historyThe Public Domain Review17th century · Europe
The plague doctor's beaked mask was a filter for bad air, not germs
In the 17th century, plague doctors wore a leather cloak, glass eyepieces and a long beaked mask. People then believed plague spread through miasma, or bad air, so the beak was packed with aromatic herbs and spices such as camphor, mint, cloves and myrrh, sometimes with dried flowers or a vinegar sponge. Their wands were used to take pulses, remove clothing and keep patients at a distance. The costume is credited to the French physician Charles de Lorme, who is thought to have devised it in 1619, and it became standard during the Plague of 1656 in Rome and Naples.
Miasma theory held that disease came from foul or corrupt air, so smelling something strong seemed protective. The herbs and spices in the beak masked the stench of the sick and were thought to purify the air breathed in. The gown and gloves also covered the body, which by chance reduced some contact with infected skin and fluids, so the costume was not entirely useless.
The costume shows how medicine worked before germ theory, when protection meant controlling smells and air. Its shape is still one of the most recognisable images of the plague, and it was later adopted into Venetian Carnival and commedia dell'arte.
Miasma theory dominated until the late 19th century, when germ theory showed that bacteria such as the plague bacillus spread disease. Later costumes like PPE kept the idea of barrier protection but dropped the belief in bad air.
Plague doctors' costumes were adopted as a Carnival outfit in Venice, so a symbol of death became part of the city's celebrations of life.
background
A plague doctor was a type of physician who treated victims of plague during epidemics in 17th-century Europe. These physicians were hired by the affected cities to treat infected patients regardless of income, especially the poor, who could not afford to pay.
Plague doctors had a mixed reputation, with some citizens seeing their presence as a warning to leave the area or that death was near. Some plague doctors were said to charge patients and their families additional fees for special treatments or false cures. In many cases, these doctors were not experienced or trained physicians or surgeons; instead they were volunteers, second-rate doctors, or young doctors just starting a career. Plague doctors rarely cured patients, instead serving to record death tolls and the number of infected people for demographic purposes.
From Wikipedia: Plague doctor (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗.png)
Image: The Public Domain Review
