Caduceus or staff of Hermes

Carry it in your left hand and

Hermes staff is great name for a contracting-hiring-consulting firm.

Note: snakes on the "original" Greco-Roman caduceus coiled only a couple of times around the rod, in addition, the wings, when present, were located below the serpents. The "modern" caduceus representation adopted in the U.S. is based on designs developed by various 19th centuries printers and publishers.

Caduceus as symbol of medicine: controversy

The controversy started shortly after U.S. Army Medical Corps (USAMC) adopted the caduceus as its emblem in 1902 and continues up to day. Traditionaly the staff of Aesculapius (Asklepios) was accepted and is considered as the genuine symbol of medicine. The symbol is very powerful and endured for centuries in many countries including United States. In Greek mythology Aesculapius, god-born mortal, a mythical hero-physician exemplified all virtures of a true healer. Unlike the caduceus the staff of Aesculapius was rough and knobbed and only one snake was coiled around it.

Many medical historians and doctors resent caduceus because its introduction into medical symbolism interrupted ancient connection of medical practice with Aesculapian legacy. Yet there are many other who defend the caduceus and justify its usage as medical emblem.

The following is a compiled list of interesting facts and opinions on the subject.

• The U.S. Public Health Service has chosen the caduceus as its emblem in 1871, 31 years before the U.S. Army Medical Corps adopted it.
• The Public Health Service's relationships with merchants seamen was a primary reason for the choice.
• The medicine of the United States has turned into a free-market buisness enterprise that would flatter the reputation of Hermes.
• Hermes' duties of leading souls of dead to the underworld seems appropriate in the lights of all horror stories associated with "high-throughput" emergency rooms' and hospitalization practices.
• The origin of single-snake staff is traced to Moses: "And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived".
• On the other hand, some parasitologists psychologically associate the origin of staff of Aesculapius with practice of treating dracunculiasis by pulling a worm out of the skin by winding it on a stick - as if worm (up 2-3 feet long) around the stick could inspire the design of staff of Aesculapius.
• Snakes are widely accepted as ancient symbols of wisdom and rebirth, so two snakes, if not better than one because of "botched" symbolism, might not be significantly worse.
• Discovery of DNA as a double helix molecule may tip the scales toward double-snaked staff.
• Finally, Hermes was such versatile god, endowed with so many talents, that his staff's symbolism can be applied virtually to anything. It is true that Hermes was unethical at times more like a mischievous child than immoral adult but who among all these letcherous and spoiled Greek gods wasn't? Perhaps, Aesculapius was one among very few.

Appendix

• Hermes and Aesculapius were relatives: both Apollo and Hermes are sons of Zeus (mothers are Leto and Maia, respectively), Aesculapius is Apollo's son. Appolo gave his staff to Hermes in exchange for flute that Hermes had invented.
• Hermes was god, Aesculapius was mortal.
• Staff (rod) of Aesculapius was wooden with one snake; staff of Hermes was golden with two snakes.

Hermes other stuff (attributes)

• Lyre
• Winged sandals
• Winged helmet

References

• Wilcox RA, Whitham EM. The symbol of modern medicine: why one snake is more than two. (PMID: 12693891) and comments to the article
• web resources
• personal comments