At the height of a pandemic, we find ourselves trying to live out our daily lives in this “new normal”. Going to school, by opening our laptops; taking a trip to the grocery store, but wearing a mask; and spending time with loved ones, as long as it’s at a six foot distance. There is an underlying panic that threatens our “life must go on” mentality.
Coronavirus or the Great Plague
The infectious Coronavirus can be compared to the deadly plague from the 17th century. In 1665, London was hit with a disastrous outbreak of the bubonic plague. The number of deaths from this epidemic could possibly have surpassed 100,000 out of an estimated population of 460,000. Since July 7, 2020, over 535,000 people in the world have died from the Covid-19.
Wearing masks in indoor public spaces is mandatory here in Canada. At the time of the Great Plague, we see plague doctors also wearing masks. Although their masks are arguably way cooler.
Hold up – Birds could be Doctors?
It was widely believed in 1665 London that diseases were air-borne. Any bad smells were suspected to be the culprit of a present disease. This was called the miasma theory. Therefore, plague doctors wore beaked masks stuffed with herbs, spices, and dried flowers to protect themselves from the “disease carrying” odors.
But wait, there’s more!
If you thought the doctors’ protection was limited to their beaked masks, you are very mistaken. To complement their big beaks, they wore oiled and waxed, long coats with hoods, hats, and gloves. Needless to say, the rest of the costume was more effective protection-wise than the face mask; it would have protected them against flea bites.
Thankfully, today we are only required to wear a mask and gloves. I would hate to have to always wear a long coat over the outfit that took me hours to pick.
Doctors must win your trust
Personally, I like to accessorize with a cute purse, but I guess the plague doctors weren’t thinking the same way. The final touch to their costume was a cane. It was symbolic. If a doctor could afford a nice cane they were considered successful.
Not only did it have a professional appearance, but it was also practical. Canes would be used to keep patients at a distance further than arm’s length. So, why don’t we learn something from history and pick up some canes? Sounds much better than carrying around hockey sticks to me.
They say old trends always come back– please, let’s not do that with the beaked masks. I will never complain about a selfie mask again.
Sources
Basham, Peter. “The ‘Beak Doctors’: RCP Museum.” Homepage, history.rcplondon.ac.uk/blog/beak-doctors.
Catherine Carstairs Professor. “A Brief History of Masks from the 17th-Century Plague to the Ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic.” The Conversation, 6 Sept. 2020, theconversation.com/a-brief-history-of-masks-from-the-17th-century-plague-to-the-ongoing-coronavirus-pandemic-142959.
“Great Plague of London.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Sept. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plague_of_London.
Morrill, John S. “Great Plague of London.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 8 Sept. 2016, www.britannica.com/event/Great-Plague-of-London.
Sewell, Katie. “Coronavirus vs Black Death: Which Is Worse? COVID-19 or the Bubonic Plague?” Express.co.uk, Express.co.uk, 7 July 2020, www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1252395/coronavirus-vs-black-death-plague-worse-covid-19-news-update-bubonic-plague.