The plague was perplexing in nearly all of its elements to those who lived through it in London at the time of 1665. The explanations of its origins were rumors, and it was difficult to know exactly how it entered the city. How it spread was also a matter of speculation. Some people believed it was by breath and others believed it was through contact with a sick person's bedding or clothing. Doctors were unsure how to tell whether or not a person was sick, how long they had been sick, and what was the best way to cure them. Often the sick did not know they were affected until it was too late, so many people spread the plague unknowingly. Sometimes people dropped dead in the middle of the street, unaware of the illness until the hour of their death. So many people were dropping dead in the streets that the job as caretakers became very popular. The caretakers were left to take care of the corpses that were littered in London and Defoe writes