The symbol of medicine is the cadusa. It has two snakes. Why snakes?

Answer 1

It originated from an actual medical procedure. A species of parasite, Dracunculus medinensis (also known as the “guinea worm” or “fiery serpent”), is known to have existed in ancient Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman, and Arabian civilizations. It causes a disease known as dracunculiasis, which still commonly exists today in Egypt, Sudan, the Near East, India, Yemen and southern Russia. Being a parasitic worm that grows up to 1 meter in length, 2 mm in width and lives just under a human’s skin, it is a species that is easily recognized in ancient writings. To remove the parasite, a physician would cut the skin just in front of the worm’s path. As the worm slowly exited the skin, the physician would carefully wrap the worm around a stick over a period of days, until the entire animal was removed. Any rushing would result in a failed procedure and further complications. Physicians would advertise this service by displaying a sign of a worm wrapped around a stick. The procedure required technical know-how, patience, close attention and a delicate touch, which made it a fitting symbol of a physician’s care.

The symbol of a worm wrapped around a stick most likely served as the precursor to the Greek medical symbol of a snake wrapped around a staff. To many ancient people including the Greeks, the way a snake sheds its old faded dry skin and emerges as a healthy glistening creature with vivid colors represented a sort of renewed youth. This caused the snake to be commonly associated with the powers of healing, and thus to Asclepius, the god of healing. In Greece there were around 300 temples dedicated to Aesclepius. Many harmless snakes lived within these temples, where people would go to heal themselves. Today the staff of Asclepius with snake entwined is used as a symbol by many professional medical organizations all over the world.

Answer 2

the only snake on a artwork force image is called the serpent of Epidauruson the staff of Aesculapius, and could be considered contained in the bottom leftquarter of the look after on the crest of the Royal PharmaceuticalSociety of significant Britain. Aesculapius became between the Greek Gods ofmedicine, and is oftentimes depicted wearing a artwork force with a snake coiledaround it. The snake turned right into a form of information, immortality andhealing in center and far eastern cultures a strategies older than that ofancient Greece, even if its affiliation with Aesculapius has beenattributed to snakes used at a temple committed to him in Epidaurusin the north eastern Peloponnese. This image is sometimes consideredparticularly acceptable for pharmacy.

Answer 3

Actually, it's the staff belonging originally to the Greek god Hermes. One day, he saw two snakes fighting, and in order to stop them, he stuck a stick in between the two snakes, who coiled around it. How this became the symbol for medicine, I can't really remember, but I did know once.

Answer 4

The staff is not Mercury's caduceus. It is the single-snake crutch of Aesculapius, who was the Roman god of healing.

The Greeks prayed to Asclepius during plagues and in times of illness. His best-known child was Hygeia, the goddess of health. Epidaurus in Greece was the special site of his followers, the Asclepiads, the first physicians. Asclepius's symbol, a snake entwined around a staff, is often used as a symbol of the medical profession.

Asclepius's father was the god Apollo, who taught his son the art of health. But Asclepius misused this gift by trying to revive a dead man.

Answer 5

You mean caduceus. The snakes were originally ribbons, and the symbol had astrological significance. It isn't too clear why they became snakes when it became a medical symbol Check out the Wikipedia article below.

Answer 6

They are the snakes that killed Laocoon's sons (sent by Poseidon, the Greek god of water). Laocoon was a famous Trojan doctor and after being punished injustly by Poseidon, the rest of the Greek gods created this symbol of medicine that will always remind of him.

Answer 7

I think it originated from Moses. Read the following scripture.
Numbers 21: 5-9
5And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

9And 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.

Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Moses. Serpent on his staff, look to the Messiah and live.