Doctors during this time dressed in long robes, leather gloves, heavy boots and a beak-like mask filled with herbs and bergamot oil. This get-up prevented them from breathing in the contaminated air of plague patients.

A white lab-coat is typically worn over clothes called scrubs. In order to prevent the spread of bacteria, doctors wear disposable gloves, surgical masks and surgical caps.

Even though largely speculated that blood was drawn from a patient using leeches, it was actually drawn with a lancet and a bowl. In fact, leeching was its own separate procedure. Blood was often drawn from either the foot or the hand as it was less painful.

The Plague is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium named Yersinia pestis, which is found in small animals and their fleas. The disease can be transmitted by the bite of infected fleas or by inhalation. Due to the very high mortality rate, the disease was known as the “Black Death”, as it killed around 50 million civilians in the fourteenth century just in Europe. Symptoms included: fever and chills, extreme weakness, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting and much more.

Knowledge of medicine was very limited and physicians didn’t know what the cause of the rapidly spreading illnesses and diseases (ex. Bubonic Plague) were. Beliefs came from Aristotle, Hippocrates and Astrology. Physicians believed that many illnesses were caused by an imbalance in our four bodily fluids, also called humours. These bodily fluids included blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.

Physicians often believed that if a person was sick, it meant that God was punishing them. Many times doctors were unable to give their patients medicines and told them they should just deal with their illness until they die."Something is wrong with your soul" was often told to patients when this happened to them.

It is the most common form of Plague caused by the bite of an infected flea. The bacteria enters the lymphatic system, to the nearest lymph node and replicates it. The replication, which called a “bubo”, then becomes inflamed, swollen, and painful. If not treated it can lead to the “bubo” being an open sore filled with puss.

What are the beliefs of Modern Physicians?

There is much more extensive knowledge of medicine. Doctors can usually quickly diagnose and treat patients. Physicians are encouraged to remove themselves from their spiritual beliefs when treating patients and focus on the scientific aspect of treatment. They are also required to swear a modernized version of the Hippocratic Oath

If a patient was too angry or temperamental, doctors would do this to balance out the humours in the body that they believed would cause patients to have mood swings.

The origin of the plague was in China and China being a very busy trading country, it was bound for the plague to spread. In October 1347, a herd of trading ships was on its way back from a trip to the Black Sea, common ground with China. By the time they reached Sicily, many of the people on board were either dying of the plague or were already dead because of the plague. In no time, the disease spread very quickly and North as far as England.

What are types of Modern Physicians?

There are hundreds of different types of medical professionals based on their education and specialty. Surgeons are typically considered superior to everyday physicians because their responsibilities are more physically and mentally draining and require further education. Though apothecaries still exist, pharmacists have become a more popular career path. In many cultures, housewives still create homemade remedies to minor problems which have been passed down from generations

As doctors and apothecaries did not have a lot of information on this disease, they lanced the buboes, applied butter, onion and garlic to cure it. However, the medicine did not help as 25 million people died.

He lost many family members to the outbreak of Plague. His sisters, Joan, Margaret, and Anne were taken away by the Plague. Edmund, his brother aged 27 was also taken away by the Plague. Lastly, out of all of this 2 girls and only son, he lost his only son Hamnet as he died because of the Plague at the age of 11.

What are types of Elizabethan Physicians?

physician, surgeon, barber, apothecary, church, local wise woman, housewives

Even with the lack of proper medicine, people often got sick because of this. Some examples are urine and fecal matter on the streets, and using the same water for drinking, cleaning, and dumping out waste.

Smallpox was another epidemic that occurred during the Shakespearean Era. It occurred during October 1562 and affected many civilians including Queen Elizabeth as she got it as well. The disease was caused by infection with the Variola virus. The virus starts in the lungs and then spreads into the bloodstream and then skin, intestines, lungs, kidneys, and brain. The disease can be transmitted by physical contact between people, through infected people and by contaminated objects. Symptoms included: fever, sweating, nausea and much more