A Plague Doctor was a Medical Physician who saw to those suffering with the plague. townships would hire them in times of epidemics, and since they were hired by the town itself they saw to all victims, be they rich or poor. Typically they were not medical professionals and often were second rate and inexperienced, thus not able to run a practice of their own.
The beak-like masks you see pictured above were worn in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The beak part of the masks were filled with aromatic items such as Ambergris, Balm-Mint Leaves, Camphor,Cloves, Laudanum, Myrrh, Rose Petals and Storax, and stuffed with Straw to act as a filter.
The mask was said to prevent the putrid air from being inhaled. and thus protecting the wearer from contracting the plague. Unfortunately the theory was untrue and because of the constant exposure to the disease and ineffective precautions, the chances that a plague doctor would live a long life were slim.
