A Singular Operation (on Rhinoplasty)

"A singular operation." An example of a lost surgical medical practice of India: Rhinoplasty. Besides herbal medical therapies, physical medical practices, physical medical and surgical procedures were part of Indian medical traditions. Sushruta Samhita, one of the classical texts of Indian medicine described in detail surgical procedures for the eye, ear and throat. Over time, due to cultural, social and religious reasons, surgical procedures were lost from mainstream traditional medicine but continued to be practiced by highly skilled folk medical practitioners in to the early 19th century. This image in the collection of the Wellcome Library, London dated to 1795, describes one such surgical procedure done in India, Rhinoplasty, to replace a man's nose that was cut off during battle approximately a year prior to the report date of the surgery. The text with the image refers to the procedure as "A Singular Operation," as a practice unknown in the West at that time.

The text and schematic drawings included below the main image, an engraving by W. Nutter, after a painting by James Wells of Bombay, provide details of the procedure and confirmation of the success of the procedure thus: "For above 12 months he remained without a nose, when he had a new one put on by a Mahratta surgeon, a Kumar near Poona. This operation is not uncommon in India and has been practiced for time immemorial. Two of the medical gentlemen, Mr. Thomas Caruso, and Mr. James Findlay, of the Bombay Presidency have seen it performed, … " The text goes on to describe the details of the procedure and ends with "this operation is always successful. The artificial nose is secure and looks nearly as well as the natural one, nor is the scar on the forehead very observable after a length of time. The picture, from which this Engraving is made was painted in January 1794, 10 months after the operation." (Published January 1st 1795 by James Wells of Bombay, at Mr. R. Cribbs, Carver & Gilder 288 Holborn, London.) The procedure and practitioners of this surgical practice are now lost from Indian traditional medical practice.