$4,800 cosmetic surgery manual excites collectors with a nose for a bargain

A rare 19th century first edition nose surgery book comes to auction on April 6

Botox, boob jobs and tummy tucks - it's all in a day's work for many celebrities.

But a 19^th century book set for auction suggests that cosmetic surgery is not a recent phenomenon.

Surgical Observations on the Restoration of the Nose was published in 1833. Written by surgeon John Stevenson, although borrowing heavily from a German publication, it provides grisly detail on the process of performing nose jobs.

With the help of case studies, including an account of surgery performed on a baron who lost the tip of his nose in a duel, the book's new owner will be able to perform nose reductions and depressed bridge restorations with ease, seemingly without the aid of anaesthetic.

This particular first edition copy was the author's own and is expected to realise £3,000 at the Dominic Winter Book Auctions in Gloucestershire on April 6, with rare book collectors and investors expected to be highly interested.

“Don’t fancy yours much”

Chris Albury, from the auction house, told the Mirror newspaper: "It shows celebrities today are not the first in this country to go under the surgeon's knife to improve the look of their noses."

An Italian medical journal from 1597 on nose surgery sold for £11,000 at the same auction house in 2010. It was written by Italian surgeon Gaspare Tagliacozzi, who performed nose surgery on many soldiers wounded in battle.