plague doctor costume
our striking plague doctor costume is inspired by special medical physician' s who treated plague victims .
cure the party with the medieval plague doctor halloween costume! this costume includes a robe, collar, belt hat and mask .
i made this costume in 1960 and got into trouble with the nuns. was a great costume .
the plague doctor was a common fixture of the medieval world, with his bird - like costume that was believed to resist the plague .
they were talking around the time where the plague doctor costume was made. . that is what the site is about
if you want to dress up like a plague doctor for halloween, there are some pretty rad masks on etsy, and a neat costume kit on amazon .
authentic plague doctor mask. black deluxe plague doctor face mask. large plague doctor nose. note: hood not included. we will always strive to solve any issues you may have. large round eye parts. f ...
a plague doctor mask adds the perfect finishing touch to any plague doctor halloween costume. worn by both children and adults alike, plague doctor masks come in a wide array of sizes and fashions. shop the wide selection of costumes, reenactment, and theater masks on ebay to find the perfect one for your needs .
white plague doctor mask birds long nose beak faux leather steampunk hallowee ...
cool colors 2018 new plague doctor masks black and red halloween beak pu mask .
the costume is finished with a black, leather - effect, wide - brimmed hat .
papier mache. black, gold and white plague doctor venetian mask. mask' s .
in 1619, charles de l' orme created what we now consider to be the distinctive
look
of a plague doctor. here' s a picture of a plague doctor from 1656 :
so why is steampunk absolutely inundated with plague doctors? on the surface, the plague doctor would seem to be ideologically opposite to steampunk .
the mask arrived in just 3 days and i am very happy with the purchase. it is the ideal accessory to complete my plague doctor costume. thank you guys, you have a lot of talent .
handmade newest the plague doctor masquerade raven bird mask - venetian antique off white accent masquerade ball doctor mask. this plague mask is 100% handmade using the papier - mache technique and des ...
made in the style of a steampunk plague doctor. adult sized steampunk mask. great for halloween .
i have a medival trade faire project and i chose plague doctor. those masks are pretty nice .
a plague doctor was a medical physician who treated those who had the plague. plague doctors wore a mask with glass eye openings and a cone nose shaped like a beak to hold scented substances. this was thought to protect the doctor from miasmatic bad air .
venetian plague doctor mask by smiffy' s. venetian plague doctor mask featuring deep sunken eye holes and beak like mouth. ladies fancy dress. childrens fancy dress. fancy dress a to z. christmas fancy ...
our creepy white plastic plague doctor style masquerade eye mask is a great choice for halloween! one adult size .
the plague doctor carried a wooden stick so that he could drive people who came too close to him away .
hand crafted leather plague doctor mask, all genuine leather, durable, carefully crafted, hand stitched and riveted .
i’m a plague doctor fanatic! it’s awesome how you guys added the history and you have the masks for sale .
i can imagine that few leather fabricators would turn down a commission for such a cool concept as a plague doctor .
first of all, with the popularization of the germ theory of disease in the mid - 1800' s, plague doctors became more or less a thing of the past. or at least, the plague doctor costume became very outdated. so plague doctors don' t really fit into the time period that' s often associated with steampunk .
i think the plague doctor look, could be chosen as an aesthetic style, for functional gas masks. compare the plague doctor masks shown in your post to a late ww1, or ww2 era gas mask, like the one shown here urltoken
we look at the masks as some sort of adornment, but for the plague doctor, they were strictly functional and highly unpleasant. in fact, wearing the plague doctor outfit must have been an absolutely horrible experience, but they did it anyway .
this halloween pays tribute to the 50 million people who died because of the ‎black death‬. dress up as a plague doctor !
that’s what i was. no one knew or cared what i was and it was kinda disappointing. i still like my costume though .
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our plague doctor masks are of high quality, so they are used in theater, performances, tv series, shows or concerts, among others. they are also ideal for halloween, costume parties, themed events, decoration… or just because you would love to have one !
paracelsus was a famous medieval plague doctor. the italian city of pavia in 1479 contracted giovanni de ventura as a community plague doctor. the irish physician, niall ó glacáin (c. 1563? - 1653) earned deep respect in spain, france and italy for his bravery in treating numerous victims of the plague .
the costume itself was great but it carried an extremely awful odor that was unbearable. i had the mask on for 2 minutes and was ready to vomit. the costume was left over night in my car on accident and the next morning, my car smelled absolutely disgusting. i attempted to mask the smell and literally used half a bottles worth of axe body spray and the costume kept its odor. i' ll be returning it and would like a full refund. it' s unacceptable to send someone a costume that has an odor as strong as a garbage dump .
a plague doctor would have worn a beak doctor costume in his role as a specialized doctor. he was known then as a “beak doctor”. the protective suit consisted of a heavy fabric overcoat that was waxed, a mask of glassed eye openings and a cone shaped like a beak to hold scented substances. some of the scented materials were amber, balm - mint leaves, camphor, cloves, laudanum, myrrh, rose petals, and storax. a wooden cane pointer was used to help examine the patient without touching .
it’s not as a doctor plying noble trade that has given the costume its staying power. plague equaled death, and when you have black garbed doctors roaming around with giant protruding mask noses and no eyes, you’re going to start associating them with death, too. the mask and costume became associated with the commedia dell’arte character il medico della peste. and the white version of the mask was adopted in venice and is now a frequent carnival sight .
unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on wikipedia article
plague doctor costume
or another language wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the gnu free documentation license; or on original research by jahsonic and friends. see art and popular culture' s copyright notice .
our plague doctor masks are made in the best quality, so they are used in theater, performances, films, tv series, movies, shows or concerts, among others. they are also ideal for halloween, costume parties, themed events, decoration… or just because you would love to have one !
in certain european cities like florence and perugia plague doctors were requested to do autopsies to help determine the cause of death and how the plague played a role. plague doctors became testators and witnesses to numerous wills during times of plague epidemics .
the doctor wore leather gloves to protect his hands from any form of contact with the disease .
papier mache. black, gold and white plague doctor venetian mask hand painted papier mache guy fawkes venetian mask. mask' s. crescent moon venetian mask .
today some artisan artists made handmade plague doctor masks to pay tribute to these brave doctors who helped to stop the greatest pandemic of all time. we, with the same objective, opened the first store specializing in plague doctor masks for sale. order your mask today and we will send it to your home. we ship worldwide !
the doctor of the plague masquerade features a white mask with a long beak and spectacles, a black cape, collar, hat, white gloves, and stick. the origin of this costume can be traced to a 16th - century french doctor, charles de lorme, who adopted bizarre sanitary precautions before visiting patients infected with the plague. dressed in a doctor' s outfit, he wore a mask with a long, bird - like nose filled with herbs and other perfumes to protect him from the contagious disease. he also carried a stick so he didn' t need to touch the patients with his own hands .
cocc professor mark eberle describes the features of the plague doctor costume. archival image # 1: engraving from 1656 by j. columbina from the medical history museum of copenhagen, denmark. archival image # 2: painting from 1700 by theodore zwinger. the painting is in the basle history museum, switzerland. video by leilani rapaport the bulletin urltoken © 2013
character: plague doctor. body mask is made of resin and eyeglass is acrylic, high - tech sense mask, high quality mask. material: resin mask acrylic eyeglass .
i' m sure that there are plenty of people out there who have no idea what a plague doctor is / was, so i' ll start with an explanation .
urltoken worldwide shipping! ✈️ plague mask ideal for your plague doctor costume! ! 🎃 handmade from natural leather. it has an adjustable strap that fits all head sizes, from xs 👶 to xxl 👽. lightweight and comfortable to wear. this plague mask has metal meshes on the eyepieces, and metallic rivets, giving it a steampunk / industrial / apocalyptic look. a unique style! urltoken # plague # plaguedoctor # plaguedoctormask # plaguemask # blackdeath # halloween # halloween2019 # masks # handmade # crafts # leather # leathermasks # bubonic # pestenegra # máscaras # máscara # mask # halloweenmask
authentic plague doctor mask black. you may use the model cancellation form at the end of these instructions, but it is not obligatory. image gallery. b model cancellation form .
wearing this gorgeous mask will give a stunning and lasting impression in halloween day well constructed of durable materials suitable for both men and women full face steampunk plague doctor mask, use ...
plague doctor steampunk bird mask cosplay gothic halloween leather mask black. perfect for goths and steampunk enthusiasts. suitable for various events like halloween, cosplay, party, carnival. mask m ...
steampunk plague doctor mask bird beak halloween prop cosplay punk gothic masks. perfect for goths and steampunk enthusiasts. suitable for various events like halloween, cosplay, party, carnival. mask ...
these great plague doctor masks are brilliant for halloween! choose from a white or black full face mask with curved beak and attached round glasses. sexy halloween christmas. book week halloween chri ...
the plague doctor mask is made of medium weight veg tan leather and has an adjustable strap. it comes with a series of nine ventilation holes on the bottom of the beak for ease of breathing .
historian o’donnell says that a medieval plague doctor was also referred to as the chirurgeon (middle english “cirurgien”, from old french, from latin chīrurgia, from greek χειρουργία, as referring to surgery). he says the chirurgeon wore a long black oilcloth robe that had a hood. it was intended as a protection suit against the contagious plague. this costume had openings for the eyes that were made of glass. it also had a hollow long beak for the nose, which was filled with camphor, garlic, mint, or a sponge of vinegar. this was all to protect the doctor from miasmatic bad air .
a famous plague doctor who gave medical advice against the black death plague as preventative measures was nostradamus. he advised to drink only boiled water, use only clean bed linens, and to leave an area as soon as possible that was believed to be infected with the black death .
another thing that steampunks like are costumes, and few historically - accurate costumes are as great as the plague doctor' s. i mean, come on... plague doctors look like terrifying birds, and they poked people with sticks. what' s not to love about that ?
the plague doctor’s haunting costume still abides as a creepy symbol of death and the unknown. we’ve long indulged in masked thrills, but often these types of costumes are linked to celebration, tradition, and religious symbolism. in a way, the plague doctor costume isn’t much different than many other spooky and strange cultural traditions. the doctors at the time understood little about what they were dealing with, and the function of the curved peak turns out to be a function of superstition and fear. although modern medicine has quelled our fears of this menace, we are still susceptible to infectious diseases that move faster than we can outwit them. just last year the whole world cowered at the threat of a major ebola outbreak. it was mostly just a paranoias for those of us in the united states and other developed nations, but it devastated several african countries. like the black plague, and other iterations of yersinia pestis, erroneous superstitions made the fight even more difficult .
however, it' s important to remember that for the time period in which the plague doctor costume was invented, that was science at its finest. these people weren' t shaking sticks and praying for cures, they were actively trying to treat patients using the latest medical science at their disposal. granted, that was usually something like ,
drink this mixture of herbs that i found in my yard
, but it was still something .
plague doctor mask. this mask is 100% handmade from paper mache or pu leather, beautifully crafted and finished using several layers of paper plaster on the back for comfortable wearing. this is a mas ...
a plague doctor (italian: physici epidemeie, dutch: pestmeester, german: pestarzt), was a special medical physician of the middle ages who saw those who had the bubonic plague. they were specifically hired by towns that had many plague victims in times of plague epidemics. since the city was paying their salary they treated everyone, the rich and the poor. they were not normally professionally trained experienced physicians or surgeons, and often were second rate doctors not able to otherwise run a successful medical business or young physicians just out of school trying to get a medical business going. they were not otherwise a general practitioner or “family doctor”. plague doctors by their covenant treated only plague patients and were known as municipal or “community plague doctors”, whereas “general practitioners” were separate doctors and both might be in the same european city or town at the same time .
the first epidemic of bubonic plague dates back to the mid 500s, known as the plague of justinian. the largest epidemic was the black death of europe in the fourteenth century. in medieval times the large loss of people due to the bubonic plague in a town created an economic disaster. community plague doctors were quite valuable and were given special privileges. for example, a normally well guarded procedure of autopsies was freely allowed by plague doctors to allow research for a cure of the plague during the middle ages. the city of orvieto hired matteo fu angelo in 1348 for 4 times the normal rate of a doctor of 50 - florin per year .
photo credits: dscf1259. jpg by darren and brad / flickr / cc by - nc 2. 0; paul fürst, engraving, c. 1721, of a plague doctor of marseilles / public domain / via wikimedia
deluxe scary horror plague doctor mask. iron man mask light up eyes avengers movie superhero fancy dress party. uv glow neon hair paint streaks mascara (6 colours available). allergy warning: if you a ...
scary horror plague doctor crow skull mask. iron man mask light up eyes avengers movie superhero fancy dress party. uv glow neon hair paint streaks mascara (6 colours available). allergy warning: if y ...
adult size plague doctor mask made from top quality latex with hand painted finish. the mask fits to your headwith an elasticated strap. one size fits most, the nose can be padded out with a little ti ...
meanwhile, the most distinctive part of the costume, the mask, was created in order to hold incense or herbs that ostensibly kept out the
bad air
, and thus prevented the plague doctor from getting sick. ideally, at least, as it didn' t really work in practice. the end effect, of course, was somewhat terrifying, but it' s important to note that underneath the strange costumes were men who were trying to cure the ill. their pay was high (nearly four times higher than a regular doctor, by some accounts), but their mortality rate was also high .
the beak they had was a filter for what they believed to be bad, infected air. in france and the netherlands plague doctors many times didn’t have any medical training and were referred to as “empirics” – and even in one case he was just a fruit - seller beforehand. being a medieval plague doctor was unpleasant, risky, and difficult. the chances of survival in times of a plague epidemic were slim. because of the dangers and difficulties involved, plague doctors were very hard to find .
classic plague doctor cosplay mask, perfect mask for halloween party. material: pu leather. size: one size fits all; suitable for most adult and teenager. best gift for yourself, your friends, and cos ...
during the black plague, it was thought that bad smells were the cause of the plague. plague doctors therefore wore masks with long beak - like noses stuffed with flowers or smoke to hide the smells. if you want to enjoy a more realistic and fun experience, we recommend to introduce some kind of aromatic herb at the beak of the mask when you use it! ! this halloween pays tribute to the 50 million people who died because of the ‎black death‬. dress up as a plague doctor !
classic plague doctor cosplay mask, perfect mask for halloween party. material: pu leather. size: one size fits all; suitable for most adult and teenager. color: black. best gift for yourself, your fr ...
plague doctor, long bird mouth mask. the following problems with goods appear to be normal, because we are mass - produced, so we cannot take into account the perfect details of all the goods, such as ...
the hat was made of leather. it was worn to show that the man was a doctor and also to add extra protection to the head .
the full - length gown was made out of thick material which was then covered with wax. underneath the gown the doctor would wear leather breeches .
pope clement vi had hired several extra plague doctors during the black death plague. they were to attend to the sick people of avignon. of eighteen doctors in venice, only one was left by 1348: five had died of the plague, and twelve were missing and may have fled .
plague doctors served as public servants during times of epidemics starting with the black death of europe in the fourteenth century. their principal task, besides taking care of plague victims, was to record in public records the deaths due to the plague. they instructed plague patients to be serene and lighthearted and to think of only gold, silver, and other items which were comforting to the heart instead of death .
plague doctor mask handmade from natural leather and cast resin parts. it has an adjustable strap that fits all head sizes, from xs (children) to xxl. lightweight and comfortable to wear. its ventilation holes facilitate breathing and prevent the acrylics from fogging up .
amazing! !! ! perfect costume and it happens to be the one i wanted to be this year for halloween... both my mom and i were tryin to find a way to make it and this will help alot with that. thanks soo much for posting this .
the beak that was attached to the mask was stuffed with herbs, perfumes or spices to purify the air that the doctor breathed when he was close to victims .
a medical doctor equipped for visiting patients afflicted with the plague: a waxed long cloak, face covered with a mask, eyes secured behind crystal, and pleasantly smelling spices are placed in the long beak. with his rod he points at what should be attended to .
if you are passionate about the plague doctors, it will be a pleasure to welcome you to our facebook page, where we share photos, tattoos, cosplays costumes, videos and news about the plague doctors .
as if this head - to - toe shroud of foreboding wasn’t enough, from the front protruded a grotesque curved beak designed to hold the fragrant compounds believed to keep “plague air” at bay. favourite scents included camphor, floral concoctions, mint, cloves, myrrh and basically anything that smelled nice and strong. in some french versions of the costume, compounds were actually set to smolder within the beak, in the hopes that the smoke would add an extra layer of protection. a wooden stick completed the look, which the plague doctor used to lift the clothing and bed sheets of infected patients to get a better look without actually making skin - to - skin contact .
those who took their place — the so - called plague doctor or medico della peste — were often little more than paid hacks and second - rate physicians hired by desperate municipalities. these eerily clad public servants would become an iconic symbol of the plague that we easily recognize to this very day... harbingers of doom in a very dark chapter in the history of human suffering .
plague doctors also thought that if they cented there masks they would not get a disease but they were wrong .
of course there have been many waves of bubonic plague. here we only talk about the biggest of them .
one of the most distinctive masks worn during the carnival of venice is “il medico della peste, ” or “the plague doctor. ” but the distinctive bone - white mask and black clothing was actually the 17th century equivalent of a biocontainment suit. albeit one based on very shaky science .
pattern: punk plague bird mask. 1 x punk plague bird mask. material: synthetic leather. due to the difference between different monitors, the picture may not reflect the actual color of the item. we w ...
[ … ] far, to me, the most interesting thing about the plague was the plague doctors. these men were regarded as superheroes, crazy men, curses, and blessings, all in the same breath. [ … ]
made of a canvas outer garment coated in wax, as well as waxed leather pants, gloves, boots and hat, the costume became downright scary from the neck up. a dark leather hood and mask were held onto the face with leather bands and gathered tightly at the neck so as to not let in any noxious, plague - causing miasmas that might poison the wearer. eyeholes were cut into the leather and fitted with glass domes .
bubonic plague was discovered in 1320 in the gobi desert. in 1331 the plague reached to china, in 1338 to russia, in 1342 to india, and finally in 1346 reached to the european continent, no one could stop it .
presumably, their principal task of the plague doctors was to help treat and cure plague victims, and some did give it their best shot. in actual fact, however, the plague doctors’ duties were far more actuarial than medical. most did a lot more counting than curing, keeping track of the number of casualties and recorded the deaths in log books .
plague doctors practiced bloodletting and other remedies such as putting frogs on the buboes “rebalancing the humors” as a normal routine. after plague doctors saw patients they were quarantined for a lengthy period (e. g. 40 days). plague doctors could not generally interact with the general public because of the nature of their business and the possiblility of spreading the disease .
the doctors clothing was very varied, although in 1619 charles de l’orme invented a uniform than was the most popular. this clothing consisted of a coarse cloth robe waxed, and a blouse introduced in the pants, which are tied to boots. they also wore a hat and gloves. all the costume was made in goat leather .
your history is off. bubonic plague was “discovered” much earlier. in 541 ad, the byzantine empire had been hit with a pandemic of plague, that historians have called “the justinian plague, ” named after the byzantine emperor at the time. not only that, but there had been multiple outbreaks between the pandemic in 541 ad, and the pandemic in 1346 .
well, as with the plague doctors, there are also pirates in steampunk, which are not very historically accurate either .
actually, the plague doctors did almost nothing to stop the plague, and did more harm than good, killing tons of people with their “treatments” while we can remember them and maybe dress up as them, we should not honour them in any means .
during the black plague, it was thought that bad smells were the cause of the plague. plague doctors therefore wore masks with long beak - like noses stuffed with flowers or smoke to hide the smells. if you want to enjoy a more realistic and fun experience, we recommend to introduce some kind of aromatic herb at the beak of the mask when you use it! !
so is it really any wonder that the plague doctor has captured the imaginations of steampunks? men of science who were viewed with distrust and suspicion by the public, and who are now an obscure and forgotten part of history? no, you' re right, that doesn' t sound like something steampunks would like at all .
this mask is identical to a classic plague doctor mask, but with a longer beak. the leather mask is mostly riveted together with some hand - stitching. the eyepieces are sewn in with waxed thread. the mask is painted black and the lenses are gray acrylic. paint is designed to wear off of rivets for that aged look .
the black death was born from an evolution of the bacterium yersinia pestis, which had its own pandemic in the year 500, known as the plague of justinian. the primary means of spread of the plague were flea bites, which were hidden in clothing and textiles .
some of the masquerades worn in venice carnival today are characters from the famous 16th and 17th - century italian theater, commedia dell' arte. arlecchino (harlequin) played the role of a faithful valet - patient, trusting, passionate, and playful. his costume is decorated with brightly colored triangles and diamonds and his black half mask has tiny eyeholes and quizzically arched eyebrows accentuated by a wrinkled forehead .
today venice carnevale lasts for a two - week period leading up to lent. during this time, hundreds of thousands of people come from all over the world to enjoy the celebration. for many it is an annual pilgrimage and much of the year is spent in preparing their elaborate masquerades. showing off a costume against the backdrop of venetian architecture and posing for photographers is part of carnival play in venice .
the pandemic of bubonic plague was so huge that the whole society changed, ending the days of the middle ages and giving rise to the renaissance .
be the bell of the ball or masquerade party with this venetian doctor mask. nose measures approximately 9
long. mask is made of a durable plastic with polyester tie on. includes: (1) star power veneti ...
to treat the sick they did bloodletting, leeches and toads were used every day, but this was not effective. the most famous plague doctor was nostradamus, who gave advice such as removing infected corpses, get some fresh air, drink clean water, drink a juice made with rose hips, and do not bleed the patient. nostradamus was a reference to stop the black death pandemic .
the body was covered, head to toe, in an attempt to keep the disease at bay. in fact, the stick that the doctor above carries was used to prod patients so that they didn' t actually have to be touched .
this plague mask is 100% handmade using the papier - mache technique or pu leather, it' s designed for unisex adults and children over 13 years old .
great site… i am looking for reliable references to mercury used as treatment for the plague, especially in the seventeenth century. can anyone point me in the right direction ?
looked at from that perspective, you can almost see plague doctors as champions of science, or maybe martyrs for science would be more appropriate, given their mortality rate .
so valuable were plague doctors that when barcelona dispatched two to tortosa in 1650, outlaws captured them en route and demanded a ransom. the city of barcelona paid for their release .
to stop the pandemic was born the plague doctor, who were doctors specializing in care for those infected by this disease. these doctors were hired by the villages, and they took care of citizens of all social classes, rich and poor. when there were not enough doctors, people from other professions were hired to assist the infected. given the risk of this task, was very difficult to find people prepared to do the work, many of them died and others fled. they cared for the sick, got rid of the corpses, did autopsies, and they had a listing on the public register of deaths caused by the plague .
second, plague doctors in many ways represent superstition over science. breathing incense to keep away the sickness? seems rather silly to a modern audience, and much more like nonsense than science .
premium quality material, durable and comfortable to wear. stretch head belt, one size fits most ventilation holes are also designed to make wearers more comfortable to wear. full face long nose plague ...
the first cases of bubonic plague, or black death were discovered in the 14th century and it is the most devastating pandemic in the history of humanity, which affected the whole of europe killing 60% of europeans, died 50 million people of a total of 80 million inhabitants, according to data from researcher diane zahler. the plague also affected eastern countries, but did not reach the american or african continents .
this brown plague doctor mask have metal rivets, which gives it a bit of a steampunk look. the eyepieces are sewn in with waxed thread. the mask is painted brown and the lenses are gray acrylic. the mask is made of 5 - 6 oz veg tan leather and has an adjustable strap. it will fit all adult heads up to 61cm / 24in around. if your head size is larger, we can customize the mask for you, without additional cost. paint is designed to wear off of rivets for that aged look .
despite what we now consider to be their relatively fearsome appearance, they were originally just doctors, and they have existed for as long as there have been plagues. our first record of plague doctors dates back to around the year 500 ad, well before the germ theory of disease. these doctors would be contracted by the government to treat everyone with the plague, rich or poor, and as a result, their lifespans were rather short. this is unsurprising, considering that any protective measures they took were almost certainly misguided or totally ineffective. generally speaking, 90% of plague doctors died from the diseases they were trying to treat .
each piece of the suit—the hat, the bird - like mask, the red glass eyes, the black overcoat, the leather breeches, and the wooden cane—is thought to have had an important function to either keep the disease away or scare it away. what doctors didn' t know was that they were probably doing more harm than good—spreading the plague even more by exposing more people to their plague - covered articles of clothing .
another thing that lends to their credibility as both scientists and objects of terror is that plague doctors were given permission to perform autopsies on plague victims in the hope of curing the disease. that may not sound like much right now, but at the time, autopsies were considered blasphemous, evil, terrible, etc. so in all likelihood, they were doing some solid work toward our understanding of anatomy, if nothing else .
panic, desperation and grief reigned supreme, from the humblest burgs to the most vibrant cities throughout europe. all manner of prayers and bargains and cures were attempted, but to no avail. with no antibiotics available to fight the dreaded bacteria, the plague would simply have to run its course. the plague did not entirely disappear from european soil until the 19th century as smaller but still deadly outbreaks occurred continuously in the decades that followed .
were it not for their fearsome appearance, plague doctors might have been considered heroes. granted, many of them were scam artists trying to cash in on the high pay, but some of them were genuinely trying to help .
many doctors, knowing that they could do nothing for plague victims, simply didn’t bother trying to treat the disease. those that did made sure that they were as protected as possible from the disease by wearing the ‘uniform’ shown above .
who cares what the blundering masses know! …we know because, we stumbled on to, the horror that was the plague doc…we were incredulous at this hideous practice and outfit to match no other in creepy…let the masses have jason …. . ha ha
the bubonic plague, also known as the black death, killed at least 75 million people on three continents. described as the most lethal epidemic in history, the plague began in china in the 1330s and made its way through europe from 1346 to 1353. in those times, physicians didn' t know what was causing the disease to spread, but they did know it was highly contagious. to provide medical care and to protect themselves, doctors of the time invented the medieval version of a hazmat suit .
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what was with the bird' s beak? well, a common belief at the time was that the plague was being spread by birds. (we now know that rats and fleas were responsible for spreading the black death .) the doctors may have thought that dressing up in a bird - like gas mask, the plague would be transferred from the patient to the garment. this beak piece was also filled with vinegar, sweet oils, and other strong - smelling chemicals to mask the stench of death and unburied bodies .
people in the fourteenth century did not know what caused the plague and many believed it was a punishment from god. they did realise that coming into contact with those infected increased the risk of contracting the disease yourself. cures and preventative measures were not at all effective .
the plague doctors had a common accessory, a wooden cane which they used to examine patients without having to touch them. some infected thought that the black death was a punishment from god, and asked to doctors to be whipped with the cane to compensate for their sins .
then, as now, it seems a life of public service was occasionally at odds with the ambitions of some medically minded entrepreneurs. whatever their intentions, whatever their failings, plague doctors were thought of as brave and highly valued; some were even kidnapped and held for ransom .
in a lot of the masks you see today, there are black circles around the eyeholes, connected by a curved black line. that’s a representation of the spectacles the actual plague doctors had on their masks, which went a long way to keeping the evil miasma away from the doctors .
by the 17th century, plague doctors developed a special outfit to address this concern. these scary bird masks didn’t spring from the mind of a visionary horror writer; they were a grim reality. while you were holing up in your house hoping your family wouldn’t succumb to the mysterious malady sweeping the earth, you might glance outside and see one or two of the specters walking around your neighborhood for a house call. their spooky appearance served a purpose: it was partly a warning to get out of town, which was one of the only ways to truly avoid the plague .
in the 14th century, doctors would have been easily identifiable by their wide - brimmed black hats worn close to the head. plague doctors and their hats are similar to today' s chefs and soldiers. it' s thought that the wide - brimmed hat was used to partially shield doctors from bacteria .
when did the distinctive look stop being worn. the miasma theory of disease was being phased out in the 1860s, but still debated, and there were outbreaks of bubonic plague in the 1900s, such as in sydney australia. if one is making this kit, to what period can it be considered appropriate ?
the first wave was the worst, killing some 25 million in europe alone. by 1400 — a mere 50 years after the pandemic began — various epidemics and resurgence had reduced the world’s population from about 450 million to between 350 and 300 million, maybe less. roughly 150 million individuals succumbed to the nightmarish symptoms of the black plague .
they did. besides how would you know? there was not much you could do in those days, compared to the medicine and stuff going around these days. some people, according to historians, were saved. what if the plague was going on now and you’re just saying “we shouldn’t honour them” when they tried to save lives? !
plague doctors were sometimes requested to take part in autopsies, and were often called upon to testify and witness wills and other important documents for the dead and dying. not surprisingly, many a dishonest doc took advantage of bereaved families, holding out false hope for cures and charging extra fees (even though they were supposed to be paid by the government and not their patients) .
to say people didn’t know much about the plague was an understatement. from its origins, to its spread, to its cure, the physicians whose sole purpose was to treat this infamous killer knew little more than those whom they were treating. they did, however, understand one thing with perfect clarity: the fact that it spread quickly and easily. desperate times called for desperate measures .
once the plague’s full force was felt, it didn’t take long for most reputable and well - trained doctors to recognize its vicious and virulent nature. moreover, any physician with even a lick of sense soon realized that the
cures
being employed were anything but, and sometimes even accelerated the death spiral. and so, most of them ran away. it was really the only sensible thing to do .
the fourteenth century had devastating moments because of the plague. in sieges infected corpses were thrown into the city with catapults. fishing and commercial boats remained directionless with all the dead crew. entire villages were deserted when all its inhabitants died. the economy practically disappeared and social chaos was present. in the beginning it was thought that the jewish community were the cause of this new disease, so many civilians began jewish pogroms .
despite the fact that de l’orme himself lived to the ripe old age of 96 — an impressive feat for a physician living in the plague years — his famous contribution to medicine probably did very little to quell the actual spread of the disease. the beak doctors, as they came to be know, dropped like flies or pretty much lived under constant quarantine, wandering the countryside and city streets like pariahs... until of course desperate families needed them .
especially with the second mask i could easily picture the elongated mouth piece and filter, slowly becoming a more compact, beak design, as technology gradually allows for the miniaturisation of filters, in a steampunk alternate timeline. it could also be considered a way to pay homage to the plague doctors, who in a way, were inventors as well, at least attempting to create what could be considered an early iteration of a gas mask to protect themselves, to the best of their ability .
when the rats and fleas carrying yersinia pestis surreptitiously hitched a ride down the silk road with merchants and soldiers, no one could have predicted the toll this taste for spices and the latest in luxury goods would have on the population of europe. after decimating tens of millions starting in china, it raced though central asia and northern india. the bubonic plague made official landfall in sicily in 1347. within five years, it had spread to virtually all of europe, russia and the middle east .
the plague (which we now know to be a bacterial infection of yersinia pestis) was horrifying effective. it has a 50% survival rate and successfully knocked out 150 million of the world’s population. and it still exists. in the united states there are a few dozen cases a year (usually in the southern states where is spreads via rodents ,) but the disease is now treatable with antibiotics. when a case arises, there is protocol to track down and destroy the rodents responsible for spreading the illness .
in the 17th and 18th centuries the plague doctors invented masks to protect themselves from “bad air” and prevent contagion. these masks have lenses on the eyes and a long cavity in the nose, which was filled with drugs and aromatic items. this cavity measuring about half foot in length, had 2 small vent holes, and its shape was very similar to beaks of birds. at the beak were used substances such as ambergris, mint leaves, storax, myrrh, laudanum, rose petals, camphor, cloves and straw .
it' s no wonder that we still see plague doctors as a symbol of fear after all this time, the black death had a habit of visiting places again and again. like a fear of spiders or snakes or clowns, the fear of these symbols has become instinctual. so whether you' re dressing up as a doc from the middle ages or a character out of a horror film, when you enter the room in this get - up, you' re sure to see all of your patients run out .
to minimize skin exposure, doctors tucked the neckline of their long overcoat behind the mask. the coat extended down to the feet and was often completely coated with suet (a hard, white fat on the kidneys and loins of cattle and sheep, usually used in puddings and pastries) or wax. doctors thought the suet could draw the plague away from the flesh of the infected or the wax could repel it. it' s also thought that the wax could have just been used to keep bodily fluids from clinging to the coat .
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doktor schnabel von rom, engraving by paul fürst (after j columbina), rome 1656 .
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the plague doctor 's costume was the clothing worn by a plague doctor to protect him or her from airborne diseases . the costume , originating in the 17th century , consisted of an ankle length overcoat and a bird-like beak mask often filled with sweet or strong smelling substances ( commonly lavender ) , along with gloves , boots , a wide-brimmed hat , and an outer over-clothing garment . 
the plague doctor's costume was the clothing worn by a plague doctor to protect him or her from airborne diseases. the costume, originating in the 17th century, consisted of an ankle length overcoat and a bird-like beak mask often filled with sweet or strong smelling substances (commonly lavender), along with gloves, boots, a wide-brimmed hat, and an outer over-clothing garment.
the plague doctor's costume was the clothing worn by a plague doctor to protect him or her from airborne diseases. the costume, originating in the 17th century, consisted of an ankle length overcoat and a bird-like beak mask often filled with sweet or strong smelling substances (commonly lavender), along with gloves, boots, a wide-brimmed hat, and an outer over-clothing garment.