nodamncatnodamncradle:

Plague doctors were individuals in the Middle Ages who were given the task of tending to people infected with the plague. In most cases, they were either second rate or under-trained physicians, incapable of maintaining their own practice. Many were not doctors at all, but people of various other employments paid by towns to cater to the sick. 

Plague doctors were employed in various methods when ever plague set in. The earliest documentation of these individuals being hired go as far back as the mid 500s AD. The plague doctor image that we as a general public are familiar with was not seen until the 1600s. It was then that the “traditional” plague doctor costume was created. The costume consisted of a cloak made of heavy fabric covered in wax to protect the doctor’s body, and a mask to keep out the sick air. The masks had a long cone shaped structure at the nose, to be filled with scents that would protect the doctor from the bad air.

Because of the nature of their work, plague doctors often became victims of the plague themselves, or were quarantined for the protection of the public.

diseases would be a lot cooler if all the doctors still dressed like animals

(Source: alexxxiselizabeth)

bear-tier:

platinumpixels:

volpesvolpes:

unseilie:

sarahvonkrolock:

gaysexagainstawall:

them-days-was-olden-as-fuck:

The spread of the black death.

Poland

Poland, tell us your secret.

Poland is the old new Madagascar. 

If I remember correctly, Poland’s secret is that the jews where being blamed all over europe (as usual) as scapegoats for the black plague. Poland was the only place that accepted Jewish refugees, so pretty much all of them moved there. 

Now, one of the major causes of getting the plague was poor hygiene. This proved very effective for the plague because everyone threw their poop into the streets because there were no sewers, and literally no one bathed because it was against their religion. Unless they were jewish, who actually bathed relatively often. When all the jews moved to Poland, they brought bathing with them, and so the plague had little effect there.

Milan survived by quarantining its city and burning down the house of anyone showing early symptoms, with the entire family inside it. 

I reblogged this tons of times, but the Milan info is new.

Damn Italy, you scary.

And it looks like iceland is like LOL!

matthen:

Visualising extinctions over the past million 531 years.  The size of the circle shows how the biodiversity of the earth differs from the long-term trend.  The resulting fluctuations seem to repeat every 62 million years or so, with 5 main extinction events in total.  The most recent was of course the end of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago.  Does this mean the Earth is due another?! [This follows the analysis of an interesting nature article]  [more] [code]

life:

Light beams create a contour map of a human head during an Air Force study of jet-pilot helmets. Originally published, as the cover image, on the December 6, 1954, issue of LIFE.

(see more here)

mazarinette:

Key guns, 1600s

‘Jailers’ keys were apparently filled with gun powder to create a primitive gun that could be detonated if there was any trouble when opening a cell door. We found several original versions that back up this claim, dating from the 17th century and of various complexity.’

beeswarm17:

superwholockianlady:

huffley6:

savvy13lady:

blueskyesandberets:

historicalawesomeness:

This day in history:

Minutes before giving a speech on a campaign stop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Theodore Roosevelt is shot in an assassination attempt.  

The would-be assassin’s bullet is slowed down after travelling through a steel eyeglass case and the folded, fifty page speech he intended to give, stopping in his chest.  Realizing that he wasn’t coughing up blood, Roosevelt figured he was well enough to go ahead and deliver his speech rather than rush to the hospital.

He spoke for the next 90 minutes, opening with the words:

“Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.”

Doctors deemed it too risky to remove the bullet, and Roosevelt carried it with him inside his body for the rest of his life.

October 14, 1912

LIKE A BOSS

THE BEST BOSS

THE BOSS OF THE BOSSES

BOOM.

AND FUCKING SCENE.

This is why every President has been bad recently; they don’t measure up to THIS GUY. He just set the bar TOO DAMN HIGH. How do you ignore getting shot twice in the chest?

(Source: picturesofwar)