Plastic Surgery of the 1700s

Plastic surgery is a kind of operation, in which you can change the shape of any body part. Plastic surgery had been invented and carried out since 800 BC. We also have more recent evidence from the 1700s. In 1792 the British East India Company waged war against Tipu Sultan. In the battle that followed they were defeated. A few men of the British Army were taken captive. One of those men was a bullock cart driver. When they reached the prison the bullock cart driver and 5 other men had their hand and nose cut off. When they were released, the bullock cart driver went back to his village. In his village he went to a surgeon to get his nose fixed. Here is how the surgeon did it: The surgeon took some wax, the size of the part that was cut off and placed it on the forehead. Then he measured how much skin would be needed. Then some Terra Japonica (a kind of clay) was molded to look like the wax. It was stuck on the wax, and the skin was stuck on the Terra Japonica. The structure was left untouched for 4 days after which it was removed. Then strips of cloth dipped in ghee (clarified butter) were applied. 5-6 days after the operation the patient was made to lie on his/her back. On the 10th day bits of cloth were put to keep the nostrils open. It is said that this kind of operation was always successful, I found this information in Uday S. Kulkarni's book, James Wales Artist and Antiquarian in the time of Peshwa Sawai Madhavrao.

The King of Balkh once sent rancid fish to Aurangzeb!

Aurangzeb was the 6^th Mughal emperor and under him the Mughal Empire rose to its peak. In the Mughal court there were many Europeans. And one such Italian traveler, Niccolao Manucci describes in his journal how the King of Balkh (today Balkh is in Afghanistan) sent 100 camels bearing presents to Aurangzeb. And one of the boxes containing gifts had rancid fish! Yuck! Imagine someone giving you a box of rancid fish as your birthday present?!

Barbecuing was invented in Guyana!

Barbecuing is a method of smoking certain foods like sausages, corn on the cob, steak, etc. It is said that barbecuing is a method invented by Native Americans living in Guyana and the name also is derived  from a Native American word.