IN ANCIENT

times, a terrible procedure was inflicted on boys and sometimes men. They would be castrated, either as punishment, to make them loyal servants or to preserve boyish voices. In China, undergoing castration was a way to get steady employment in the Imperial service. This week in THE FORUM (10.06AM, 12.06AM, BBC WORLD SERVICE), Bridget Kendall talks to historians and archaeologists to throw some light on this shocking practice.