Jacques Joseph's Nasal Instrument Set
How did a set of Rhinoplasty instruments, once belonging to the German master of cosmetic nasal surgery and another “father of plastic surgery”, Jacques Joseph, end up in the BAPRAS Collection?
Dr Frederick Kohn, a Czech surgeon met Joseph in 1927 when he drained the already famous surgeon’s carbuncle. Over the course of his treatment, and then longer stay with Kohn, in Karlsbad, the two became friends.
As the political situation in 1930’s Germany was darkening for those of the Jewish faith, Joseph gave Kohn a set of his rhinoplasty instruments “in safekeeping” partly in gratitude for having him stay in Karlsbad and as encouragement to join him in Berlin as a plastic surgeon. But Joseph died suddenly and instead, Kohn came to England, fleeing the Nazi regime. He worked as a general surgeon in Bath. Kohn eventually gave the instruments to plastic surgeon Emlyn Lewis as thanks, and possibly in payment, for operating on his Dupuytren’s contracture. The theatre records in Chepstow only reveal that Lewis removed basal cell carcinomas from Kohn in1966, assisted by later BAPS President Michael Tempest.
The instrument set nearly ended up being taken to Australia, when Lewis offered them to Melbourne plastic surgeon John Hueston. However, Hueston alerted our Collection founder, Antony Wallace who obtained them for BAPS Archive- as it then was, from the deceased Lewis’ daughter in March 1993.
Frederick Kohn's letter to Emlyn Lewis, 29th May 1963
“I met Prof Joseph the first time in Karlsbad in 1926, when he came to see me as a patient.
He had a large carbuncle on the back of his neck, was in great pain and insisted to have this carbuncle excised under local anaesthesia, as he had to go back urgently to Berlin; I had to give way and excised this rather large carbuncle (2”:2”) under an Aethylchloride [sic] Spray; I am sure the procedure must have been painful, but he took it without saying a word or uttering a sound.
Within one hour he was on his way and 4 days later he returned from Berlin and came to see me again for changing the dressing; all was well and from this time onwards we became friends, he visited me every year, I met his wife, a charming lady, and he invited me many times to visit him in Berlin. When Hitler came to power in January 1933 life for Prof. Joseph in Berlin became very difficult. He lost his hospital appointments and his activities became restricted to private hospitals and nursing homes only.
In autumn 1933 he came again to Karlsbad and with the increasingly difficulties in Berlin, he decided to stay in Karlsbad during most of the winter 1933-1934 and I invited him to stay with me, which he accepted. It was then that he brought this set of instruments to Karlsbad and thought he might do some work in my private hospital; but in those restless days plastic surgery was not much asked for and he never operated in Karlsbad. But at the end of January he returned to Berlin and repeated his invitation to visit him and this time I accepted.
I spent a week in his wonderful house and I saw him operate during his time very frequently: face plastics of all sorts, pedicle grafts, mamma plastic, hair lips and a great variety of reshaping operations of the nose (they called him “Noseph”). In everything he did, one had to admire the master: exact and anatomical operating, perfect haemostasis, gentle treatment and handling of tissues and – without haste- very quick!
He wanted me to come to Berlin, being trained by him and to become his partner and he gave me the set of instruments to show that he meant what he said. Three weeks later he suddenly died and my career as a plastic surgeon ended before it had begun.
This in short is the history of the instruments now in your hands”
The Instruments are mainly by Joseph’s favoured manufacturers, H.Pfau, H. Windler and Med.Warenhaus. Two came from French manufacturers R Detert and Galanie. Many are engraved PROF JOSEPH. Some also have “EEL” for Lewis.
There were originally 70 instruments. 4 reside with John Hueston’s relatives. BAPRAS has 66, each with a specific Collection catalogue number. Many are detailed individually within the “Rhinoplasty Instruments” section of this gallery.