In his timely article [1], Dr. Bailey recalls our tradition of healing and service by recounting the story of Asklepios, the ancient Greek god of medicine and the prototypic physician. Traditions are important; they remind us of our duty under difficult conditions. Symbols are important for the same reason. The most widely recognized symbol of medicine is the staff of Asklepios (Aesculapius), a rod topped by a "Y" and entwined by a single snake [2]. This staff, for example, is the insignia of the British Royal Army Medical Corps. In the United States, however, the usual symbol of medicine is the caduceus, a straight rod with two wings and two snakes intertwined. This was the staff of Hermes (Mercury), god of commerce and messenger of the gods. Apparently, this error occurred when the U.S. Army Medical Department chose the caduceus as its insignia, although the caduceus may have acquired its medical association because Hermes was the patron of alchemy.

It can be argued that many of our current problems are related to a decreasing understanding of the significance of symbols. Few would claim that marriage certificates, oaths of office, contracts, or handshakes have as much meaning as they did in former generations. The same may be true in medicine. As we struggle with obstipated insurance companies, dithering bureaucrats, and managed care that barely manages to care, we may need a symbol to remind us where our primary allegiance lies. Part of the problem may be that, as a standard around which to rally, the staff of medicine has been confused with the symbol of "trade, commerce, communication, and thieves" [2].