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Caduceus

Aesculapius was the Greek god of medicine, and son of Apollo (god of truth, light and prophecy), and the nymph Coronis. The symbol of Aesculapius is a coarse rod or staff entwined by a single serpent. The serpent embodies renewal of youth and health as it periodically sheds its skin, enlarges and emerges as a transformed creature.

The caduceus, a winged rod entwined by two serpents, was the symbol of the swift messenger Mercury, the messenger of the gods (also the god of science and trade) in Greek mythology. In classical Greece , a herald's wand or staff showed that the bearer was a sacred person and not to be molested. Originally a straight branch from which two twigs grew, the twigs were then pulled back and twined around the branch. Later the twigs were interpreted as snakes.

Mercury was also identified with Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth, whose characteristics included wisdom and eloquence.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the caduceus was associated with wise and eloquent individuals, including some physicians. However, in the early 19th century it was adopted by a medical publisher as a sign, not that he published medical books, but that he was a commercial deliverer of information.

By a misconception, the caduceus became the insignia of the US Army Medical Corps in 1902. Before then, it had no medical relevance. The sign became widely recognized after the exposure it had during World War I. It thereafter became frequently used and popular.

At various times, the cross of the Knights of Malta (the Maltese Cross), who were hospitalizes in the Crusades to the Middle East in medieval times has been combined in various forms with both the staff of Aesculapius and the Caduceus.

The staff of Aesculapius is the true symbol of the physician.