|THE annals of surgery contain many cases where the nose has been cut
or torn off, and being replaced has grown fast again, recovering its
jeopardized functions. One of the earliest, 1680, is related by the
surgeon (Fioraventi) who 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, washed it, replaced it, and that it grew together.
Still, this is a little bit hazardous, and in warm weather 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
would it be disagreeable to the owner of the nose, but to those who sat
near him.
He adds the address of the owner of the repaired nose, and requests
any doubter to go and examine for himself. Régnault, in the _Gazette
Salutaire_, 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
Régnault, who, "although the part was cold, reset it, and it became
attached."
This is another instance where, by being sufficiently previous, the
nose was secured and handed down to future generations. Yet, as we said
before, it is a little bit risky, and a nose of that character cannot
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 loyalty as
prior to that change.
Although these cases call for more credulity than most of us have to
spare, yet later cases, published in trustworthy 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
(Dr. Hofacker) who was appointed by the senate to attend 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 the
duel is over. After that the surgeon puts it on with mucilage and it
never misses a meal, but keeps right on growing.
The wax nose is attractive, but in a warm room it is apt to get excited
and wander down into the mustache, or it may stray away under the
collar, and when the proprietor goes to wipe this feature he does not
wipe anything but space. A gold nose that opens on one side and is
engraved, with hunter case and key wind, is attractive, especially on
a bright day. The coin-silver nose is very well in its way, but rather
commonplace unless designed to match the tea service and the knives and
forks. In that case, good taste is repaid by admiration and pleasure on
the part of the guest.
The _papier-maché_ nose is durable and less liable to become cold and
disagreeable. It is also lighter and not liable to season crack.
False noses are made of _papier-maché_, leather, gold, silver and wax.
These last are fitted to spectacles or springs, and are difficult to
distinguish from a true nose.
Tycho Brahe lost his nose in a duel and wore a golden one, which he
attached to his face with cement, which he always carried about.
This was a good scheme, as it found him always prepared for accidents.
He could, at any moment, repair to a dressing room, or even slide into
an alley where he could avoid the prying gaze of the vulgar world, and
glue his nose on. 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 with whom he might
be called upon to converse. A man with his nose glued on wrong side up,
could hold the attention of an audience for hours, when any other man
would seem tedious and uninteresting.