Why plague doctors wore beaked masks
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TEDEd Animation
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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.
What are some of the treatments pre-modern doctors prescribed for the plague and what did they involve?
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Stephanie Honchell Smith
- Director Anton Bogaty
- Narrator George Zaidan
- Music Samuel Bellingham
- Sound Designer Samuel Bellingham
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Producer Alexandra Zubak
- Associate Producer Sazia Afrin
- Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
- Fact-Checker Charles Wallace
