The plague doctor (Italian Physici Epidemie ) was a physician of the bubonic plague(black death) during the 14th 15th and 16th century .originating in china , the plague made its way to Europe via the fleas on the ship rats along the trade routes , and soon ravaged across France, Germany, Italy, Spain and England .
The role played by the plague doctor was completely different to that of a general practitioner in that a plague doctor only dealt with plague victims and was hired by towns and cities instead of a specific person, and treated all social classes. Most of them were neither trained or experienced but second rate doctors and just out of school physicians ...one man was a fruit seller beforehand .the role didn’t just end with treating victims but also in recording the deaths due to plague for the public records , and also as witness to the many wills made during this time .
Because of the dangers involved for plague doctors, it made them very hard to find but also very valuable and so many were given special privileges and pay. One such doctor was Matteo fu Angelo in 1348 who received four times the normal rate of a general doctor. They were also freely allowed to perform autopsies, which were usually a well guarded procedure in the hope of finding a cure.
There was not just the risk of infection to contend with, so valuable were they that two were captured and ransomed in 1650 to the city of Barcelona.
Several plague doctors came to prominence during this time including Nostradamus, himself having lost his first wife and children to the plague. Who advised drinking only boiled water and using clean linen. Another was Charles de Lorme who was physician to the royal house of Medici and spent time trying to understand the plague.
The outfit of the plague doctor consisted of a an ankle length overcoat, leggings, gloves, boots and hat all made of morocco leather and covered in scented fragrances to prevent evil smells . The wooden cane used was to remove clothes of victims and point out areas that needed attention on the body. To check a victims pulse and even to keep people away from touching them, all this was done to keep minimal contact. The beaked mask was used as a type of gas mask with two small nose holes to breath but stuffed with herbs to keep airborne disease out, and the eye openings contained glass, the beaked part of the mask was used so it distorted the physicians voice and allowed him to remain in polite society without being recognised and thus ostracised. The overall use of the plague doctor mask was due to the theory of miasma disease i.e. poisonous vapours or mist filled with particles from decomposed matter that caused illness.
The symptoms of the plague were the painful swollen lymph glands called buboes which were commonly found in the neck, groin and arm pit. other symptoms included high fever , blood vomiting , skin colour change , urination of blood and extreme fatigue and delirium .their methods for treating this was bloodletting ,lancing the boils, quarantine , applying frogs to the buboes or to coat the victim in mercury and place them in an oven .
The plague doctor mask has eventually been incorporated into Venetian carnival masks due to the macabre fascination and rich history of it. Its practical uses made it an ideal mask to hide a wearers identity and so perfect for the Venetian mask carnival.
Venetian masquerade masks sell a good variety of authentic plague doctor masks, suitable to wear and display.
No comments:
Post a Comment