History of protective masks

 
In today's world, when the pandemic dictates its severe conditions, protective masks have become an integral part of the daily lives of all people who care about health - both their own and the health of those around them. Some people are satisfied with the standard white and blue model available in the pharmacy network. People who don't care what they look like go further and harmoniously fit designer masks into their clothes for every day. However, few people ask themselves how long and thorny this miniature accessory has come before it enters our everyday life nowadays ...
If you still think that the protective mask is a whim of healthcare professionals and you doubt whether it should be worn in an epidemic, its history will help you look at the problem from a completely different perspective.

From the depths of the centuries

In seventeenth-century Europe, bubonic plague, known as the "Black Death," claimed many lives. The methods of treatment are reduced to taking an infusion of rose petals and bloodletting. It was during this period that a prototype of the modern protective face mask appeared, which, however, did not serve to prevent infection, but to protect the respiratory organs of the healers from the strong smell of rotting flesh of the deceased. She looks quite scary and, to put it mildly, unusual. You've probably seen in literature or movies a mask with a large beak and glass round inserts in the eye area. This is nothing more than a doctor's mask. To prevent the stench, the beak is filled with aromatic salts, garlic and herbs, which create a certain antibacterial environment.

Protective masks and the plague

After healers noticed that the "beaked" mask partially prevented plague infection, Dr. Charles de Lorm invented a suit consisting of a cloak, boots, gloves, pants, and a hat that were sewn from leather or a cloth saturated with wax. . The purpose of the suit was to exclude direct contact of the doctor with the infected person, and all medical manipulations are performed with the help of a cane. The appearance of the doctor in such a suit caused real horror among the local population, but who knows how many lives were saved thanks to this invention?

Protective masks in the XIX century

Two centuries after the end of the bubonic plague epidemic, the protective face mask is still in use. Doctors usually use rough woolen masks.
At the end of the 19th century, the scientist Carl Fliege made an incredible discovery that had a huge impact on the subsequent development of all medicine: he identified pathogenic agents in saliva. And immediately two medical scientists - Paul Berger and Johann Mikulich-Radetzky, armed with this knowledge, created a new version of the mask, which is much more reminiscent of modern personal protective equipment. This mask consists of six layers of gauze or muslin and is held on the face with rubber bands to protect patients from saliva produced during talking, sneezing or coughing.

The surgical face mask

During the observations, both doctors noted that the use of protective tissue in the form of a mask drastically reduced the development of the infection. In the early twentieth century, masks entered everywhere in medical practice and began to be widely used in surgery. And this is just in time: the world is once again in the grip of a pandemic, this time the Spanish plague is reaping its bloody harvest. During the epidemic, the mask is improved: the inner layers of wool or cotton are added.

The reusable protective mask in our time

Nowadays, without the protective mask, the work of medical institutions is unthinkable. Since the end of the twentieth century, nonwovens have been used for the production of masks, which are capable of filtering pathogenic microflora with a particle size of more than 0.007 microns. The standard parameters are 175 × 95 mm. The masks are fastened with an elastic band.
 
If you want to diversify your appearance and look attractive even during an epidemic, the designer protective mask, which you can buy in our online store, will cope perfectly with the task.

Our protective face masks, manufactured by the Bulgarian brand INISESS ®, can be washed and ironed many times without affecting their appearance.

For maximum protection against viruses and for perfect respiratory hygiene, the designer mask should be worn over a medical mask. From our digital platform E-Sofia.com you can buy high-quality protective masks online, and for three or more masks, you will benefit from a wholesale manufacturer's price. Choose the ideal protective masks for your family for children, women and men and stay healthy!