A plague doctor was a physician who treated victims of bubonic plague during epidemics mainly in the 16th and 17th centuries. These physicians were hired by cities to treat infected patients regardless of income, especially the poor that could not afford to pay. Plague doctors had a mixed reputation, with some citizens seeing their presence as a warning to leave the area or that death was near. Some plague doctors were said to charge patients and their families additional fees for special treatments or false cures. In many cases, these doctors were not experienced physicians or surgeons, instead being volunteers, second-rate doctors, or young doctors just starting a career.

The iconic beaked mask worn by plague doctors across Europe during the bubonic plague pandemic was filled with theriac, a compound of more than 55 herbs and other components like viper flesh powder, cinnamon, myrrh, and honey. The mask was designed to protect the doctor from inhaling the disease, which was believed to be transmitted through the air. The outfit, which covered the plague doctor from head to foot, consisted of an outer garment tightly enclosed around the mask. Gloves and a wand, which the plague doctor holds in all - but rare - original representations, completed the ensemble. This also served specifically to avoid direct contact with the plague victims bodies.

The plague doctor figure was common throughout Europe since the Middle Ages, and in the 17th century, a famous French doctor, Charles de LOrme, perfected the plague doctor mask, giving it the look we recognize today. The plague doctor mask had a practical use to be sure, but the deeper aspect of the mask has more to do with superstition and ancient ideas of the plague than with the practical needs of physicians. The plague doctors outfit and methods did little to prolong life, relieve suffering, or effect a cure.

Today, the plague doctor mask has entered pop culture thanks to video games like Assassins Creed and a number of films and cartoons. In the colorful and bizarre world of todays cosplay costumes, the plague doctor shows up in a variety of forms, often more resembling some malevolent bird than the original. Some artisan artists made handmade plague doctor masks to pay tribute to these brave doctors who helped to stop the greatest pandemic of all time.