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The adoption, in 1902, of the caduceus for US Army medical officer uniforms, popularized use of the symbol in the medical field in the United States. The caduceus is the traditional symbol of Hermes and features two snakes winding around an often winged staff.
The medical symbol of serpents wrapped around a staff is a familiar one in the field, decorating pharmaceutical packaging and hospitals alike.
Although the Rod of Asclepius, which has only one snake and no wings, is the traditional and more widely used symbol of medicine, the caduceus is sometimes used by healthcare organizations. Given that the caduceus is primarily a symbol of commerce and other non-medical symbology, many healthcare professionals disapprove of this use. [11]
Known as the symbol of medicine, the Caduceus depicts the image of two serpents wrapped around a staff with wings. It might seem ironical that destructive creatures like snakes are used to represent a healing purpose, but here’s the history behind it and the symbolism it represents.
Only 6% of doctors were aware that the Rod of Asclepius is the true symbol of healing. Of the colleges listed in the ‘India Today 2013 top 10 medical colleges list’, Six had emblems/logos based on or a variation of the caduceus.
KEY WORDS: Caduceus, rod of asclepius, medical symbol. There are certain things that will not be taught in medical schools, and it is usually learnt out of our own interests. The Caduceus is one of them.
In modern times, it is the predominant symbol for medicine and health care, although it is sometimes confused with the similar caduceus, which has two snakes and a pair of wings. [1] The Rod of Asclepius takes its name from the Greek god Asclepius, a deity associated with healing and medicinal arts in ancient Greek religion and mythology.
The caduceus, a staff with two snakes coiled around it, is the official insignia of the United States Medical Corps, Navy Pharmacy Division, and the Public Health Service. The caduceus is also the magic wand carried by Hermes (the Romans knew him as Mercury), the messenger of the gods.
Medical organizations have adopted the Asclepius symbol of a staff and serpent as a representation of medicine. Pharmaceutical corporations and the military have adopted the caduceus symbol. Both symbols have entirely different representations, but have come to symbolize the ideology of medicine.
However, the term ‘caduceus’ has a distinct meaning and historically has been confused with the real first medical symbol: the ‘Rod of Asclepius’. A common emblem for medicine depicts one or two snakes coiling up a staff.