The Plague Doctor’s eerie beak mask was designed to protect against “evil” smells thought to cause disease. But the truth ...

but mask designs have changed considerably from their first iterations. A 1619 outbreak of plague in France, rooted largely in Paris, led to the first medical mask. As the disease killed some 80 ...

However the most distinctive part of the outfit was the headgear. Plague doctors wore spectacles and a mask with a beak-like ...