APROPOS OF BIG NOSES.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1640, 9 January 1883, Page 4

APROPOS OF BIG NOSES.

The annals of surgery contain, many cases, where the nose, has been cut or torn off, anil, being replaced, has grown fiisjt again, recovering its,, jeopardized functions. One of the earliest, IGBO, is related by the surgeou (Fioraventi) who happened to be near by when a mau s nose having been cut off, had fallen, in the eand. Ho remarks that lie took it up, washed it, replaced it, and that it grew together. He adds the address of the owner of the repaiied nose, ami requests any doubter to go and examine it for himself. Kegnault, in the Gazette Salutaire, 1714:, tells of a patient whose nose was bitten olfby a snmjjtder. Ihe owner ot the nose wrapped it in a bit of cloth and sought Regnault, who, "although the part was cold, ie-set it, and it became attached. " Although these cases call for more credulity than met of us hive to spare, yet later oases, published in trustworthy journals, v, ould seem to corroborate them. In the Clinical Annals and Medical Gazette, of Heidelberg, 1830, there are 16' similar cases cited by the surgeon (Dr. Hofacker) -who was appointed by the Senate to attend the duels of the students. It seems a little strange, considering how often the operation of making a new nose has been performed m America since Dr. J. Mason Warren, in 1537, made the first successful one in Boston that we never see one. Probably none of us here, save we have been medical students, ever saw one, and yet nearly every prominent surgeon in the country has performed the operation with success several times. False noses are made of paper maehe, leather, gold, silver, and wax. These last are fitted to spectacles or- springs, and arc very difficult to distinguish from a true nose. Tycho Brahc lost his nose in a duel and woi c a golden one, which he attached^ to his face with a cement he always carried about. It is a little singular, though, how long a- peiiod and down to what recent times it lias been the practice to cut off the noses ot ciiminals. How often tyranny has amused itself with this occupation for tmi.d offences ! Ilamescs 111. used to cut off the nose of any subject accused of talking treason against him. Actisanes, another ruler of Egypt, had a novel way of punishing iobbei&. He cut oil their noses and ooloniscd them — tho robbers— in a descit place, which he called Ithinoconnn, from the nature of the punishment of its citizens. On tho other hand, and more hum;uie, perhaps, was his punishment of dishonest butcheis. It was unique. A hook was put through their noso .vnd a piece of meat was hung upon it. In 1071 Charles 11. had Lord CoventiyV (Keeper oi the Seal of England) noso cut oft because he dared to ask in Pailiainent an inquisitive question about some actresses of the day. La Lor Frederick the Great had a nobleman's nose cut oil because he protested openly that he had been enrolled in the tinny thiough fraud. Ciiniiuais have boon known to cut off thcii nose to escape detection. Even today we hcirot such accounts as this :— "Dispatcher from licland report a cisc in which a disguised band cut off the nose of a man because in a pooi law gnaidun contest ho canvassed in opposition to the candidate of the Laud Leaguers."— [London, March 27, 1882.] Within histoiioil times theie ate records of some wondei fill nose*. In the medals ot Gyms and Ai Uxcrxos, the tips oi their noses conic close out to the lini ot the coin. Antiochus VIII., was an impoMiiL' piinoo. They called him " (Jiypus," because his nose was as big and hooked as a vultiue's beak. But then the ancient Persians permitted only the owneis ot laigc noses to enjoy royal honouis. Mohammed's nose must have been a curiosity. It was so curved, the point boomed to be endeavouung to inseit itbelt between hU lips. A latei time and phenomenal nose must have been that of the Cheat Fiedrick. Lavater offered to wager his leputation that blind-folded he could tell it out of 10,000 other noses by bimply taking it between his thumb and forefinger. One doubts whether L water was inoi c of a courtier or man of science, aolt-coniident in his henso of touch, or whether ho know no profane hand would be pcimittcd to Liy hold of tho ioy.il piotuboiance. In either caseins wager was safe probably. The noac of the Empcior Hndolph, of Austria, saved Ins life in an odd kind of a way. During one ot Ins campaigns, a tioop of knights entered into a coiiipuacy to kill him. A peasant who was employed about the tents of the conspirators, one evening overheat d them say, "To-morrow we'll surpuso old big-nose, and cut him to pieces. ' After his w ovk was over, the peasant started out to visit yome friends in another pait of the camp. The Emperor, who was going about with some of his knights, meeting the man, asked who he was, and what was going on in liis part of the camp, lie innocently told that thcie would be fun nejvt morning, as they w fie going to cut a big-nose in pieces. But they had not even a chance to get out of bed " ne\t morning." Napoleon I. was said to be. influenced in his choice, of oiheers by the si/c of the nose. All remember what tho Parisians called Napoleon 111., " Grosbec," — Nosey. Gibbon had hardly any nose at all. He had a wee little protiubciance in the middle of his face which, by courtesy, was called a- nose, but it was haidly discernible, set in between two enormous checks. It is said of Soamc Jenyns that ho wondored how anybody so ugly as Gibbon could write a book — and yet Jenyns also wrote books, and had an enormous wen under his jaw, had eyes that protruded like a lobster's, and yet allowed loom enough for another wen between them and his nosa.— America it Paper.

Thk Presbyterian Church of Wales has decided lo celebrate the centenary of of Welsh .Sunday schools in 1885. Invasions ok Rvts in Chiva. — A fow months ago it was stated that Russian Turkestan was suffering fiom an invasion of mice from India. These visitations are familiar in Abia. Chinese history record that "on three occasions an army of rats invaded the country, In one instance these insatiable vermin, travelling from one place to another, attempted a passage of the Wei River, and were fortunately drowned, their carcases choking up the banks of the stream for seveial days after the destruction. On the other occasion, however, they were more successful. Myriads of the creatures appeared in the 1 neighbourhood of Nanking fiom the Hu-kuang provinces. They are said to have crossed the brooks and rivers in their course during the night by making themselves into a moving biiclge, each animal seizing the tail of the one in front of him with his teeth, and so swimming across, and on arrival at the other side threw themselves upon the crops and devoured them. Another ti;ne they effected the passage of the Yellow River." ' ' Unguarded Treasures.— lt is perfectiy astounding that an edifice containing such treasures 'as Ingestre Hall wak not considered worthy of iriore' careful custody 'than that of three housemaids ! There can be no doubt 'thai if the 1 services of a reliable • night watch* man' had been engaged the lire would' have been discovered soon enough to check its! --ravages, aqcl.fjbhe, .interesting; fabric and its contents would have "biten*' saved from destruction. It calinbt" l be! too Btrongly urged, thinks %} London,'papei 1 , upon the rioticb'6f #rdprietpi | B"bf similar, treasures" thatimtf ctoalllj glass panelm the 1 'doora 1 oihi<obni»uwhich are >(Kk"' l l<wk' fl tod > ' 1I keyM» tel Male f clpcl#> .'andai'espWtalyJe night, watchniwi,' such