The clothing worn by plague doctors was intended to protect them from airborne diseases during outbreaks of

bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...

in Europe. * Pommerville (Body Systems), p. 15 * Bauer, p. 145 * Byfield, p. 26 * Glaser, pp. 33-34 It is often seen as a symbol of death and disease. However, the costume was worn by a comparatively small number of late Renaissance and early modern physicians studying and treating plague patients.

Description

The typical costume consists 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.* Pommerville (Body Systems), p. 15 * Bauer, p. 145 * Byfield, p. 26 * Glaser, pp. 33-34 The typical mask had glass openings for the eyes and a curved beak shaped like a bird's beak with straps that held the beak in front of the doctor's nose.Ellis, p. 202 The mask had two small nose holes and was a type of respirator which contained aromatic items. The beak could hold dried flowers (commonly

roses A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...

and carnations), herbs (commonly lavender and peppermint),

camphor Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel ('' Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the k ...

, or a vinegar sponge, as well as juniper berry, ambergris,

cloves Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring or fragrance in consumer products, s ...

, labdanum,

myrrh Myrrh (; from Semitic, but see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus ''Commiphora''. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. Myrrh mi ...

, and storax. The purpose of the mask was to keep away bad smells such as decaying bodies and the smell taken with the most caution was known as miasma, a noxious form of "bad air". This was thought to be the principal cause of the disease. Doctors believed the herbs would counter the "evil" smells of the plague and prevent them from becoming infected. Irvine Loudon, ''Western Medicine: An Illustrated History'' (Oxford, 2001), p. 189. The wide-brimmed leather hat indicated their profession.* Pommerville (Body Systems), p. 15 * Bauer, p. 145 * Byfield, p. 26 * Glaser, pp. 33-34 Doctors used wooden canes in order to point out areas needing attention and to examine patients without touching them. The canes were also used to keep people away and to remove clothing from plague victims without having to touch them.

History

The exact origins of the costume are unclear, as most depictions come from satirical writings and political cartoons. The beaked plague doctor inspired costumes in Italian theatre as a symbol of general horror and death, though some historians insist that the plague doctor was originally fictional and inspired the real plague doctors later. Depictions of the beaked plague doctor rose in response to superstition and fear about the unknown source of the plague. Often, these plague doctors were the last thing a patient would see before death; therefore, the doctors were seen as a foreboding of death. The garments were first mentioned by a physician to King Louis XIII of France,

Charles de L'Orme Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

, who wrote in a 1619 plague outbreak in Paris that he developed an outfit made of Moroccan goat leather, including boots, breeches, a long coat, hat, and gloves modeled after a soldier's canvas gown which went from the neck to the ankle.Boeckl, p. 15 The garment was impregnated with similar fragrant items as the mask. L'Orme wrote that the mask had a "nose half a foot long, shaped like a beak, filled with perfume with only two holes, one on each side near the nostrils, but that can suffice to breathe and to carry along with the air one breathes the impression of the drugs enclosed further along in the beak." The Genovese physician, Jean-Jacques Manget, in his 1721 work ''Treatise on the Plague'' written just after the

Great Plague of Marseille The Great Plague of Marseille was the last major outbreak of bubonic plague in Western Europe. Arriving in Marseille, France, in 1720, the disease killed a total of 100,000 people: 50,000 in the city during the next two years and another 50,000 t ...

, describes the costume worn by plague doctors at

Nijmegen Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...

in 1636–1637. The costume forms the frontispiece of Manget's 1721 work. Their robes, leggings, hats, and gloves were also made of Morocco leather. This costume was also worn by plague doctors during the Naples Plague of 1656, which killed 145,000 people in Rome and 300,000 in Naples.The Plague Doctor
/ref>

Carnival

The costume is also associated with a ''

commedia dell'arte (; ; ) was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as , , and . Charact ...

'' character called ''Il Medico della Peste'' (lit.: ''The Plague Doctor''), who wears a distinctive

plague doctor's mask The Carnival of Venice ( it, Carnevale di Venezia) is an annual festival held in Venice, Italy. The carnival ends on Shrove Tuesday (''Martedì Grasso'' or Mardi Gras), which is the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The festival is ...

.Killinger, p. 95 The Venetian mask was normally white, consisting of a hollow beak and round eye-holes covered with clear glass, and is one of the distinctive masks worn during the Carnival of Venice.Carnevale
/ref>

References

Footnotes

Works cited

* Bauer, S. Wise, ''The Story of the World Activity Book Two: The Middle Ages : From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance'', Peace Hill Press, 2003, * Boeckl, Christine M., ''Images of plague and pestilence: iconography and iconology'', Truman State Univ Press, 2000, * Byfield, Ted, ''Renaissance: God in Man, A.D. 1300 to 1500: But Amid Its Splendors, Night Falls on Medieval Christianity'', Christian History Project, 2010, * Byrne, Joseph Patrick, ''Encyclopedia of Pestilence, Pandemics, and Plagues'', ABC-CLIO, 2008, * Carmichael, Ann G., "SARS and Plagues Past", in ''SARS in Context: Memory, history, policy'', ed. by Jacalyn Duffin and Arthur Sweetman McGill-Queen's University Press, 2006, * Center for Advanced Study in Theatre Arts, ''Western European stages'', Volume 14, CASTA, 2002, * Dolan, Josephine, ''Goodnow's History of Nursing'', W. B. Saunders 1963 (Philadelphia and London), , * Ellis, Oliver Coligny de Champfleur
''A History of Fire and Flame''
London: Simkin, Marshall, 1932; repr. Kessinger, 2004, * Goodnow, Minnie, ''Goodnow's history of nursing'', W.B. Saunders Co., 1968, OCLC Number: 7085173 * Glaser, Gabrielle, ''The Nose: A Profile of Sex, Beauty, and Survival'', Simon & Schuster, 2003, * Grolier Incorporated, ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', Volume 8; Volume 24, Grolier Incorporated, 1998, * Hall, Manly Palmer, ''Horizon'', Philosophical Research Society, Inc., 1949 * Hirst, Leonard Fabian, ''The conquest of plague: a study of the evolution of epidemiology'', Clarendon Press, 1953, * Infectious Diseases Society of America, ''Reviews of Infectious Diseases'', Volume 11, University of Chicago Press, 1989 * Kenda, Barbara, ''Aeolian winds and the spirit in Renaissance architecture: Academia Eolia revisited'', Taylor & Francis, 2006, * Killinger, Charles L., ''Culture and customs of Italy'', Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005, * Nohl, Johannes, ''The Black Death: A Chronicle of the Plague'', J. & J. Harper Edition 1969, , * Manget, Jean-Jacques, ''Traité de la peste recueilli des meilleurs auteurs anciens et modernes'', Geneva, 1721
online as PDF, 28Mb download
* Martin, Sean, ''The Black Death'', Book Sales, 2009, * Mentzel, Peter, ''A traveller's history of Venice'', Interlink Books, 2006, * O'Donnell, Terence, ''History of life insurance in its formative years'', American Conservation Company, 1936 * Paton, Alex, "Cover image"
''QJM: An International Journal of Medicine''
100.4, 4 April 2007. (A commentary on the issue's cover photograph of The Posy Tree, Mapperton, Dorset.) * Pommerville, Jeffrey, ''Alcamo's Fundamentals of Microbiology: Body Systems'', Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2009, * Pommerville, Jeffrey, ''Alcamo's Fundamentals of Microbiology'', Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2010, * Reynolds, Richard C., ''On doctor g: stories, poems, essays'', Simon & Schuster, 2001, * Sandler, Merton, ''Wine: a scientific exploration'', CRC Press, 2003, * Sherman, Irwin W., ''The power of plagues'', Wiley-Blackwell, 2006, * Stuart, David C., ''Dangerous garden: the quest for plants to change our lives'', frances lincoln ltd, 2004, * Timbs, John
''The Mirror of literature, amusement, and instruction''
Volume 37, J. Limbird, 1841 * Time-Life Books, ''What life was like in the age of chivalry: medieval Europe, AD 800-1500'', 1997 * Turner, Jack, ''Spice: The History of a Temptation'', Random House, 2005, * Walker, Kenneth, ''The story of medicine'', Oxford University Press, 1955