The Black Plague caused many deaths in Europe in the 1300’s. The outlook was bleak. The art of the times reflected this totally pessimistic outlook, since no one could contain the Black Death’s onslaught. Some of the cures and preventatives caused problems, rather than helping.
People at one point in this time thought that cats were working with the devil to kill people, and many cats were killed. Ironically, this hurt the people more, since the rodents that actually carried the plague were now less hunted.
During this time the Plague Doctor, Medico Della Peste, wore a costume while he treated victims of the plague. This costume had a hat that people recognized as that of a doctor. Actual doctors were few, since many had fled due to the outbreak, leaving the care of the people mostly to volunteers.
The plague doctor mask was a gas mask before its time, shaped like the beak of a bird. People thought that “bad air” spread the plague, and they thought the mask would draw the plague out of the victims, and then onto the plague doctor’s garment. The plague mask also had eyepieces made from red glass, to protect the one who wore it from the plague’s evil.
Sometimes the beak of the plague doctor mask was filled with herbs, to help disguise the smell of the ruptured bouboules (fatty-looking pustules) and sputum of the victims, and the stench of corpses left unburied. The herbs also supposedly overpowered the bad air that was thought to carry the plague.
The doctors or volunteers also often carried a wooden cane, which they used to examine bodies without touching them, and also to direct family members if they wanted the patient moved.
The overcoat worn by the doctors of the time was long and black, and it was tucked into the plague doctor mask at the neck, to lower the exposure of skin. This coat went all the way to the ground. The coat was covered with wax or suet, to draw the plague away and trap it in the suet, or repel it with the wax.
Even though people didn’t know the exact cause of the plague, they did know that if they came into contact with victims, they were at high risk to be contaminated.
No one knows about whether the plague doctors were widespread or not, nor do we know if any of their efforts were effective in treating people. Actually, they may have spread the disease themselves, since the suet attracted fleas, which also carried the disease.
The plague doctor mask seen today is still a morbid memory, but they are more decorated and are still recognizable as coming from the Venetian mask type.
Clarabo is a foodie and writes for a lot of meat related blogs, typically on the subject of preparing meat roast pork recipes, chicken, beef. Also recipe idea for meat cuts such as cow rump and pork belly recipe.