Plague doctor
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The character depicted here is known as Doctor Beak of Rome, and is an engraving by Paul Furst from 1656. Plague Doctors sometimes wore beak like masks which were filled with aromatic material such as camphor, garlic, mint, or a sponge of vinegar. The belief was that these would protect the wearer from infectious elements in the air. The Black Death decimated the population of Europe in the seventeenth century, and in Britain may have killed an estimated one third of the population.
It is difficult to believe that such costumes provided much reassurance to the patients. It would be nice to think that times have changed, but take a look at the biological warfare suits that medical staff wear when treating patients with the Ebola virus and it would seem not.
The threat from modern viruses may equal that of the plague as they mutate and leap species. Increased air travel and a population increasingly concentrated in densely populated cities mean that a single disease outbreak could become a pandemic in a short space of time. If you really want to frighten yourself read The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance by Laurie Garrett.
It is difficult to believe that such costumes provided much reassurance to the patients. It would be nice to think that times have changed, but take a look at the biological warfare suits that medical staff wear when treating patients with the Ebola virus and it would seem not.
The threat from modern viruses may equal that of the plague as they mutate and leap species. Increased air travel and a population increasingly concentrated in densely populated cities mean that a single disease outbreak could become a pandemic in a short space of time. If you really want to frighten yourself read The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance by Laurie Garrett.