Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-07-14
THE kANGRA NOsEMAKeRS.
Hindoos Tint Mend the Noses of Their
 Opium Eating Countrymen.


 Opium Eating Countrymen.
 A correspondent of the Allahabad Pio- neer gives an account of the Kangairas, a people who have long enjoyed repu- tation as nosemakers. They live chiefly in Kangra, small hill canton in the Punjaub. Altogether there are fourteen families remaining, out of which only two individuals are practical nosemakers. Their reputation still remains. People come to them from the remotest parts of the Punjaub, and even Afghanistan, actuated by the sole desire of having their facial promontory repaired or re- newed. The Kangra nosemakers con- sider their art as one specially granted to them by the great Bajreshivu Devi of the place. They therefore perform the operation in strict serecy. The writer says:
 ''It was only with great difficulty that procured the following information re- specting the modus operandi of this plas. tic operation for restoration of nose from an old bald and habitual opium eater. My friend thinks nothing of daily con- stunning forty-five grains of opium, and whenever he can afford, just to keep aglow the sunshine of his mind, adds considerable amount of bhang and charus (Capabis Indica, leaves and extracD and arsenic. They say the bald is well versed in the science of physic and astrology, besides having a denizen of the other world at his beck and caI, by whose as- sistance he is able to open the gates of the unseen. When sent for to advise on difficult cases, he never fails, before going. to summon and consult his ghostly servitor as to the prognosis of the disease he is called to cure. In the event of an unfavorable prognosis. he declines to at tend, but furnishes his would be patient with the exact date and hour of his de- mise.
 1.-The old bald, 1t seems was kind of family doctor or professor of medicine to one of the nose makers, and in this ca- | pacity has more than once witnessed the operation of nose restoration. He there | fore considers himself in possession of the secret, if secret it is. His narrative ran thus: After drugging their patient with some narcotic, the Kangairas forth with proceeded to paint the forehead with a medicated lotion as preliminary step. On asking the composition of this lotion, the only answer vouchsafed was a grave shake of the head. The next step is to cut piece of leather to the shape and size of the required nose. This being done, it is placed on the forehead and used to mark out the lines of incision. Then they beat the forehead with an old slipper until the part marked out be- comes swollen and prominent. Zinc tubes, with a plate between them to serve the purpose of septum nasi, are then lodged in the nostrils. The next proceeding is to dissect flap of the swollen flesh with razor, leaving the lower part attached to the forehead. In doing this they take vein with a flap, the name and position of which is pro- found secret known only to himself and the nose makers. The success of the operation depends entirely on the pre- servation and careful dissection of this secret vein. The next step was to turn up the flap with the secret vein partic- ular way over the tubes. This being ac- complished, the other parts of the nose are pared and fastened to it with silk ig. ature, and the whole thing is brought tc an end by the application of special ointment.
 "For several days, until the wound is healed, the patient must keep recum' bent position. On union taking place the piece which was left attached to the forehead is severed, and the patient comes forth with a new born nose. ought to have mentioned that the re moval of the zinc tubes is effected as soon as convenient. Thus ended the mar. rative of the medical adviser to the nose makers.
 ''It only remains now to inquire how far their work is successful and if theil skill be on par with their reputation That they have many opportunities ol exercising their profession is beyond question. The wearing of baloo or natl (nose ring by the married women ant girls to distinguish them from widows i; source of injury to the left ala nasi This is specially the case with the hif women of Kangra, whose rings are fal heavier than those of women dwelling il tho plains; consequently one often see the left ala nasi completely split open giving a more than slight dis6guremen and preventing the distinguishing mari from being kept up. Many of thes women make use of the nose makers but, as far as my observation goes, and have had many opportunities of seeinI their work, l have never seen a satisfac tory result. On the contrary, hay known many cases where the operatio has simply left the woman in wors plight than before. .n-St. James Gazette