#The plague doctor how to

Today, you’re much more likely to see the plague doctor uniform as a Halloween costume. What would you think if your doctor dressed like a bird? The plague doctor’s uniform was pretty scary for people who saw it in person. And of course, cooking and storing food correctly goes a long way toward preventing illness. It also helps to wash your hands often and avoid eating or drinking after others. To avoid spreading illnesses, people can cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing.

#The plague doctor how to

Today, scientists and doctors know a lot more about how to stop germs from spreading. However, it was largely the coat, gloves, boots, and hat that did so-not the bird mask. The Plague Doctor show piloted at the Herbert Lates in the Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry and was performed in the crypt below the gallery. The doctor’s uniform did help protect them from this hazard. However, some forms of plague only spread through bites from fleas and rodents. Many doctors still got sick by breathing through the nostril holes in their masks. The germs that cause plague actually do sometimes travel through the air, but good-smelling herbs don’t stop them. They believed this would remove the bad smells from the air before the doctor breathed it, preventing the doctors from catching the plague.ĭid it work? Well, not exactly. This made smoke that filled the mask for a short time. Sometimes, doctors even burned the flowers and herbs before putting them in the beak. They often used mint, roses, or carnations. For that reason, the doctors put herbs and flowers in the beak of their masks. Any air that had an unpleasant odor was suspect. They believed the plague was spread by bad air. There were also two eyeholes covered in glass and two nostril holes.Īre you WONDERing what purpose this mask served? At the time, doctors didn’t know about germs. It had a long beak that extended about six inches from the face. The mask made the plague doctors look like birds. The most recognizable feature of the uniform, though, was the mask. The doctors also carried long, wooden canes so they wouldn’t have to touch patients. The uniform designed by de Lorme was a long coat, gloves, boots, and a wide-brimmed hat. However, the plague outbreaks of the 17th Century were still very serious for the European continent. This was long after the Black Death that killed millions of people in the 14th Century. In 1619, Charles de Lorme designed a special uniform for doctors treating plague patients. Some doctors even tried dressing like birds.īirds? That’s right. They did many things to avoid getting sick that wouldn’t make any sense today.

For many years, even doctors didn’t really understand how illnesses spread. They can help keep you from getting sick!īelieve it or not, people haven’t always known about germs.

How do you avoid spreading germs? Do you cover your mouth when you cough? Wash your hands often? You probably already know these are important practices.