Plague doctors usually had little to no medical training and they walked around with a stick to poke people to ensure they were dead before having them carted off.

Steampunk Plague Doctor Print 8×10 – The art of Jo Potocki (3amgallery.com)

Plague doctors weren’t even doctors. They usually had little to no medical training and carried a stick to poke people to see if they were indeed dead.

Red-Headed Plague Doctor Print 8×10 – The art of Jo Potocki (3amgallery.com)