$MASKS

The beak-shaped mask, which made the doctor look like an ancient Egyptian deity, was believed to repel the disease. But the beak also had a functional load: it protected the doctor from the "pathogenic smell", that is, it was the prototype of modern respirators. The beak or its tip was filled with strong-smelling medicinal herbs, which made breathing easier in the constant stench of the plague. And since the plague doctor constantly chewed garlic as a preventative measure, the beak protected those around him from the garlic smell. In addition, the doctor placed incense on a special sponge in his nostrils and ears. To avoid suffocation from this entire bouquet of smells, the beak had two small ventilation holes. Like gas masks of the 20th century, the mask had glass inserts that protected the eyes. To avoid physical contact with the bodies of infected people and corpses, a long cloak soaked in wax and leather or oiled clothing made of thick fabric were required.