The Sweet Man-Goo Of Democracy

A man from Battle Creek, Michigan had to undergo a 14-hour operation to remove his 80-pound scrotum due to a rare condition called scrotal lymphedema. This left him in constant pain and struggling to walk, shower, or use the toilet. The condition also prevented him from having sex with his wife for seven years.

Initially, doctors were unable to determine the cause of his condition, until he saw a TLC show titled The Man with the 132lb Scrotum and reached out to Warren’s doctor, Dr Joel Gelman, at UC Irvine Medical Centre.

In 2014, Maurer underwent a 14-hour operation involving a team of eight surgeons and 12 support staff to remove 80lbs of tissue from his scrotum and around 70lbs of fat from his stomach.

Following the surgery, Maurer was able to live a more normal life and found tasks such as walking and having sexual relations easier. Dr Gelman noted that while massive scrotal lymphedema is a rare condition, they have treated men with this condition successfully for many years.

A recently surfaced 1864 letter provides a glimpse into a little-discussed affliction among Civil War soldiers – chronic masturbation.

The handwritten note by Confederate Lt. William Dandridge Pitts inquires about the condition of his brother Charles, who was discharged from the army in 1862 due to an unspecified “illness.” Charles was residing at the Western Lunatic Asylum in Virginia.

According to Charles’ doctor and accounts from fellow soldiers, his illness was a relentless addiction to masturbation. “I have had some conversation with the physician who attended my brother previous to his going to the asylum,” Lt. Pitts wrote, “and he advises me…that [Charles] was addicted to masturbation, while in camp.”

The letter highlights the mental health toll of the war, even before combat began. Soldiers forced to endure their comrades’ “self-pollution” no doubt developed deep psychological scars.

While masturbation remained taboo in the Victorian era, it was pervasive enough in the military to earn the nickname “Johnny Reb.” The irony of this affliction among troops from Virginia, the “state for lovers,” was surely not lost on the Pitts family.

The letter survives in excellent condition despite its delicate subject matter. This “director’s cut” offers intimate insight into secret struggles in Civil War ranks.

On Monday night, three passengers were removed from a flight at Flint Bishop International Airport by flight attendants. Two of them were allegedly kicked off the plane for using a certain anatomical term, according to the passengers. The incident involved a father-in-law and son who claimed that they were having a good time and mentioned the word “penis” without any derogatory intent. However, the flight crew had deemed their behavior unruly, possibly due to other factors such as being intoxicated or aggressive. Allegiant Airlines provided a different version of the story, stating that the passengers failed to comply with the crew’s instructions and were therefore deplaned for the safety of other passengers and crew members. The airline emphasizes that it does not tolerate any disruptive, abusive, or unruly behavior on its flights.