MEDICAL SYMBOLS: FACTS, ERRORS AND CONFUSION Moreover

Moreover, with the help of which army?
WHEN DID HERMES DEFEAT
ASCLEPIUS?

OBJECTIVES
To review differences between Hermes and Asclepius
To review the definition of caduceus
To review the historical use of the caduceus in Medicine
To review the use of the caduceus by the US army
To review current medicine state in regards to caduceus use
To discuss appropriateness of Rod of Asclepius vs. Caduceus as a symbol of Medicine

Hermes- Greek Mercury- Roman
God of Commerce and Merchants
Messenger of the Gods
Magic wand between 2 snakes.
Multiple Hermes

Pre- Homeric Hermes
God of the Boundary-stone
God of roads and paths
God of the “agora” or marketplace
God of oratory
God of a fertility cult
Psycho-pomp
God of luck

Archaic Hermes
700-500 BC. Homeric Hymns
Could “put people to sleep”
Messenger of the Gods
God of athletic contests
A trickster, a thief and a liar
Apollo gave him the caduceus
Peter Paul Rubens. “Mercury and Argus”, saving Io from Hera.

Traditional Hermes
Becomes Hermes-Mercury
God of gymnasiums and athletes
Birth of at least 9 infants
Hermes “transplanted” Zeus muscles
Many attributes
Invented speech!

Hermes-Thoth
Greco-Egyptian. 5th century BC.
Gods ran to Egypt in fear of Typhon
Scribe, heart and tongue of Ra.
Great ethics
Invented enemas, revived Horus
Creator of ALL arts and science.
Wisest of all gods.

Wise, knowledgeable wise
Inventive: arts and science
Grave judge of right and truth
Death: officiated souls judgment
Scribe of the Gods
Source of laws
Ibis
Wise, clever wise
Inventive: crafts and objects
Liar, Trickster
Death: psycho-pomp
Messenger of the Gods
Sexually promiscuous
Caduceus
Traditional Hermes
Thoth

Hermes Trismegistus
Three-times Great
2nd-1st century B.C.
Pseudo-Hermes trismegistus
Written by roman philosophers,
Between 3rd – 4th century
Alchemy created by Hermes3

Asclepius- Greek
Aesculapius - Roman
Demi-God of Medicine?
The “ blameless physician”?
A Hero? Together with his sons
God of Medicine?

Mycenaean inscriptions 1500 BC
Homer circa 900 BC, NO GOD but a HERO
Hesiod 700 BC DEMI-GOD
Pindar 520-442 BC DEMI GOD
Progressive deification 500 BC-100 AD
Hellenistic Greece 420 BC. GOD
Pausianas 140 AD Roman.
ASCLEPIUS DEIFICATION

Apollo and Coronis were lovers.
Rightful Apollo killed Coronis
Asclepius accepted gold
Post –Homeric Greece
Asclepius was destroyed because he was greedy
Son of a GOD, and a mortal
Apollo’s jealousy killed Coronis.
Asclepius born by C-section
Zeus killed Asclepius.
Asclepius was destroyed because of his benevolence to mankind
ASCLEPIUS BIRTH AND DEATH
As told by HESIOD. 700 BC
As told by PINDAR. 520-440BC

Askles: a tyrant of Epidaurus
Epios: Greek for gentleness, kindness, calmness
“kindness to all those suffering”.
“ To cut open” “ The mole-Hero”.
Etymology :pre-Greek
WHAT’S IN THE NAME?
Sebastiano Riccica, 1720. “Dream with Asclepius”. Academy Gallery, Venice, Italy

Father: Apollo
Mother: Coronis
Wife: Epione, “epios”
Machaon: “Surgery”
Podalirius: “ Internal Medicine”
Hygeia: goddess of health.
Panacea: “ soothing simples” or remedies
ASCLEPIUS’ FAMILY
Asclepius and his family meet the sick. Unknown author. National Museum of Art. Athens.

HERMES AND ASCLEPIUS’ FAMILY
Daughters: Hygieia, Panacea, Meditrina, Aceso, Iaso, Aglaea
Sons: Machaon, Podalirius, Telesphoros,
Killed by Zeus with a Thunderbolt
Post-mortem God
Constellation Ophiuchus

JOHN WILLIAM WATERHOUSE. “ A SICK CHILD BROUGHT INTO THE TEMPLE OF ASCLEPIUS. 1877
SANCTUARY OF ASCLEPIUS, ALBANIA. BUILT III BC

Hippocrates > the Asclepiad (Plato’s)
> the leader of the Asclepiads ( Aristotle’s)
Medicine: responsibility to care for the sick, even if placed the physician at danger. Despite social status, financial gain or personal risk
Altruistic art
Lover of all people
Accessible to supplicants
Man-God
Killed for his compassion to the condemned
Dared to care for the outcast, regardless of the consequences
ASCLEPIADS
Asclepius
Asclepiads- Physicians

Hermes was Aesculapius Uncle
Saved him from his death (some say)
Hermes thought to have married Hygeia (among many others)
HERMES AND AESCULAPIUS RELATIONSHIP
Hermes, a merchant, Aesculapius, Meditrine, Hygeia, Panacea. Engraved from an original in the then Museum Pio Clemens in Rome Galerie Mythologique, Recueil de Monuments by Aubin Louis Millin, Paris 1811

ONE MORE COMPARISON HAD BEEN MADE….
Christianity
Paganism

Caduceus: Latin word
From Greek word kerykeion
Herald’s wand
Non- Medical dictionaries: still Herald’s wand
..” figure whose basic structure consists of two serpents encircling a wand or rod”
DEFINITION OF CADUCEUS

THE CADUCEUS IN MEDICINE
Caius’ emblem
Butt’s caduceus
Harvey’s caduceus
Caduceus of Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Caduceus of the Royal College of Physicians, London. Caius

SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
John Caius
Sir William Butts
William Harvey
President of the Royal College of Medicine 1555-1571. “Authority should be exercised with gentleness and mercy”. Snakes> prudence. Replica given to ACP in 1954.
Prudent in judgment
Similar coat of arms as 2 other Padua’s law students (1602)

CADUCEUS AS A PRINTER’S MARK
Johann Froben’s printer’s mark. 1516. medical and non- medical books
John Churchill’s printer's mark. 1837. Medical books
Multiple American printer’s marks derived from Churchill’s.
Medicine, Literis. Unbreakable bond unites

ROD OF ASCLEPIUS- MILITARY MEDICAL CORPS
France
German WWI medical uniform
Indian
UK
Australia
Army Reserve
South Africa

CADUCEUS IN MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS?
AAMC
AMA
Founded in 1876
Caduceus insignia in 1987-88
Changed logo recently
Founded in 1847
JAMA 1883

QUESTIONS??
Claude Lorrain. Asclepius reviving Hippolytus