Article    Table of Contents                    Full Text of this article    PDF of this article (PDFs free after 6 months)    Figures/Tables List    Related articles in Annals  Services    Send comment/rapid response letter    Notify a friend about this article    Alert me when this article is cited    Add to Personal Archive    Download to Citation Manager    ACP Search                            Get Permissions  Google Scholar    Search for Related Content  PubMed Articles in PubMed by Author:    Wilcox, R. A.    Whitham, E. M.    Related Articles in PubMed    PubMed Citation    PubMed

HISTORY OF MEDICINE

The Symbol of Modern Medicine: Why One Snake Is More Than Two*

Robert A. Wilcox, BMBS, BSc(Hons), PhD, and Emma M. Whitham, MBBS, BSc(Hons), PhD

15 April 2003 | Volume 138 Issue 8 | Pages 673-677

Today, two serpent motifs are commonly used to symbolize the practice and profession of medicine. Internationally, the most popular symbol of medicine is the single serpent–entwined staff of Asklepios (Latin, Aesculapius), the ancient Greco-Roman god of medicine. However, in the United States, the staff of Asklepios (the Asklepian) and a double serpent–entwined staff with surmounting wings (the caduceus) are both popular medical symbols. The latter symbol is often designated as the "medical caduceus" and is equated with the ancient caduceus, the double serpent–entwined staff of the Greco-Roman god Hermes (Latin, Mercury). Many physicians would be surprised to learn that the medical caduceus has a quite modern origin: Its design is derived not from the ancient caduceus of Hermes but from the printer's mark of a popular 19th-century medical publisher. Furthermore, this modern caduceus became a popular medical symbol only after its adoption by the U.S. Army Medical Corps at the beginning of the 20th century. This paper describes the ancient origin of the Asklepian and how a misunderstanding of ancient mythology and iconography seems to have led to the inappropriate popularization of the modern caduceus as a medical symbol.

*In this paper, nomenclature of Greek origin is translated into English such that it more closely transliterates the original Greek spellings. Thus, for example, Asklepios, Hygieia, Hippokrates, and Epidavros are used rather than Asclepius, Hygeia, Hippocrates, and Epidaurus.

Author and Article Information

From Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.

Acknowledgments: The authors thank Dr. W. Braund and Professor J. Ledingham for critically reviewing early versions of this paper.

Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed.

Requests for Single Reprints: Robert A. Wilcox, MD, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia.

Current Author Addresses: Dr. Wilcox: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia.

Dr. Whitham: Department of Neurology, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia.

Related articles in Annals:

Letters
The Symbol of Modern Medicine
Michael E. Toedt AND Dominique M. Gooby Toedt

Annals 2004 140: 309. [Full Text]  

Letters
The Symbol of Modern Medicine
Neni Prasad

Annals 2004 140: 309. [Full Text]  

Letters
The Symbol of Modern Medicine
Adrian G. Letz

Annals 2004 140: 309-310. [Full Text]  

Letters
The Symbol of Modern Medicine
Drew Hause

Annals 2004 140: 310. [Full Text]  

Letters
The Symbol of Modern Medicine
Meyer D. Lifschitz

Annals 2004 140: 310. [Full Text]  

Letters
The Symbol of Modern Medicine
Sarkis J. Chobanian

Annals 2004 140: 310-311. [Full Text]  

Letters
The Symbol of Modern Medicine
David P. Steensma

Annals 2004 140: 311. [Full Text]  

Letters
The Symbol of Modern Medicine
Konstantinos Paparounas

Annals 2004 140: 311. [Full Text]  

Letters
The Symbol of Modern Medicine
Jamie Newman

Annals 2004 140: 311. [Full Text]  

Letters
The Symbol of Modern Medicine
Robert A. Wilcox AND Emma M. Whitham

Annals 2004 140: 311-312. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Ntafoulis, P. Gourzis, and C. Trompoukis Historical Note: Melampous: a psychiatrist before psychiatry History of Psychiatry, June 1, 2008; 19(2): 242 - 246. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. H. Lange and G. Mastrangelo Dracunculiasis: Is the Medical Staff a Symbol of the Past? Indoor and Built Environment, February 1, 2007; 16(1): 3 - 5. [PDF]

				M. E. Toedt and D. M. Gooby Toedt The Symbol of Modern Medicine Ann Intern Med, February 17, 2004; 140(4): 309 - 309. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Hause The Symbol of Modern Medicine Ann Intern Med, February 17, 2004; 140(4): 310 - 310. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. P. Steensma The Symbol of Modern Medicine Ann Intern Med, February 17, 2004; 140(4): 311 - 311. [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Prasad The Symbol of Modern Medicine Ann Intern Med, February 17, 2004; 140(4): 309 - 309. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. G. Letz The Symbol of Modern Medicine Ann Intern Med, February 17, 2004; 140(4): 309 - 310. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. D. Lifschitz The Symbol of Modern Medicine Ann Intern Med, February 17, 2004; 140(4): 310 - 310. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. J. Chobanian The Symbol of Modern Medicine Ann Intern Med, February 17, 2004; 140(4): 310 - 311. [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Paparounas The Symbol of Modern Medicine Ann Intern Med, February 17, 2004; 140(4): 311 - 311. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Newman The Symbol of Modern Medicine Ann Intern Med, February 17, 2004; 140(4): 311 - 311. [Full Text] [PDF]