Detoxifying the Middle Ages: The Creepy Bird Beak Doctor
By Candy
March 25th, 2020
Such a creepy scene appeared in the movie "Beauty and the Beast". Belle and the beast, with the witch's magic book, came to Bell's coveted Paris and her childhood home. Bell's father has always been reluctant to mention how his mother died. In that cabin in Paris, Bell found a very strange, long-beaked beak mask on the table, through which Bell learned the mother's secret. There was a major plague in Paris at the time, and her mother should have died of the Black Death. This weird mask is not the god of death that brought the plague, but the special equipment of the medieval European plague doctor.
Beasts take Bell back to Paris where the Black Death rages Through magic book
Black terror raging in Europe
The Black Death is one of the worst disasters in human history. This infectious disease, which originated in the Himalayas, has brought great disaster to Europeans. The Black Death is also called plague. Its first large-scale outbreak was in the Byzantine Empire in the middle of the 6th period, and the history was called the Justinian Plague. It is estimated that the Justinian plague claimed at least 25 million lives, equivalent to 13% of the world's population at that time, reducing Europe's population by 50%, and it took more than two centuries to gradually recover. The decline in Europe's population is one of the reasons why the Arabs successfully conquered Europe.
The Justinian plague is not the worst, and the disaster caused by the Black Death is still behind. In the 1440s, the Black Death raged in Europe. The plague caused about 75 million deaths worldwide. It is estimated that about 30% to 60% of people in Europe in the Middle Ages died of the Black Death. The name "Black Death" was what Europeans called it at the time, because the patient's skin would turn black due to subcutaneous bleeding, and black also symbolized depression, sadness, and fear. After the Black Death, it repeatedly attacked Europe. The Italian plague in 1629-1633, the Great Plague of London in 1665-1666, the Great Plague of Vienna in 1679, and the Great Plague of Marseille in 1720-1722. It was gradually removed from Europe until the 18th century. disappear.
Route of black death transmission in the 1440s
Respectful and fearful plague doctor
The Black Death caused a massive loss of urban population, and the economy also caused a devastating blow. Plague plagues have given plague doctors in the community a high level of status and many privileges. In order to combat disease, plague doctors can freely and unrestricted autopsy. In medieval Europe, only plague doctors had this right. Cities with severe Black Death at the time often hired these doctors themselves to slow the spread of the plague. Their salaries are paid by the city government, so whether they are rich or poor, they can be treated by the plague doctor. However, some doctors may ask patients and family members for extra fees to provide special treatment.
1656 Plague Doctor Comic from Rome
Plague doctors are mostly of a limited level. They are usually surgeons who have no professional training or insufficient clinical experience, but experienced doctors have become plague doctors because of their unsustainable career. Some young doctors also see the short cut to fame as a plague doctor. According to their contract with the hired person, the plague doctor is responsible for treating the Black Death patients, and will be awarded the title of "Municipal Plague Doctor" or "District Plague Doctor".
In addition to treating patients, plague doctors also perform public services, mainly recording the number of patients killed by the plague for the government or regulatory authorities. Some cities, such as Florence and Perugia, will also require plague doctors to examine the remains of patients to clarify the cause of death and the lethality of the plague. The Plague Doctor has also become a witness to countless wills during the Black Death. In some cases, plague doctors even give advice to patients and instruct them on how to deal with death.
The way the plague doctor treats us looks a little scary today. They will "bleed the patient's body fluids" by bleeding the patient, or by placing animals such as locusts, frogs, and other lymphomas on the patient. Due to the nature of their profession, Plague Doctors are usually not accessible to the general public; in some cases they are even quarantined.
Plague Doctor's costume
Scary beak mask
Plague doctors are a dangerous profession and have to come in contact with death every day, so they have to take some isolation measures to prevent doctors from getting sick themselves. The beak mask is a must-have for plague doctors. This mask was invented by the French doctor Charles Delomme in 1619. The doctor wore a coat made of tarpaulin from head to toe, covered his hands with huge gloves, and a hat. The face is hidden in a bird's beak mask, which is filled with cotton and other fillers to filter air. The filling also includes some aromatic substances, including ambergris, melissa, spearmint leaves, camphor, clove, opium tincture, myrrh, rose petals, and savory. These substances are believed to protect physicians from radon. Eyes are protected by clear glass.
Holding a long stick in his hand, he instructs the patient on how to treat when necessary, without having to touch the source of infection. This indicator rod was also used to whipped the patients to forgive their sins, because people believed that the plague was a punishment from heaven, and only by whipping could the patients be redeemed from the original sin. Because the medical conditions at that time did not know the cause of the Black Death at all, this set of equipment was intended to scare away the disease. People then called the Plague Doctor a "doctor of the beak".
The beak mask was later introduced to Venice. The biggest feature of the Venice Carnival is its mask and gorgeous costumes. The social differences behind the masks of men, women, and children seem to disappear suddenly. The beak mask has gradually become one of the protagonists of many masks at the Venice Carnival.
Beak mask at the Venice Carnival
The beak mask was originally just a set of protective articles for hygiene considerations, but the dress after wearing it was like a crow and a god of death, which made people have to think of the black death in the 14th century. In fact, its appearance is larger than the black death. Scale ravaged Europe much later.
Do you love such plague doctors? Do you want to be as brave as they are? Do you want to cosplay them? If your answer is yes, then you would be interested in Takerlama's deluxe handmade plague doctor masks. Our Medieval Steampunk Black Death Plague Doctor Bird Beak Masks are Made of high quality PU leather and metal accessories in steampunk style. It fits mostly on all adults and teens. It has a headband on the back that can be adjustable for perfect fit. Just click the photo of the mask and view more details.
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