Startling Discoveries.

Woodville Examiner, Volume 3, Issue 282, 10 September 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

Startling Discoveries.

It has always been known that, as a feature on which to hang an estimate of character, the nose stands supreme and without a a rival. Napoleon said : “I care nothing about the size, shape, or condition of men’s feet, but give me a man with a nose.” Prof. Von Vealhoof, of the University of Heidelberg, in a recent paper read before the “ Society for the Investigation of Facial Eccentricities,” brought forward a peculiar fact which has resulted in a startling discovery. The following is an extract from the paper : “ We all knew Colonel Gimerheim to be a man of dauntless courage, in fact, a man with no conception of fear. He was most highly pleased when peril was greatest. He was entrusted with many commissions, the execution of which required dash and fearlessness. In a certain encounter the colonel

lost a part of his nose, a piece about the size aud shape of au ordinary pear. We sympathised with him, but felt no apprehension, as we knew that he would soon recover. About two months later he returned to the field. What a change. His eye no longer glittered with fiery delight, restless iu desire for encounter. He did not straighten up as was his wont and impart encouragement by his august bearing, but he > walked with a slouching gait and rode-, like a mill boy. When the next battle came on he ingloriously ran away. When he was. brought back his commanding officer said to him : “ ‘Gimmerheim, L am astonished at you. Take your place, sir, or I will send you in disgrace to prison.’ “‘Send me anywhere, and in anyway,’ the colonel replied, ‘ but for heaven’s sake don’t send me down there where those reckless men are shooting at each other. General, those men are blazing away right at each other and the first thing you know somebody’s going to get hurt. I would like to accommodate you, but I believe I’ll go to prison.’ “Nothing after that could induce him to fight, and the last time I saw him he was working on fortifications, happy so long as he was out of danger. Now, what caused this great change ? The loss of nose.” The society before' which the paper was read was so impressed that an investigation and experiments were ordered. The bully of the University, a young man who had whipped everything in the neighborhood, was brought into a room. Undei the pretext of making a scientific experiment, which was . indeed a fact, the professor placed the young fellow under the influence of chloroform and cut off a part of his nose. The rough edges of the remaining piece were trimmed and rounded off, and the young man, upon regaining consciousness, was told that while under the influence of chloroform he had leaped from a window, i had fallen on hia nose, and that he mwat

remain in bed until he recovered. He promised to do so, and the professors, thus far delighted with their experiment, gleefully betook themselves to another part of the university, where Hans Strauss, the most notorious coward in the country, was found. They took Hans into a room, told him that they wanted to make a harmless experiment, and put him under .’the influence of chloroform. They scarified his nose, took the large piece of nose which they had cut from the bully, and adjusted it on Hans. When Hans awoke, they told him that he had been very violent and hurt himself, and that as he was under treatment he must remain very quiet. Two months from that time both men were released from confinement, and one day the professors contrived to lock the bully and Hans in the same room. They squatted and looked through peepholes which had been, arranged, waiting for the fun to begin. “ Stop looking at me that way,” said Hans, addressing the bully. “ I’m not looking at you.” “ Well, don’t give me any disjointed talk.” “ A man’s got a right to say a few words,” the bully meekly replied. “No he hasn’t,” said Hans. “ Stop blinking your eyes at me.” “ Can’t help blinking them.” “ You’d better help it.” “I can’t, for I’m nervous.” “ I believe you hammered me once,” said Hans. “Ididn’t mean to do it,” the bully, in a pleading tone of voice, rejoined. “ Well, I’ve got to get even with you, and *1 b’lieve I’ll go to do it.” Hansseiz .d the bully, threw him down, took off a number eleven slipper, and before the professors could pull him off, he had heated the bully so warm that the unfortunate fellow did not know whether he had

taken a Tobasco sauce bath, or had reclined on a hot gridiron. It is salt that the book which one of the professors is preparing will exhaustively treat the subject. In the study of the influence of the nose over the physical propensities of man the Germans are making a real progress, and the professor’a-book will doubtleas havc a large sale. Professor Wilhelmj Ziesler is preparing an English translation. -