It can be awkward when a friend gets the plague. Do you visit? Should you bring anything? How long is it polite to stay?

Dr. Edwards contributes his expertise with these tips to help you avoid a sickbed faux pas:

• Do not go in the morning, when it’s foggy, during the extreme heat of the day, or after the sun has set.
  
• You cannot enter a plague house before a fire has been made.
  
• How much perfume is too much? When you’re visiting a plague victim there’s no such thing!  We recommend Juniper, Lavender or Frankincense, but anything strong and sweet will work. Drench your clothes in it and then splash your face with vinegar and rosewater.  The room will be perfumed as well, so you don’t need to worry about standing out.
  
• Before you go in, place angelica root, citron skin, and a whole clove in your mouth. This may make it difficult to talk, but a real friend will understand safety comes first.
• “But herewithall you must have a speciall care, that during the time you are with the sick, you stand not betwixt the sick body and the fire, for that is dangerous […] Keep you alwaies on the contrary side, so that the sick may be betwixt you and the fire.”
• Remember to bring your arsenic bag! Crimson taffeta is the fabric of choice among industry specialists. Just be careful to hold it away from your skin if you start sweating or you could end up with some nasty side-effects.
• Never forget plague is a punishment from God. Your friend is a horrible sinner, but so are you, so don’t hold it against them! You never know who could be next. Think unhappy thoughts, sleep past noon, or play too much tennis and it might be you.