. Eunuchs guarded harems and were the trusted aides in the Chinese courts.
That night
Since Ed and I have to get up at 3:30 am we passed on the entertainment tonite though we heard later that the comedian was very good.