Sadism, Syphilis & Surgical Reconstruction

Cosmetic surgery was born in India around 600BC when the physician Sushruta, often known as "the father of plastic surgery", developed a technique of reconstructing the nose.

The need for such rhinoplasty was common as, in India at this time, amputating the nose was often a punishment for certain crimes.

Disease could also erode or deform the nose, with both leprosy and (later) syphilis causing patients to require surgery.

This talk charts the development of plastic surgery, from Sushruta to the 19th century.