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 Replies: 11 / Views: 651 |
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New Member
United States
8 Posts |
Why is the staff of Aesculapius considered to be the most accurate symbol of medicine? Why does the snake sometimes drink from a bowl held by a goddess? Why is the staff forked at the top? And what about the winged staff with two snakes?
Here is the story.
In ancient days if people drank from contaminated water they would ingest an organism which would break through the gut into the tissues, and grow, as long as several feet. It was endemic in North Africa and the Levant. This is called Dracunculus medenensis, or Guinea Worm. Fortunately, it has almost been eradicated. When mature, and the arm or leg where it lived was immersed in water, it would break through the skin, disgorge its offspring and the cycle would begin again. The classic treatment is to
-splash water on the wound
-grab the snake with a forked stick
-twirl up as much as possible without breaking it
-repeat every day until it is cured.
This treatment, referred to in the ancient Egyptian medical papyri, is the oldest condition known for which we have a recognized cause and rational cure. No incantations, no astrology, no sorcery needed.
As a result, the forked staff became the proper symbol of medicine. It is often pictured as the staff of the demi-god Aesculapius, god of medicine, drinking from a bowl held by Hygeia, daughter of Aesculapius. This refers to the practice of splashing the wound with water as the beginning of the cure. Hygeia became goddess of Pharmacy.
Michelangelo knew about this. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel shows that Aaron's rod is a forked staff about which a snake is entwined, and it is being used to cure the migrating Israelites from the plague of fiery serpents which is probably the Guniea Worm.
That is probably more than enough boring information for now. Who was Aesculapius? And why did the Romans, the Greeks, and the whole Western world worship him? Why so many coins depicting Aesculapius. And all the snakes. Snakes everywhere. And what about the winged Caduceus as a symbol for medicine? Time for that later.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
878 Posts |
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New Member
 United States
8 Posts |
Spectacular coin. From the year 49 BC, several years after Caesar was assassinated.This is Salus, not Aesculapius. She is holding a serpent, and resting her left arm on a column. It is by the Roman Republic Moneyer Man Acilius Glabrio Babelon #8, RIC 42. Salus was daughter of Aesculapius, a minor goddess herself, whose job was to care for the snakes used for healing, not disease. Salus was also a noun meaning security, a good thing to have in the turbulent times after Caesar's death.
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
25156 Posts |
Culion Leper Colony 1 Peso 1913  Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2521 Posts |
What a fascinating story. Who knew?
What rock had I been living under.
Thanks crustedcoin!
The Ox moves slowly, but the Earth is patient.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
9399 Posts |
 I had never heard about this before. I now feel enlightened. |
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Moderator
Australia
16826 Posts |
The United States Government's insistence on using the caduceus (with two snakes, as seen on the Culion Island coin above) as a symbol of medicine, instead of the Rod of Asclepius (with just one snake) is a cause of irritation amongst those who care about both the correct usage of ancient symbolism and about modern medicine. Apparently, the US army officer who originally chose the caduceus design back in 1902 did so simply because it was more symmetrical, plus the wings gave the impression of speed, a rapid response to illness or injury. But the caduceus is traditionally associated with the god Hermes/Mercury, not Asclepius/Aesculapius and has no ancient linkage with medicine.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7276 Posts |
The Portugal 10,000$00 escudo note also features the snakes but no staff. This note is Pick 185c(3) 16.05.1991 signatures: Jose Alberto Tavares Moreira & Jose de Matos Torres From a print of 12 680 000 On the Obverse, you have António Caetano de Abreu Freire Egas Moniz (29 November 1874 - 13 December 1955), who was a Portuguese neurologist and the developer of cerebral angiography. He is regarded as one of the founders of modern psychosurgery, having developed the surgical procedure leucotomy—better known today as lobotomy, for which he became the first Portuguese national to receive a Nobel Prize in 1949 (shared with Walter Rudolf Hess). He held academic positions, wrote many medical articles and also served in several legislative and diplomatic posts in the Portuguese government. In 1911 he became professor of neurology in Lisbon until his retirement in 1944. While at the time the treatment was heralded, today the treatment is viewed negatively. The reverse of the note shows the Nobel prize and a modern reproduction of the Caduceus. Which people associate with Medicine, but in reality the medical symbol should be the Rod of Asclepius. The 10,000 escudos was the highest denomination issued by Portugal with a value of around $75 in 1991.   |
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New Member
United States
8 Posts |
Ok, regarding the Caduceus of Mercury vs the Staff of Aesculapius-- the image on Hondo Boguss' coin is the Caduceus of Mercury. Mercury was fleet of foot, often pictured with wings also on his heels. He was god of travellers, commerce, messengers, and also charlatans, (and some say attorneys, but I wouldn't as I am married to one). Since physicians also travel, he might have been associated with medicine. This was sealed in modern times by a British bookseller Johann Froben who used the caduceus as his printer's device or seal, and it appeared on medical books.
But its use in medicine goes way way back. If you go to Ephesis, the city in Turkey where Mark Anthony slept with Cleopatra, and to whence Mother Mary lived her final years, you will find the Doctor's house. Outside it is a big carved stone which functioned like an advertisement for what was available for sale inside. On one side is the staff of Aesculapius. On the other is the caduceus. Perhaps the caduceus is placed to attract those outside of the Hellenistic world who would have easily recognize the forked staff and single worm. And Ephesis, at that time, was a port city on the Mediterranean; it is inland now only due to recent geologic changes. Ephesis was a major place for travellers with its wide boulevards, unbelievable amphitheater, multi story library, streetlights and plumbing, even at the time of Christ.
In my mind, the single forked staff with a single snake or worm entwined is the proper symbol as it is revered as the staff of Aesculapius. Sap is correct that the winged staff of Mercury, the Caduceus, with two snakes entwined is the symbol of the US Army medical corps.
So, The forked staff with a single snake, held by an elderly robed man, is the absolutely classic symbol of Greek and Roman coins, but when the Caduceus is encountered as a symbol of medicine, we should accept it.
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
For an interesting read, here a post from commems that discusses the "Misuse Of Mythology" between Asclepius and Caduceus in the US... http://goccf.com/t/398533 |
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New Member
United States
8 Posts |
Thank you for referencing this great article. Commems notes that the usual symbol for Aesculapius is a stout club with one snake. If you believe the interpretation that the snake should be entwined around a forked stick, not a club, because the stick is used to remove the Dracunculus worm from a patient, then why does Aesculapius carry a club. He is a Doctor, after all. He is a healer, who overstepped his bounds and brought a patient back from the dead. For this, Zeus killed Aesculapius with a lightning bolt.
It is curious to think that death completely surrounds the birth and death of Aesculapius. He was born in strange circumstances. His father, Zeus, discovered that his mother, a mortal, had cheated on him, so he killed her, but discovered she was pregnant (with Aesculapius), so the baby was delivered.
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
Quote:
Thank you for referencing this great article. My pleasure.  |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 651 |
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Posted 03/18/2024 10:04 pm
