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- Treatments and doctors had little to no effect on the plague and how it was controlled, but they did have an affect on medieval society. Doctors did not understand the cause of the pandemic, let alone how to stop it. They really didn't even know that it was a plague and that one person could spread it to the next. Usually, these doctors were not trained, and their medical knowledge was very basic and often ineffective. So, the doctors came up with different 'remedies' thought to stop the symptoms and the disease itself.
- Some ideas, such as 'bleeding' the patient, which was when a doctor would place leeches onto key veins. Other ideas included cutting open buboes to supposedly remove 'bad blood' from within them or 'evil' and then placing herbal ointment over the top, or getting victims to breathe in the fumes of human waste. Smaller ideas involved remedies such as wearing strong perfume, drinking hot drinks, carrying a lucky charm, smoking tobacco, or taking strong doses of laxatives.
- These treatments did not work, some making matters worse and only causing the doctor to become infected with the dreaded plague as well. The doctors wore a certain uniform, to show others that they were in fact a doctor. They wore a leather hat, mask, glass eye, beak, gown, leather gloves and full length boots. The doctor's would stuff their beaks with herbs and fragrant flowers to prevent inhalation of the plague.
- This type of doctor was called a 'witch' doctor. They were hired by towns & cities to stop the spread of the plague. There was also another type of plague doctor, which was the specialist physician. This type of doctor would treat colds, wounds, and other illnesses. Although this type of doctor didn't treat the plague, they still played a role in the Middle Age society, ultimately influencing today's doctor. Therefore, treatments and doctors had a small effect on the control of the plague, but still have a large effect on medieval society.
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