Plague doctor drawing3/21/2024 Still, rather than speaking highly of the outfit and the doctor, the engraving insinuated that the doctor 'does nothing but terrify people and take money from the dead and dying,' according to LiveScience. In this version, the doctor was called 'Doctor Schnabel von Rom.' When translated, this means 'Doctor Beaky from Rome.' This engraving was a near duplicate of Altzenbach's. During the same year that the plague doctor's outfit was first illustrated with a detailed description, another engraver named Paulus Fürst created a satirical version. There was some speculation from those who believed that the outfit was far more of a show than a result of medical science. Before modern medicine, it was believed that these aromatics in the front of the mask would prevent the wearer from breathing in what was referred to as 'pestilential miasma,' otherwise known as disease-laden air. While quite startling upon the first appearance, this extra room in the front of the mask served as a chamber for aromatics. The mask was tight-fitting, and the 'beak' measured roughly six inches long. Why a bird-like beak? What was the purpose of covering the doctor's entire face? According to literary accounts, the beak did actually serve a purpose. While most of the outfit makes sense with its full coverings and thick material, it's the mask that many have questioned. Along with the illustration, it was detailed how each part was intended to protect the wearer from illness. Gerhart Altzenbach, a German engraver during the mid-1600s, created the first illustration of the plague doctor's uniform. Women helped, too: Female plague doctors would wear the often intimidating outfits that their male counterparts did while treating patients.Ten women in total learned how to treat plague patients at the Arte dei Medici e degli Speziali in Florence. Monna Neccia and Monica Lacopa were two highly influential female plague doctors at that time who saved countless lives. That has made historians scratch their heads as to who truly did what during this awful period. One reason we don't often hear about this is the distinction between female doctors and healers during the Middle Ages is very blurred. Moreover, the scary-looking Plague Doctor ensembles were also worn by women, mostly Italian and Jewish-origin health professionals. Although they weren't as heavily politicized and talked about in history books, women doctors were an integral part of stopping the Black Plague from killing off a whole continent. Something that might surprise people is that during the Middle Ages, many female plague doctors worked to save patients. In reality, the figure was not believed to be associated with the Black Death at all but rather came into play centuries later for a different cause.Ī painting of the Black Death and its affects on Middle Age Europe In film and literature, the placement and history of the plague doctor have been somewhat misinformed, with many thinking it was a medieval figure serving some type of gothic purpose. With plenty of current European towns that take us back to Medieval times, there are many remnants of the Black Death. In fact, it wasn't a costume - its design had distinct medical reasoning and was believed to protect the wearer in more ways than one. While the allusion conjures that of a raven or predatory bird, the outfit itself serves a far different purpose than just a strange costume. The iconic plague doctor outfit originated around 1619, and the bird-like beak mask served as a chamber for aromatics to protect against disease-laden air.Įveryone seems to have seen some version of the plague doctor: A person dressed in a black cloak with gloves and a long, beak-like mask. Many women also wore scary plague doctor outfits in the Middle Ages and played an important role in saving lives. Plague doctors were not associated with the Black Death and only came into play centuries later for a different cause.
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