During my time as a medical student in the 1960's the Professor of Psychiatry informed us that, for men, the external nose was regarded a phallic symbol, and that, in those days of expedient, pococurante treatment of public patients, psychotic post-operative reactions to radical nasal surgery were not uncommon.
Advanced nasal squamous cell carcinoma seemed to me to be confined to men, almost all of whom were farm workers from Western Queensland.
The operation involved total excision of the external nose, leaving two big cavities above the top lip.
Post-operatively, the unfortunate patient would be issued with a plastic nose attached to a spectacle frame.
Colour matching of the plastic nasal prosthesis with the patient's face was not a priority for public patients, and orange seemed to be the only available colour option.
The psychiatrist also flippantly mentioned that there could be a dimensional relationship between the nose and the penis. My fellow student Dave, who had a proboscis of Cyrano de Bergerac dimensions, cried out "it's true, girls, it's true!"
(I would like to stress that the proposed peno-nasal dimensional relationship does apply to my own small-but-perfectly-formed nose.
Just sayin'.)
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