Why Did 17th Century Plague Doctors Wear Those Strange Beaked Masks. Plague doctors were also equipped with a white leather masks that ended in a conical beak a vital component of the miasma theory in short the long-since-disproven notion that held that diseases could spread through their stink. Since PPEs are a modern concept the most common image of the bubonic plague is the costume of the bubonic plague doctor which a basic Google search will tell you looks scary to say the least.
The reason behind the beaked plague masks was a misconception about the very nature of the dangerous disease. They covered themselves head to toe and wore a mask with a long bird-like beak. In the 17th century people believed these outfits could purify poisonous air.
One of the most distinctive masks worn during the Carnival of Venice is Il Medico della Peste or The Plague Doctor But the distinctive bone-white mask and black clothing was actually.
Jan 16 2019 The Black Death was the deadliest epidemic of bubonic plague in history wiping out some 25 million Europeans alone in just a few years. During the 17th-century European plague physicians wore beaked masks leather gloves and long coats in an attempt to fend off the disease. In the 17th century people believed these outfits could purify poisonous air. Since PPEs are a modern concept the most common image of the bubonic plague is the costume of the bubonic plague doctor which a basic Google search will tell you looks scary to say the least.
