![]() "In the 18th century there were cloaks that were called dominoes that would often be worn with the mask," Dr Edwards says. The word domino comes from the Latin word 'dominus', meaning lord or master, and was also used to refer to a short veil that stopped at the nose. "But it also played into that idea of disguise in society and of keeping yourself modest and away from prying eyes," Dr Edwards says. It was worn by the elite to protect their skin against the elements, much like the vizard, and was often worn with a hood. ![]() And here's the thing: While it's unclear just how useful the getup was, The Public Domain Review says that it's entirely possible that the heavy leather, ankle-length robe might have provided some very real protection against plague-causing factors, like sneezes.The Dread Pirate Roberts was an advocate of masks in The Princess Bride. The stronger the smell, the better it was thought to work, and sometimes, those herbs and flowers were set on fire and allowed to smolder away. The beak was filled with all kinds of herbs and flowers, including mint, cloves, camphor, dried roses or carnations, myrrh, and other pungent herbs. That's where the masks came in: That long beak was filled with herbs thought to help purify the air and keep the doctor healthy. National Geographic says that he - and his contemporaries - believed in something called the miasma theory, which stated that the plague spread through poisoned air. In the 17th century, plague doctors got an upgrade to their wardrobe that came thanks to a physician named Charles de Lorme, who was the doctor of a handful of royals, including King Louis XIII. There were various recipes, but basically it was a tonic of herbs - variously including things like wormwood, sage, rosemary, camphor, and clove - left to steep in white wine vinegar. And it may have worked: Some of the components weren't just antibacterial but repelled the insects that were causing the plague. The Farmers' Almanac says lore suggests the name - and the drink - came from a group of 18th-century thieves who robbed the homes of plague victims and drank their tonic to protect themselves from the plague. Later plague doctors would have also been very familiar with mixing up a common treatment called Four Thieves Vinegar. Plague doctors also had something called theriac in their arsenal, which was a complicated syrup made from up to 80 different ingredients. (It wasn't really, but that's never stopped anyone before.) Other options for the very wealthy or the merchant class might involve grinding emeralds into a powder, mixing them with food or a drink, and serving that up along with a dose of mercury and/or arsenic, which, yes, was deadly. ![]() If you were a plague doctor, chances were good that you were doing it because no one else wanted to or because you weren't quite good enough to have other career options.Īccording to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, plague doctors might offer their wealthiest customers a powder made from ground unicorn horn. So, what was going on with those people who did step up and apply to become community plague doctors? (Yes, those who were interested tended to apply for the job.) Generally, there were a few types of people who went this grisly route: There were medical professionals who weren't quite good enough to get a job elsewhere, or there were doctors just starting out, who wanted to get experience and to build a name for themselves. That quarantine lasted not just during the plague but afterward, too: Plague doctors would remain on the fringes of society even after the danger had passed. ![]() While they were carrying out their duties, they were forbidden from interacting with healthy members of the community and could only associate with the sick. Who were these people? Most plague doctors were hired by a town or village to care only for the people in that town. The solution was to hire a plague doctor. ![]()
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