The Things I've Learned...

Well, I'm sure that everyone reading this is familiar with the two symbols pictured here. Both are used throughout the world as symbols of health and medicine. What do they mean and were do they come from though? I was curious so I looked it up.

The symbol on the left is the one that Americans will probably recognize more. The name of this symbol is the Caduceus. This symbol is often seen at hosptials, on ambulances, and in medical logos. I found out though that the history of this symbol doesn't really relate to medicine at all. The Caduceus, according to Greek mythology, is the staff of Hermes, the messenger of the gods and also the god of Animal Husbandry, Roads and Travel, Heralds, Merchants and Thieves, Language and Writing, Persuasion and Craftiness, Athletic Contests and Gymnasiums. It is unclear exactly why this symbol came to represent medicine. I found numerous different explanations of why this is. Some said that the symbol was popularized in the seventh century when the symbol became linked with Alchemy. There is also some thought that the snakes in the symbol aren't even snakes they are worms. Guinea Worm to be exact. A Guinea worm, a worm that grows to a meter or more in length, infects a human and often resides in the leg and/or foot where it waits for its larva to mature enough to be expelled out of the body. Its a pretty gross ordeal, but the way to treat this and remove the worm is to cut open the leg/foot and find the worms head. It must then be wrapped around a stick and extracted slowly by only a few centimeters/inches a day. Removal of the worm can sometimes takes weeks.

Anyhow, the history of them symbol on the right is a little less disgusting and a bit more certain as to where it came from. This symbol in particular is the logo of the World Health Organization (WHO). The snake and staff in the middle though is the staff of Asklepios. This symbol has been associated with Medical Care since the fifth century BC. Asklepios was the Greek god of Healing or the god of medicine. The snake is said to be on the staff because it symbolizes the renewal of youth as the serpent casts off its skin.

So that is a very brief explanation of the two symbols. For more reading see the different links within the text above. They link to more detailed explanations of some of the stuff that I just mentioned.