Jan van Grevenbroeck (1731-1807), Venetian doctor during the time of the plague. Study of Black Death skeletons reveals plague may have been airborne.Scientists Revive Ancient Plague to Learn Clues About Epidemic that Wiped Out Half of Europe.In addition, the cane could be used in defense against the assault of desperate patients. This tool could also be used to indicate to his helpers or the family members of a victim how and where to move the patient or the deceased. For example, a plague doctor could use the cane to examine his patient without touching him or her. In order to protect the lower body from infection, l’Orme designed his suit with a pair of leather breeches beneath the overcoat.įinally, a wooden cane was carried by the plague doctor. An alternative hypothesis is that the suet served to keep bodily fluids from sticking to the coat. The entire piece of clothing was coated with suet, which, according to one hypothesis, was based on the belief that it would either repel the plague from the doctor, or draw it away from the victim. The neckline of this overcoat was tucked behind the plague doctor’s mask and extended all the way down to the feet. L’Orme’s suit minimized exposure of the skin with a long overcoat. Other Elements of the Plague Doctor’s Costume The mystery behind the plagues that have killed millions.The Black Death: the Plague that Sowed Terror and Death in Medieval Europe - Part 2.Obviously, we know more about germs today and that this effort would not have been effective. These were meant to ward the disease away because people believed miasma (“bad air”) spread the disease. The mask also had a utilitarian function, as the beak was packed with strong, pleasant smelling substances, such as ambergris, mint, or rose petals. Therefore, the use of such a mask may have stemmed from the belief that the disease could be removed from a patient by transferring it to the garment. According to one source, people once believed that the plague was spread by birds. The next item is the well-known plague doctor mask, which was bird-like in shape, and had a long beak. Although the hat served a symbolic function, it has been speculated that it may have provided some protection by keeping some bacteria away. This was made of leather and was meant to indicate that its wearer was a doctor. To start, a hat was worn on the plague doctor’s head. L’Orme’s protective suit consists of several elements that are easily recognizable. Special physician clothes for preventing pestilence (Germany, XVII century) at Jena ( CC BY-SA 3.0 ) The man attributed with the invention of this ‘plague suit’ is Charles de l’Orme, the chief physician of three French kings (Henri IV, Louis XIII and Louis XIV), and was also in the service of the Medici family of Italy. It was only in 1619 that a ‘uniform’ was invented, which became popular amongst plague doctors. Prior to the 17th century, plague doctors wore a variety of protective suits. ( CC BY 4.0 ) Who Invented the Plague Doctor Suit?Īs plague doctors were in contact with victims of such a deadly disease, they were at risk of falling ill themselves, and therefore had to take precautions that would minimize this risk.
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