The Plague Doctors

Added 1619153207 by Photographer Gino Cinganelli.

During the Black Death and the Great Plague, the Plague Doctors wore a bird beak mask filled with sweet-smelling herbs and dried flowers to counter the 'bad smells' which were thought to carry the diseases. They also wore a wide brimmed hat, a full length overcoat/cloak, gloves and boots as the occupational clothing of their profession. Additionally they carried a cane to ensure they remained a safe distance from their patients and others. Plague Doctors and their bodyguards visited patients, administed various quack procedures and medicines including leech treatment and bleeding, charged their fee, and collated the inevitable death toll statistics.