Why is the robe white?

Abstract

A white coat is an integral part of the professional costume of representatives of the most humane profession – a doctor. But who and when exactly proposed a white coat, cap, and later other types of medical suit? In search of an answer to this question, we were convinced that it is not so easy to find complete information about the history of the medical suit. Information is sparse and contradictory. The word "white" has been known since ancient times, it is borrowed from Old Slavic from the word "бъъ, бълый", which comes from the general Slavic "belъ" and further from the Indo-European "bhel" – "white". To understand why medical clothing exists as we know it, it is necessary to understand the evolution of medical clothing and the reasons for its changes. Roman doctors wore long dresses during the outbreak of the epidemic. Their faces were covered so that they would not inhale the contagion. A long beak filled with fragrant substances was worn on the nose. In their gloved hands, they held a long stick with which they indicated what the patient should use and what to take. With this, they protected themselves from infection and could, without putting their lives in danger, during the provision of assistance. A similar costume was worn by European doctors during plague epidemics, but with some additions. Bird-like clothes made of skin covered the doctor from head to toe; believed that such clothing could protect against infection. Fragrant herbs were placed in the large beak to filter airborne contagion; the stick contained frankincense, which was thought to ward off evil spirits. In medieval Europe, there was a strict professional and socio-legal gradation between doctors who received medical education at universities and were only involved in the treatment of internal diseases, and surgeons who did not have a scientific education, were not considered doctors and were not admitted to the class of doctors. The first were dressed in expensive robes, decorated with precious stones. And yet, in the Middle Ages, the clothes of a doctor or apothecary were not particularly different from the clothes of a scientist, a theologian or a simple but wealthy citizen. The main thing in her choice was the desire to emphasize her importance and wealth. Gradually, impressive robes and jewels as indispensable attributes of a scientist-physician were replaced by an ordinary frock coat. Views on professional clothing for doctors in the 19th century underwent significant changes. Lush mantles and blood-stained frocks were replaced by clothing that performed fundamentally different functions. The main criteria for its suitability were hygiene and convenience. In the second half of the 19th century, the doctor's gown entered the daily practice of doctors. For the first time in the world, a white doctor's coat was proposed for doctors and medical personnel by Karl Andriyovych Rauchfus, a pediatrician. In 1886, at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (USA), military doctor Bloodgut introduced rubber gloves to protect the surgeon's hands from infection. A modern surgical suit (a loose-fitting shirt and trousers) in blue, green and light brown colors appeared in the early 80s of the 20th century at the Vishnevsky clinic in Moscow.