Heidi Norton
Plague doctors were physicians who treated victims of the bubonic plague during the 17th-century European plague. They wore beaked masks, leather gloves, and long coats in an attempt to protect themselves from the disease. The masks were filled with herbs and other components to counter the evil smells of the plague and prevent infection. Interestingly, the smoke from incense was also used during this time to fumigate plague-stricken areas. Today, plague doctor incense burners are available as decorative ornaments, with smoke billowing out of the eyes, reminiscent of the masks worn by plague doctors.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Plague Doctor Incense Burner |
| Type of incense used | Cone incense |
| Material | Resin |
| Purpose | Home decoration, stress and anxiety relief |
| Size | 7 x 5 x 3.5 inches |
| Colour | Black |
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What You'll Learn
- Plague doctors wore beaked masks to protect themselves from miasma, or 'poisoned air'
- The masks were filled with herbs, flowers, and perfumes to counter the smell of the plague
- Doctors believed the plague was caused by poisoned air, not bacteria from animals or fleas
- The masks had glass eye openings and a curved leather beak with straps
- The plague doctor's costume included a wide-brimmed hat, leather gloves, and a long coat
Plague doctors wore beaked masks to protect themselves from miasma, or 'poisoned air'
Plague doctors wore beaked masks in the 17th century to protect themselves from miasma, or poisoned air. The belief at the time was that the plague spread through miasma, a noxious form of "bad air", which could create an imbalance in a person's humors or bodily fluids. The masks were filled with herbs, dried flowers, and other sweet-smelling substances to counter the "evil" smells of the plague and purify the air.
The practice of wearing beaked masks can be traced back to the recommendations of Johannes Jacobi in 1373, although he did not provide a physical description of the masks. The first mention of the iconic plague doctor with a beaked mask is found during the 1619 plague outbreak in Paris, in a biography of royal physician Charles de Lorme. De Lorme is often credited with designing the costume, which included a coat covered in scented wax, leather gloves and boots, a shirt, and a wide-brimmed hat.
The masks had glass openings for the eyes and a curved leather beak shaped like a bird's beak. The beak was stuffed with herbs and other aromatic items, which were believed to protect the wearer from the plague. The wide-brimmed hat indicated their profession, and they often carried wooden canes to point out areas needing attention and to examine patients without touching them.
While the costume of the plague doctor has become iconic, it is important to note that their therapeutic strategies and methods did little to prolong life or relieve suffering during the plague outbreaks. The belief in the protective properties of the costume was based on a misconception about the nature of the disease, which is now known to be caused by bacteria transmitted through animal-to-human contact, flea bites, contact with contaminated fluids or tissues, and inhalation of infectious droplets.
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The masks were filled with herbs, flowers, and perfumes to counter the smell of the plague
Plague doctors were physicians who treated victims of the bubonic plague during epidemics in 17th-century Europe. These doctors were often volunteers, second-rate doctors, or young doctors just starting their careers. They were usually hired by cities to treat infected patients, regardless of income, and rarely cured patients. Their principal tasks were to record death tolls and the number of infected people for demographic purposes.
The iconic plague doctor costume is believed to have originated with Charles de Lorme, a physician who treated European royals in the 17th century. The costume included a coat covered in scented wax, breeches connected to boots, a tucked-in shirt, gloves made of goat leather, and a hat. The hat was wide-brimmed and made of leather, indicating their profession. The masks were filled with herbs, flowers, and perfumes to counter the smell of the plague. The masks had glass openings for the eyes and a curved leather beak, shaped like a bird's beak, with straps that held the beak in front of the doctor's nose. The beak could hold dried flowers (like roses and carnations), herbs (like lavender and peppermint), camphor, or a vinegar sponge, as well as juniper berry, ambergris, cloves, labdanum, myrrh, and storax. The purpose of the mask was to keep away bad smells, such as decaying bodies, and to protect the doctor from "miasma", or poisoned air, which was thought to be the principal cause of the disease. The herbs placed right up against the nose inside the beak allowed the doctor to have both hands free to examine the patient or corpse.
The concept of filling masks with herbs, flowers, and perfumes was based on the misconception that the plague spread through poisoned air that could create an imbalance in a person's humors or bodily fluids. Sweet and pungent perfumes were thought to fumigate plague-stricken areas and protect the wearer. In reality, the plague is caused by Yersinia pestis, bacteria that can be transmitted from animals to humans through flea bites, contact with contaminated fluid or tissue, and inhalation of infectious droplets.
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Doctors believed the plague was caused by poisoned air, not bacteria from animals or fleas
Plague doctors were physicians who treated victims of the bubonic plague during epidemics in 17th-century Europe. They were often the last thing a patient would see before death, and their presence was sometimes seen as a warning to leave the area or that death was near. The first mention of the iconic plague doctor is found during the 1619 plague outbreak in Paris, in a biography of the royal physician Charles de Lorme, who served King Louis XIII of France.
Plague doctors believed that the principal cause of the disease was "miasma", a noxious form of "bad air". They thought that the plague was caused by poisoned air, not bacteria from animals or fleas. The mask, with its glass openings for the eyes and a curved leather beak, was designed to keep away the bad smells associated with decaying bodies. The beak could hold dried flowers (like roses and carnations), herbs (like lavender and peppermint), camphor, or a vinegar sponge, as well as juniper berry, ambergris, cloves, labdanum, myrrh, and storax. The purpose of the mask was to counter the "evil" smells of the plague and prevent doctors from becoming infected.
The wide-brimmed leather hat indicated their profession, and they used wooden canes 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 make physical contact. In addition to treating people with the plague, plague doctors' tasks included compiling public records of plague deaths and, in certain European cities, performing autopsies to help determine the cause of death and how the plague affected people.
Today, we know that the plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis), which is usually found in small mammals and their fleas. The plague is spread mostly by fleas on rodents and other animals, and humans who are bitten by these fleas can become infected. The plague can also be spread through direct contact with infected tissues and the inhalation of infected respiratory droplets.
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The masks had glass eye openings and a curved leather beak with straps
Plague doctors were physicians who treated victims of the bubonic plague during epidemics in 17th-century Europe. These doctors were often volunteers, second-rate doctors, or young doctors just starting their careers. They were hired by cities to treat infected patients, regardless of income, and their presence was often seen as a foreboding of death.
The masks these doctors wore had glass openings for the eyes and a curved leather beak, shaped like a bird's beak, with straps that held the beak in front of the doctor's nose. The mask had two small nose holes and was a type of respirator which contained aromatic items. The first known observation of the herbal-stuffed beak was during the 1656–1658 epidemic in Rome. The beak could hold dried flowers (like roses and carnations), herbs (like lavender and peppermint), camphor, or a vinegar sponge, as well as juniper berry, ambergris, cloves, labdanum, myrrh, and storax. The purpose of the mask was to keep away bad smells, such as decaying bodies, and the curved beak allowed the doctors to have both hands free to examine patients or corpses.
The costume is usually credited to Charles de Lorme, a physician who treated European royals during the 17th century, including King Louis XIII and Gaston d'Orléans. De Lorme thought the beak shape of the mask would give the air sufficient time to be suffused by the protective herbs before it hit the plague doctors’ nostrils and lungs. Ultimately, the plague doctors’ outfits and methods didn't make much difference in treating the disease.
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The plague doctor's costume included a wide-brimmed hat, leather gloves, and a long coat
Plague doctors were physicians who treated victims of the bubonic plague during epidemics in 17th-century Europe. These doctors were often volunteers, second-rate doctors, or young doctors just starting their careers. They were hired by cities to treat infected patients, especially the poor, who could not afford to pay.
The plague doctor costume included a wide-brimmed hat, leather gloves, and a long coat. The wide-brimmed hat, made of leather, indicated their profession. The hat was often accompanied by a mask with a long, curved beak, shaped like a bird's beak, with straps that held it in front of the doctor's nose. The beak could hold dried flowers, herbs, camphor, or a vinegar sponge, as well as juniper berry, ambergris, cloves, labdanum, myrrh, and storax. The purpose of the mask was to protect the doctor from the "evil" smells of the plague and prevent them from becoming infected. The herbs placed right under the nose allowed the doctors to have their hands free to examine the patient.
The costume also included a long coat, which was covered in scented wax. The coat was worn with breeches connected to boots and a tucked-in shirt. The leather gloves were made from goat leather. The physicians also carried wooden canes, which they used to point out areas needing attention, to examine patients without touching them, and to keep people away.
The costume was intended to protect the doctor from miasma, or poisoned air, which was believed to cause the disease by creating an imbalance in a person's humors or bodily fluids. However, this belief was a misconception, and the costume did little to protect the doctors or prolong the lives of their patients.
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Frequently asked questions
Plague doctors used incense burners filled with aromatic items such as dried flowers, herbs, and perfumes. The purpose of the incense burner was to keep away bad smells, such as decaying bodies, and to purify the air, which was believed to be the principal cause of the disease.
The plague doctor's incense burner was shaped like a bird's beak with glass openings for the eyes and a curved leather design. The smoke from the burner would flow out of the eye holes.
Plague doctors believed that the plague was caused by poisoned air, or "miasma", which could create an imbalance in a person's bodily fluids or "humors". They thought that the herbs and perfumes in their incense burners would counter the "evil" smells of the plague and protect them from infection.
