Why Plague Doctors Wore Beaked Masks

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Video

John Horgan
by TED-Ed
published on 21 July 2023

Explore the history of the European plague doctor, and find out where their iconic outfit of a beaked mask and robe came from.

The year is 1656. Your body is wracked by violent chills. Your head pounds and you're too weak to sit up. In your feverish state, you see a strange-looking man wearing a beak-like mask, his body covered from head to toe. Without seeing his face, you know: you have the plague. So, where did these iconic outfits come from? Stephanie Honchell Smith explores the history of plague doctors.

Directed by Anton Bogaty.

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Cite This Work

APA Style

TED-Ed. (2023, July 21). Why Plague Doctors Wore Beaked Masks. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/video/3003/why-plague-doctors-wore-beaked-masks/

Chicago Style

TED-Ed. "Why Plague Doctors Wore Beaked Masks." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified July 21, 2023. https://www.worldhistory.org/video/3003/why-plague-doctors-wore-beaked-masks/.

MLA Style

TED-Ed. "Why Plague Doctors Wore Beaked Masks." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 21 Jul 2023. Web. 26 Jul 2024.

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