The legendary plague doctor Doctor Schnabel (Doctor Beak) from Rome!
An engraving made in 1656 by Paul Fürst from Nuremberg, depicting a fictional plague doctor with protective gear during the outbreak of plague in Rome that year.
It includes a satirical poem.
An engraving made in 1656 by Paul Fürst from Nuremberg, depicting a fictional plague doctor with protective gear during the outbreak of plague in Rome that year.
It includes a satirical poem.
The "macaronic" (mixture of languages used for puns, in this case Latin and German) poem begins with the famous words:
"Vos Creditis, als eine fabel, quod scribitur vom Doctor Schnabel"
(You believe it’s just a fable, what is written about Doctor Beak).
"Vos Creditis, als eine fabel, quod scribitur vom Doctor Schnabel"
(You believe it’s just a fable, what is written about Doctor Beak).
The poem continues...
"He flees the contagion
and gets his wages from it.
He seeks corpses to make a living,
like a Crow in a garbage heap.
Ah, believe it, and don’t look away from here,
because the plague rules over Rome."
"He flees the contagion
and gets his wages from it.
He seeks corpses to make a living,
like a Crow in a garbage heap.
Ah, believe it, and don’t look away from here,
because the plague rules over Rome."
"Who wouldn’t be terrified of his little rod or stick.
He speaks with it as if he were mute and points out his advice.
So many people believe, without a doubt,
that he is touched by a black devil.
His purse is Hell and gold is the soul he fetches."
He speaks with it as if he were mute and points out his advice.
So many people believe, without a doubt,
that he is touched by a black devil.
His purse is Hell and gold is the soul he fetches."
While "Doctor Schnabel" was fictional, the protective costume was real.
French doctor Charles de Lorme is credited with the invention of this outfit during the 1619 plague outbreak in Paris, and it would feature in many subsequent plague outbreaks in 17th century.
French doctor Charles de Lorme is credited with the invention of this outfit during the 1619 plague outbreak in Paris, and it would feature in many subsequent plague outbreaks in 17th century.
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