Significance of the Plague
Throughout history, there have been multiple outbreaks of the plague, each one more devastating as the last. Plagues have had an enormous effect on history and the development of modern civilization (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). It is even suggested that the cause of the Roman Empire was a devastating plague; the Roman soldiers supposedly spread the disease after the returned home from a battle in the Persian Gulf in 165 AD (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). For the people of Europe, Asia and Africa, plague represents an absolute disaster (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Especially since the cause is often unknown, panic is spread through cities, and sometimes even entire countries (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Modern knowledge tells us that the plague was caused by things such as fleas on rats, or in the case of the pneumonic plague, the droplets from a person’s cough (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). However, since the cause was unknown at the time of the plague, extreme measures were taken in order to combat the deadly spread. Thus, the plague mask was created.
The Plague Mask
Medieval Europe was ruled by superstition (Rosenhek). When the plague swept through leaving millions in its wake, people tried anything to rid themselves of the disease (Rosenhek). The Black Plague made its way down the Silk Road with merchants of luxury goods, spreading anywhere its carriers brought it (Rosenhek). Within 5 years, it had spread through all of Europe and Russia killing 25 million people in only its first wave (Rosenhek). The later waves of the plague killed even more, resulting in a total death count of 150 million people (Rosenhek). Most physicians ran from the plague; nothing that they tried worked (Rosenhek)! Once people realized that prayer and other cures were not working, they realized it was time to try something new; this is when the plague masks came to be (Rosenhek).
Symptoms of the Plague
The symptoms of the Bubonic (Black) Plague occur in the following order:
- Swollen lymph nodes signal infection
- Buboes would blacken and burst, releasing pus and blood
- Dark purplish patches all over the body
- High fever
- Extreme spasmodic pain
- Vomiting and retching
- Blood filled lungs (Rosenhek)
Plague Mask Design
By the 1600s, the Plague Doctors had a set costume (Rosenhek). 17th century physician Charles de L’Orme who lived from 1584 until 1678 created the plague mask, the most protective part of the plague doctor ensemble. L’Orme was the physician of choice of many kings (Rosenhek). He came up with the idea for the plague mask in 1619 as a way to protect himself from the plague. The long nose was a dramatic flair, but seemed like a good idea at the time; the end of the snout was filled with scented substances including camphor, mint, cloves, myrrh, flowers and many others (Rosenhek). This was believed to keep the, “plague air,” away from the mask’s wearer so that they will not become infected (Rosenhek). All parts of the costume were worn for a purpose: wide brimmed hats were worn in order to shield the doctor from airborne bacteria (Rosenhek). Red-eye glasses were worn because they believed they would make the wearer insusceptible to evil and, consequently, the disease (Rosenhek). The neck of the coat was often turned up and tucked in to the mask to prevent anything from entering underneath the mask’s protective barrier (Rosenhek). Finally, the coat was coated in wax or suet in order to repel the infection and stop bodily fluids from clinging to it – fluids were often spewed from buboes – infected lymph nodes – when they burst (Rosenhek). The beak shape of the mask was due to the popular belief that birds spread the disease; the bird shaped mask would hypothetically be able to transfer the disease to the mask instead of the wearer (Rosenhek). The plague mask was a last hope for many people in a time of utter disaster.