[sten]

Wait... It was “charred?”. WTH?

Since when is fire involved? (I haven’t seen the procedure personally)

[carcraft]

The doctor probably used electric cautery to control bleeding. Since the penis is so small on babies the current going through the penis fried the penis. Electric cautery should be used with extreme care if at all on baby circs!

[thulldud]

It was overheated before the medicos noticed what had happened. The machine was on the wrong setting, the doctor had made a mistake.

Years later, David Reimer visited that doctor in his office, planning to "have it out" with him. The doctor didn't recognize him, of course, but the instant he figured out who Reimer was, as the story goes, his eyes filled up with tears and he could not speak. Reimer couldn't bring himself to do or say anything to the guy — he just left without another word.

Good thing. IIRC, Reimer was armed at the time.

[SoKatt]

They used an electric cauterizer to circumcize him and botched it. ( I read the book - it’s called “As nature made him”. )