| The Plague Doctor (Medico Della Peste) | | | | spread by "bad air" and that the plague doctor |
| After 1350 the culture in Europe had drastically | | | | mask would draw the plague away from the |
| changed to one of bleak morbidity. Art | | | | victim and onto the garment the plague doctor |
| represented this pessimism with representations | | | | wore. The mask also included red glass eyepieces |
| of death. This darkness was brought about by | | | | which protected the wearer from the evil of the |
| the prevalence of the black Plague. Nobody knew | | | | plague. The beak was often filled with aromatic |
| how to contain or prevent the onslaught of the | | | | herbs to disguise the smell of unburied corpses, |
| Black Death and many of the supposed | | | | sputum and ruptured bouboules on the victims. |
| preventions/cures caused more problems. When | | | | The herbs also acted to overpower the "bad air" |
| people believed that cats were in league with the | | | | they thought carried the plague. |
| devil, this led to cats being killed en masse. If this | | | | · A wooden cane, was used both to direct |
| prejudice had not existed the rodent population | | | | family members to move the patient or examine |
| would have been kept down by the cats, | | | | a body without directly touching them. |
| lessening the spread of plague infested fleas from | | | | · A long black overcoat was worn tucked into |
| host to host i.e. rats. | | | | the beak mask at the neckline to minimise skin |
| It was during this backdrop that the Medico Della | | | | exposure, it fell right down to the foot. The coat |
| Peste (Plague Doctor) came into play. Many | | | | was then covered in suet or wax which they |
| believe The plague doctor was created by the | | | | thought could draw away the plague from the |
| famous French doctor Charles Le Lorme who | | | | victim's skin, trapping it in the suet or repelling it |
| adopted the mask and costume while treating | | | | with the wax. |
| plague victims. The costume consisted of: | | | | Although at the time people did not know what |
| · A wide brimmed hat worn close to the head | | | | caused the plague, they still new that coming into |
| which identified to people that you were a | | | | contact with the victims increased the risk of |
| doctor,much the same as nowadays hats identify | | | | contracting the disease. |
| different professions e.g.: soldiers, police etc. By | | | | It is not known how widespread plague doctors |
| the time the plague had taken affirm grip many | | | | were, or how effective their treatment of the |
| of the doctors had fled leaving just volunteers to | | | | disease was, but it is likely that, although offering |
| help. The wide brim may also have been used as | | | | protection to the wearer, they actually |
| partial shielding from infection. | | | | contributed to the spreading of the disease by |
| · A primitive gas mask in the shape of a bird's | | | | unknowingly acting as a carrier for infected fleas |
| beak. It was common belief that the plague was | | | | to move from host to host. |