History Main / PlagueDoctor

An ankle length overcoat, boots, thick gloves, a brim hat and, most importantly, a mask [[RavensAndCrows reminiscent of a raven's face]], complete with a beak. You certainly know the costume - it has become one of the most iconic uniforms in human history. And now for the story behind it.

* Doctor Fell from ''CastleWaiting'' is a plague doctor who has been driven mad by his experiences.

* The ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' has [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-049 SCP-049]]. [[{{Creepypasta}} This being the Foundation]], naturally he's a horrifying DeadlyDoctor. He also doesn't seem to be away that he's a Deadly Doctor, and genuinely thinks that he's helping to treat the Plague.

* The ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' has [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-049 SCP-049]]. [[{{Creepypasta}} This being the Foundation]], naturally he's a horrifying DeadlyDoctor.

* ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'': Sachiel's face bears a strong resemblance to the ''carnevale'' mask. In the ''Rebuild'' series, it has become a trademark of almost all the Angels.

The costume itself was associated with death (where there's plague, there's the beak doctors and also death), which has become deeply ingrained in popular culture. Thus, a plague doctor's outfit is a typical go-to creepy costume, the resemblance to TheGrimReaper doing this effect no harm at all. It is particularly used when the setting has TheBlackDeath or [[ThePlague its equivalent]] featured. Another common interpretation of this trope is to make the Plague Doctor ''[[{{Plaguemaster}} spread]]'' [[DeadlyDoctor plague]] instead of treating it.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/plaguedoctor_3335.jpg]]

* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' and Brotherhood has NPC doctors in this costume (which is appropriate for Medici-era Italy). One of the multiplayer characters is a doctor who also happens to be a JackTheRipoff.

* In one of the ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' games one of the playable characters is dressed as a Plague Doctor. ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' and II:Brotherhood also have NPC doctors in this costume (which is appropriate for Medici-era Italy).

* Grand Apothecary Putress of ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' weaks a mask inspired by the beak mask, and is a plague-spreader. Warlocks have a similar armor set, they, however, being demonic mages, have nothing to do with plague.

The costume itself was associated with death (where there's plague, there's the beak doctors and also death), which has become deeply ingrained in popular culture. Thus, a plague doctor's outfit is a typical go-to creepy costume, the resemblance to TheGrimReaper doing this effect no harm at all. It is particularly used when the setting has TheBlackDeath or [[ThePlague its equivalent]] featured. Another common interpretation of this trope is to make the Plague Doctor ''[[{{Plaguemaster}} spread]]'' [[DeadlyDoctor plague]] instead of curing it.

The costume itself was associated with death (where there's plague, there's the beak doctors and also death), which has become deeply ingrained in popular culture. Thus, a plague doctor's outfit is a typical go-to creepy costume, the resemblance to TheGrimReaper doing this effect no harm at all. It is particularly used when the setting has TheBlackDeath or [[ThePlague its equivalent]] featured. Another common interpretation of this trope is to make the Plague Doctor ''[[DeadlyDoctor spread]]'' [[DeadlyDoctor plague]] instead of curing it.

* In one of the ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' games one of the playable characters is dresses as a Plague Doctor. ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' and II:Brotherhood also have NPC doctors in this costume (which is appropriate for Medici-era Italy).

A plague doctor is a physician specializing on tending to those who suffered from the bubonic plague. Interestingly, the beak mask itself predates the full head-to-toe protective garment, invented in the fourteenth century. The explanation behind the beak mask is simple: according to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miasma_theory miasma theory of infection]], diseases essentially transfer via the poisonous stench, and the doctors protected themselves from inhaling it by placing various herbs, flowers and other aromatic substances inside the beak. We now [[ScienceMarchesOn know that the miasma theory is false]], but the full-body leather costume did a good job protecting doctors from exposure to infection, and the mask blocked airborne infections (especially if the plants contained fitoncides), thus the plague doctor's outfit is essentially a grandfather to our modern mask-and-labcoat medical uniforms; even more so to {{hazmat suit}}s.

As the costume is particularly associated with {{Venice}} (due in part to being a popular ''Carnevale'' costume), these guys will often show up in a CityOfCanals.

The costume itself was associated with death (where there's plague, there's the beak doctors and also death), which has become deeply ingrained in popular culture. Thus, a plague doctor's outfit is a typical go-to creepy costume, the resemblance to TheGrimReaper doing this effect no harm at all. It is particularly used when the setting has TheBlackDeath or [[ThePlague its equivalent]] featured. Another common interpretation of this trope is to make the Plague Doctor ''[[DealyDoctor spread]]'' [[DeadlyDoctor plague]] instead of curing it.

The costume itself was associated with death (where there's plague, there's the beak doctors and also death), which has become deeply ingrained in popular culture. Thus, a plague doctor's outfit is a typical go-to creepy costume, the resemblance to TheGrimReaper doing this effect no harm at all. It is particularly used when the setting has TheBlackDeath or [[ThePlague its equivalent]] featured. Another common interpretation of this trope is to make the PlagueDoctor ''spread'' plague instead of cure it.

An ankle length overcoat, boots, thick gloves, a brim hat and, most importantly, a mask reminiscent of a raven's face, complete with a beak. You certainly know the costume - it has become one of the most iconic uniforms in human history. And now for the story behind it.

A plague doctor is a physician specializing on tending to those who suffered from the bubonic plague. Interestingly, the beak mask itself predates the full head-to-toe protectve garment, invented in the fourteenth century. The explanation behind the beak mask is simple: according to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miasma_theory miasma theory of infection]], diseases essentially transfer via the poisonous stench, and the doctors protected themselves from inhaling it by placing various herbs, flowers and other aromatic substances inside the beak. We now [[ScienceMarchesOn know that the miasma theory is false]], but the costume did a good job protecting doctors from the exposure, and the mask blocked airborne infections (especially if the plants contained fitoncides), thus the plague doctor's outfit is essentially a grandfather to our modern mask-and-labcoat medical uniforms; even more so the {{hazmat suit}}s.

The costume itself was associated with death (where there's plague, there's the beak doctors and also death), which has become deeply ingrained in popular culture. Thus, a plague doctor's outfit is a typical go-to creepy costume. It is also used when the setting has the Black Plague or its equivalent featured. Another common interpretation of this trope is to make the PlagueDoctor ''spread'' plague instead of cure it.

A plague doctor is a physician specializing on tending to those who suffered from the bubonic plague. Interestingly, the beak mask itself, dated XIV, predates the full head-to-toe protectve garment, invented in the XVI century. The explanation behind the beak mask is simple: according to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miasma_theory miasma theory of infection]], diseases essentially transfer via the poisonous stench, and the doctors protected themselves from inhaling it by placing various herbs, flowers and other aromatic substances inside the beak. We now [[ScienceMarchesOn know that the miasma theory is false]], but the costume did a good job protecting doctors from the exposure, and the mask blocked airborne infections (especially if the plants contained fitoncides), thus the plague doctor's outfit is essentially a grandfather to our modern mask-and-labcoat medical uniforms; even more so the {{hazmat suit}}s.

A plague doctor is a physician specializing on tending to those who suffered from the bubonic plague. Interestingly, the beak mask itself, dated XIV, predates the full head-to-toe protectve garment, invented in the XVI century. The explanation behind the beak mask is simple: according to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miasma_theory miasma theory of infection]], diseases essentially transfer via the poisonous stench, and the doctors protected themselves from inhaling it by placing various herbs, flowers and other aromatic substances inside the beak. We now [[ScienceMarchesOn know that the miasma theory is false]], but the costume did a good job protecting doctors from the exposure, and the mask blocked airborne infections (especially if the plants contained fitoncides), thus the plague doctor's outfit is essentially a grandfather to our modern mask-and-labcoat medical uniforms; even more so the hazmat suits.