# The Plague Doctor Costume Was a Real Medical Uniform (And It Smelled Like Lavender)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/are-you-sh-ing-me-6458770/the-plague-doctor-costume-was-a-real-medical-uniform-and-it-smelled-like-lavender
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/are-you-sh-ing-me-6458770/the-plague-doctor-costume-was-a-real-medical-uniform-and-it-smelled-like-lavender.md
Podcast: [Are You Sh!#ing Me?](https://stenobird.com/podcast/are-you-sh-ing-me-6458770)
Published: 2026-04-09T19:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aysm/episodes/The-Plague-Doctor-Costume-Was-a-Real-Medical-Uniform-And-It-Smelled-Like-Lavender-e3hd8q5
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/e55363cc/podcast/play/117924101/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-3-3%2F421365821-44100-2-765b3d5151071.mp3
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Duration seconds: 159

## Resource

That creepy bird-mask plague doctor you put on your front porch every Halloween? That was a real outfit worn by actual physicians in 17th century Europe. The beak was stuffed with herbs and dried flowers because they believed good smells would cancel out the plague. It did not work. Hundreds of thousands of people died. The leather suit maybe helped a little — kept the fleas off. The aromatherapy did nothing. Are You Shitting Me? — something Brett learned while avoiding real responsibilities. Cheers!

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## Transcript

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