Why Does Snake Becomes the Medical Symbol

VIVA – Snake is scary creature or known as dangerous animals, many of which have deadly venom. However, in the medical field, snakes are used as a symbol for healthcare, such as World Health Organization (WHO). So, why did snake become a medical symbol?

The medical symbol often displays a snake coiled around a staff. This symbol is quite popular and can be found on pharmaceutical packaging and hospital signage.

As known, snake bites can be painful, so why did snakes become a symbol of the medical profession? There are two versions of the snake symbol in the medical field.

The winged version, known as the caduceus, and the staff with a coiled snake, is the staff carried by the Olympian god Hermes.

In Greek mythology, Hermes is the God of messengers between Gods and Humans, which explains the wings. He is also a guide to the underworld, which explains the significance of the staff.

Furthermore, Hermes is also the protector of travelers, which makes his connection to medicine and the medical world quite fitting since doctors in the past had to travel long distances on foot to visit their patients.

In one version of the myth of Hermes, he was given the staff by Apollo, the God of healing, among other attributes.

However, in another version, Hermes also received the staff from Zeus, the king of the gods, which was originally tied with two ribbons.

Then, the ribbons were later replaced with snakes, originating from a story where Hermes used the staff to separate two fighting snakes.

Finally, the two snakes coiled around the staff and remained there in a balanced harmony. Nevertheless, there is another depiction of the medical symbol known as the Rod of Asclepius, although it is wingless and only has a single snake.

Asclepius is the son of Apollo, who married a human named Coronis. In Greek mythology, Asclepius is known as the god of medicine, renowned for his ability to heal the sick and bring the dead back to life.

In one story, Zeus killed Asclepius with a lightning bolt for disrupting the natural order of the world by resurrecting the dead.

However, in another version, it is depicted that Zeus killed him as punishment for accepting money in exchange for performing a resurrection.