Why did plague doctors wear such strange, beaked masks?
In short: The iconic silhouette of the plague doctor was more than just a costume. This video explores the origins of their protective gear and the specific, often ineffective, medical practices used to fight the Black Death.
The costume, credited to the 17th-century French court physician Charles de Lorme, was designed around the obsolete 'miasma theory'—the belief that infection was spread by 'evil' smells or bad air. The leather outfit included a waxed coat, gloves, and a mask with a beak that contained substances to ward off these odors.
Plague doctors were often government contractors tasked with treating the poor and recording deaths. Because many established physicians fled outbreaks, these roles were sometimes filled by inexperienced trainees or those with no medical training at all. Their treatments, such as draining buboes or balancing bodily humours, were largely ineffectual.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Plague Doctor
- Also: Plague doctor | Plague, Middle Ages, Facts, & Description | Britannica
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