Who Invented The White Medical Coat

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Who invented that a doctor should be in a white coat

The white coat evokes a strong association with the medical profession. But why exactly a robe and why white? Let's try to figure out why doctors around the world are dressed this way.

An excursion into history

The snow-white robe as a traditional attribute of the medical profession began its history only at the end of the nineteenth century.

In ancient Egypt, medicine was taught in special schools at temples, each doctor belonged to a certain college of priests and dressed in accordance with religious traditions. However, there were general rules for the "dress" of healers. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus, describing the manners and customs of the Egyptians, noted that "they wear linen dress, always freshly washed", papyrus shoes, cut their hair and wear wigs to avoid lice.

The healers of Hellas also did not stand out for a special form of clothing, donning chitons, traditional for Greek citizens. The situation changed only during epidemics, when the servants of Asclepius put on loose robes, covering the entire body to protect themselves from infection.

In the Middle Ages, the idea that infection with infectious diseases occurs through direct physical contact and air led to the first "form" known as the "plague doctor costume". During the plague, healers were required to wear a special costume consisting of a bird mask with red glasses, a black hat and coat, leather pants and a wooden cane. According to legends, the bird-shaped mask scared away the plague from the patient, drawing it on the attire of the doctor, and red glasses made their carriers immune to the disease. The mask's beak was filled with strong-smelling medicinal herbs, sweet oil and vinegar to protect the "plague air."

In the European Middle Ages, a curious caste division existed in the medical environment. The healers of the guilds considered themselves elite, donning expensive outfits and precious jewelry. Surgeons, on the other hand, were considered artisans, so they treated patients in ordinary clothes. The work suit was rarely washed, it was believed that the more blood on the surgeon's clothes, the higher his professionalism.

Robe appearance

The white coat was introduced into the history of medicine by the surgeon Joseph Lister in the 1860s. While working at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, he introduced a set of antiseptic measures - wearing a snow-white gown, treating hands and bandages with a solution of carbolic acid, disinfecting medical utensils, instruments and premises.

Lister believed that the gown uniform was the best option for doctors who had to act in an emergency. The dressing gown can be easily put on over your usual clothes and does not take a lot of time to change. The simple and uncluttered shape is easy to maintain, and the color of the fabric makes even the smallest stains of dirt visible.

However, the white was not immediately approved. The "professional" color of 19th century doctors was black and its shades. The tradition turned out to be so strong that even Lister's supporters, who actively promoted the ideas of antiseptics, were in no hurry to put on white. Only a few decades later, the white color of the medical uniform entered the daily routine of European clinics, hospitals and hospitals.

On the Russian expanses, the snow-white uniform took root thanks to Dr. Andrei Karlovich Rauchfus. Surgeons were the first to appreciate its benefits; by the 1910s, it firmly entered the operating room. Gradually, the fashion for snow-white gowns spread among doctors of other specialties, right up to psychiatric institutions.

Why is white

Joseph Lister chose white for practical reasons. It is easy to notice any contamination on such a fabric; it requires regular cleaning, which means it provides the sterility necessary in the profession. In addition, during Lister's time, medical clothing, like dressings, was disinfected in chlorine solution. No other color could withstand this treatment.

The practical considerations turned out to be successful from a psychological point of view. Studies show that white is associated with cleanliness and sterility in patients, inspiring confidence in the doctor.