NOSES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3676, 26 April 1883, Page 4

NOSES.

The annals of surgery contain main- cases Avhere the nose has'been cut and torn (iff, and, being replaced, has grown fast again, recovering its jeopardized functions. One of the earliest (1089) is related by the surgeon (Fiorvaventi) Avho happened to be near by when a man's nose, having been cut off, had fallen in the sand. He remarks that he took it up, Avashed it, replaced it, and that it grew together. Still this is a little bit hazardous, and in warm Avoathcr the nose might refuse to catch on. It would be mortifying in the extreme to have the nose drop off in a dish of ice cream at a large banquet. Not only Avoulditbe disagreeable to the OAvncr of the nose, but to those avlio sat near him. He adds the address of the owner of the repaired nose, and requests OA-ery doubter to go and examine for himself. Rcgnault, in the Gazette Salutaria, 1714, tells of a patient whose nose was bitten off by a smuggler. The owner of the nose wrapped it in a bit of cloth and sought Regnault who, "although the part aviis cold, reset it, and it became attached." This is another instance, Avhere, by being sufficiently pervious, the nose avus secured and handed down to future generations. Yet, as avc said before, it is a little bit risky, and a nose of that character can not be relied upon at all times. After a nose has once seceded, it cannot be expected to still adhere to the old constitution with such loyality as prior to that change. Although these cases call for more credulity than most of us have to spare, yet later cases, published in trustAvorthy journals, would seem to corroborate this. In the Clinical Annals and Medical Gazette, of Heidelberg, 1830, there are sixteen similar cases cited by the surgeon (Doctor Hofacker) avlio avus appointed ""by the senate to attend professionally the duels of the students. It seems that during these duels it is not uncommon for a student to slice off the nose of his adversary and lay it on the table until tho duel is over. After that the surgeon puts it ou Avith gum, aud it never misses a meal, but keeps on growing. The Ayax nose is attractive, but in a Avarm room is apt to get excited, and wander cloavii into the moustache, or it may stray away under the collar, and Avhen the proprietor goes to wipe his feature he docs not Avipe anything but space. A gold nose, that opens 011 one side and is engniA-ed, with hunter-case and kcywind, is attractive, especially on a bright day. The coin-silver nose is very atcll in its way, but rather commonplace unless designed to match the tea-service and the knives and forks. Iv that case, good taste is repaid hy admiration aud pleasure 011 the part of tho guests. The papier mar he nose is durable and less liable to become cold and disagreeable. It is also lighter, and not liable to season-crack. False noses arc-made of papier maehe, leather, gold, silver and wax. These last arc fitted'to spectacles or springs, and are veiy difficult to distinguish from a true nose. Tycho Brahe lost his nose in a duel, and avotc a golden one, Avhich he attached to his face Avith cement, Avhich he always carried about. This avus a good scheme, as it found him always prepared for accidents. Ho could, at any monient, repair to a dressing-room, or even slide into an alley where he could avoid the prying eyes of a Vulgar world, and glue his nose 011 L Of course, he ran the risk of getting it on crooked, and a little out of line with his other features, but this would naturally only attract attention and fix the minds of those Avith whom he might be called upon to converse. A man Avith his nose glued on Avrong side up could hold the attention of an audience for hours, Avhen any other man would seem tedious and uninteresting.