Staff Variations

aj32_4_100ppi.jpg

Title

Staff Variations

Description

One snake or two? Some see the staff with one snake as the 'true' symbol of medicine. The staff with one snake was symbolic of Aesculapius, the god of medicine and healing, whereas a staff with two snakes represented Hermes, the god of sun and commerce. From 1953 - 1980, the flag of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare displayed a staff with only one snake. The American Medical Association abandoned the double snake caduceus in favor of a staff with one snake in 1912.

Identifier

aj32_4

Citation

“Staff Variations,” Exhibits, accessed March 28, 2024, https://utswlibrary.omeka.net/items/show/134.