He developed a suit that would protect the doctor in the same way, from the head to the feet, against the miasmatic Bad Air. The idea of plague doctor costumes is attributed to Charles de L’Orme, inspired by the armor of the soldiers, which protected the entire body, from the head to the feet. How useful were the plague doctor’s costumes? The canes were adorned at one end with a winged hourglass, which refers to the swift passage of time: Tempus Fugit. It is known that, unfortunately, in some more religious regions doctors used the cane also to beat patients and that they repented of their sins Many people of this century believed that the Black Death was a punishment from God and the sick themselves asked to be beaten as part of their repentance. Depending on the country, doctors used smaller or longer canes, but usually always made of wood.

Sometimes the sick people rushed to the Plague Doctor to ask for help, so it was necessary to have a good wooden cane to prevent them from touching the doctor. The canes were also used to keep people away or prevent closeness to the doctor. Thanks to the cane they could examine the patients without touching them, turning them over, pointing out the affected areas, helping them to undress if necessary, or even using them to check their pulse. The wooden canes were used to prevent physical contact with patients of the Black Death.

Although the plague doctor’s costume was designed to prevent Bad Air, they actually also managed to avoid flea bites, so this worked well. It was many years later when it was discovered that the Black Death was not transmitted by air or physical contact, but through the bites of fleas and rats (Germ theory of disease). This hermetic suit prevented the physical contact thanks to gloves and a cane and filtered the Bad Air thanks to air purifying herbs located near the nose and the mouth. The invention of this costume is attributed to Charles de L’Orme, who, allegedly, was the first to wear this custome in 1619 in Paris, and later his idea spread throughout the rest of Europe. It was then that the doctors decided to take action, developing a totally hermetic costume to avoid the contagion and be able to help the sick people. The sick people fell in the streets, and no one helped them because of the fear of being infected. One of the most popular theories at the time was the miasma theory, based on the idea that the Black Death was transmitted by air, known as “Bad Air” or “Night Air”, and through physical contact. Nothing and no one could stop the Yersinia pestis, and they did not know how it could expand so quickly. The Black Death pandemic was spreading rapidly in all corners of all European countries. There has been much talk about these costumes on the internet and we want to clarify some points: Why a plague doctor’s costume?

If you have already read the Black Death story, you will know that the doctors responsible for treating the plague patients wore specially designed suits. Plague Doctor Costume – Clothing Worn by Plague Doctors Plague Doctor Costume

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