(1/6) #HALLOWEEN THREAD 👇I have no doubt that you will see some PLAGUE DOCTORS lurking around dark corners this evening, so let's talk about the history of this creepy mask, and its connection with medicine. 
(2/6) Although the plague ravaged Europe in the 14th century, killing nearly two-thirds of its population, the earliest textual description of the mask dates to the 17th century, when it was invented by Charles de Lorme, chief physician to Louis XIII.
(3/6) De Lorme imagined that herbs stuffed in the end of the beak would purify the air and prevent the doctor from breathing in harmful miasma, while the leather overcoat, breeches, boots and gloves would ensure that the skin was not exposed at any time.
(4/6) It's difficult to know how ubiquitous the plague mask was in the 17th & 18th centuries. Most physicians fled during outbreaks, leaving the dying to fend for themselves. Those who did remain behind rarely mention it in their writing, making the mask elusive to historians.
(5/6) There are very few authentic plague masks still in existence. This mask is from Deutschen Medizinhistorischen in Germany, and the museum dates it to c.1700.
