Creator
B.L.
Title
“[Indian Rhinoplasty].”
Date
(1794)
Description
In this issue of Gentleman’s Magazine, a reader identified as “B.L.” reported on a nasal reconstruction performed in the then-British colony of India. This report revolutionized the practice of rhinoplasty, which had not been written about in nearly 200 years. This case study, written by a non-medical practitioner in a non-medical journal, describes a bullock driver named Cowassjee in the English army during the war of 1792, when he had his nose and arm chopped off while held as a prisoner at war. The reconstructed nose was made from a forehead flap as described by Tagliacozzi centuries prior. Although published for a popular readership, the report does show the stages of the reconstruction. This article helped to spark a revival of plastic surgical operations in the 19th century.
Source
Gentleman’s Magazine 64, pt.2, no. 4