So, for all the bizarreness of the ‘beak doctor’ costume, it does make sense given the theories of the time. They could prod or move clothing about from further than at arm’s length. This is quite sometime after the Middle Ages when the Black Death came and passed, but does fit the timeline of another plague: One that swept through both Naples and Rome. Though the image is iconic the relationship may be a little anachronistic. According to experts, the best guess when it comes to the origin of the plague doctors iconic outfit wasnt until 1656. A final practical use a doctor had for a cane was to keep a patient (and, during the plague, suspected plague carriers in the street) at a distance. The plague doctor mask is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Black Death. Such canes could also be a vessel for a pomander within the handle. The eccentric headpiece served as a kind of primitive gas mask for medical practitioners in 17th-century Europe, designed to protect its wearer from the foul odours associated with the plague. If they could afford a good cane they were clearly successful. With a long cloak and grotesque bird-like mask, the European plague doctor was a disconcerting sight. Today, however, it is more a symbol of festivity. The final element a plague doctor’s costume is given in the poem as:įor centuries a cane was a symbolic accoutrement for a physician – a well-crafted cane, with a fancy handle would give a patient confidence in the abilities of their doctor. The terrifying Plague Doctor costume was a symbol of death and impending doom in 17th century Europe. The oiled and waxed, often floor-length coats worn by the doctors, along with hoods, hats and gloves, would have been effective barriers against the biting of fleas, as well as being easier to wipe clean. We know that the disease was spread so virulently by fleas, borne on rats (recent reports suggest that gerbils were the original carriers in Asia) that flourished in what was described as London’s ‘most beastly durtie streets’. The rest of the costume was, ironically, more likely to be effective during the Great Plague of 1665. They could be stuffed with herbs and good smells to combat the disease in the air. How would you do this? Have nice smells to hand – or, rather, to nose! Thus the doctors wore beak-like masks. This theory was called miasma theory.Īvoiding breathing in this disease-bearing stench was vital. If you walked into a bad-smelling room the foulness was caused by the presence of disease – the air was polluted. ![]() ![]() ![]() There was a longstanding belief that diseases travelled through the air. The beak of this primordial gas mask was filled with a mixture of scented medicinal herbs. So what was the thinking behind an outfit that might actually frighten the more delicate patient? The most recognizable feature of the plague doctor costume, the beaked bird-like mask, was designed to keep the wearer from inhaling the foul-smelling air which was thought to spread the disease.
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