Protomedico — Chief Physician — Grevembroch 2-160

The Magistrato alla Sanità employed a protomedico — or chief physician — to oversee the medical parts of the responsibilities of the magistracy.

When official documents — like the Capitoli Da osservarsi nelli Lazaretti from 1656 and later — mention the "doctor of the magistracy", this is the person they refer to.

Besides tasks directly related to the prevention of plague outbreaks, he also oversaw the qualifications of midwifes, the safety of foodstuffs on sale, and anything, which was perceived to have a bearing on public health.

This is a much more realistic image of how a plague doctor might have looked.

#histodons #Plague #Venezia #Venice

Read more here: https://historywalksvenice.com/translation/protomedico-chief-physician-grevembroch-2-160/