Why Did 17th Century Plague Doctors Wear Those Strange Beaked Masks. According to one source people once believed that the plague was spread by birdsTherefore 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. Also known as the Black Death the plague caused by the bacterium called Yersinia pestis was carried by fleas most often found on ratsIt had arrived in Europe by 1348 and thousands died in places ranging from Italy France.
With their long cloaks and grotesque bird-like masks these medical professionals made for a disconcerting sight in 17th-century Europe. 16th17th century plague doctor mask x-post from rartefactporn. Why did plague doctors wear strange masks.
Jul 15 2020 Why Did Plague Masks Have Beaks.
Jul 10 2020 The plague was one of the biggest killers of the Middle Ages it had a devastating effect on the population of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries. Since PPEs are a modern concept the most common image of the bubonic plague is the costume of the bubonic plague doctor which a basic Google search will tell you looks scary to say the least. In the 17th century people believed these outfits could purify poisonous air. The reason behind the beaked plague masks was a misconception about the very nature of the dangerous disease.
