In 1814, the first modern plastic surgery was performed at the Duke of York's Hospital, Chelsea, England. The surgeon, Joseph Carpue, had read letter by a British surgeon, Lucas, in Oct 1794 in the Gentleman's Magazine. Lucas described a successful procedure performed in India whereby a forehead flap was used to reconstruct a man's mutilated nose, which had been deliberately mutilated by enemies of the British East Indian forces. (Hindu texts, up to 2600 years ago, have described various reconstruction techniques.) Having first practiced on several cadavers, Carpue operated on a British military officer who had lost his nose to the toxic effects of mercury treatments, and another whose nose was mutilated by a sword.« more An Account of Two Successful Operations for Restoring a Lost Nose, by Joseph Constantine Carpue. - book suggestion.