During the mid-1300s, the Black Death was responsible for the killing over 25 million people throughout Europe and Asia. With so many people sick and dying, doctors had to invent some sort of suit that would keep them safe while working on infected individuals. By the 1600s, they landed on what they thought was a perfect, albeit horrifying, costume known as the “plague suit.”

Even though the suit looks quite odd, every single aspect of it is meant to make the lives of doctors easier while they tended to the sick masses. According to Doctor’s Review:

The protective garment was created by the 17th-century physician Charles de l’Orme (1584-1678). De l’Orme had been the physician of choice for several French kings (one Henri and a Louis or two), and was also a favourite of the Medici family in Italy. In 1619 — as a carefully considered way to protect himself from having to visit powerful, plague-infested patients he couldn’t say no to — de l’Orme created the iconic uniform. Its dramatic flair certainly made it seem like a good idea, and the costume quickly became all the rage among plague doctors throughout Europe.

In order to protect the doctor against airborne plague particles, the suit was made of wax-covered canvas, which covered the wearer from head to toe. The body of the suit also fit firmly below the chin and left no area uncovered.

The suit also protected the doctor’s face with a leathery mask that featured an elongated beak. This odd portion of the mask was used to hold herbs and other aromatic plants, which were believed to keep particles out of the doctor’s lungs and also provided them a pleasant smell. Doctor’s Review claims:

Favourite scents included camphor, floral concoctions, mint, cloves, myrrh and basically anything that smelled nice and strong. In some French versions of the costume, compounds were actually set to smolder within the beak, in the hopes that the smoke would add an extra layer of protection.

Besides the intimidating costume, the doctors also carried around wooden sticks, which were used to lift bed sheets and clothing off of the sick for closer inspection.

Though de l’Orme survived the plague and died years later at age 96, according to Doctor’s Review, his suit didn’t work as well as he hoped because most of the doctors that wore it still died.

(h/t Doctor’s Review)