Hospital emblem. Bowl with a snake as a symbol of medicine. Red cross and red crescent

Even at a time when the social system of mankind was extremely primitive and in its infancy, the first steps were taken towards the creation of a modern symbol of medicine. In ancient beliefs, snakes became the main symbol of healing; duality was attributed to them. On the one hand, these creatures were insidious and cunning, and on the other, they represented wisdom, knowledge, immortality and proper nutrition. It is interesting that all these qualities mainly applied to simple snakes, which were also called “Aesculapian snakes”. In the houses of the ancient Greeks and Romans, these creatures felt quite comfortable, they were looked after, fed, and could move freely around the house. It is known that snakes often licked wounds. Somewhat later, they began to add a bowl to the symbolism of the snake, and sometimes a staff, around which the reptile was wrapped. This is how the symbol of medicine, the bowl with the snake, was born.

Ancient Greek myths played a significant role in the formation of the symbol of the bowl with the snake. For example, the great healer Asclepius (in Roman mythology Aesculapius) was always depicted next to snakes. According to legend, he was summoned by King Minos to revive his son. On the way, Asclepius noticed that a snake was beginning to crawl out of the cane that served him as a support. He was overcome by fear and quickly killed her. A moment later, another snake crawled out of the grass, with a bunch of some grass in its mouth, with the help of which it managed to revive its dead relative, and they crawled away. The doctor took this as a sign and began to look for this herb. Having discovered it, he was subsequently able to successfully resurrect the king’s son. This was the reason why Zeus himself decided to kill him, because he feared that because of him people would become immortal. Thus, the snake firmly took root in ancient culture. The first images with a snake entwining a bowl began to appear in the 11th BC. e. Other, no less well-known symbols were also used, for example:

a snake wrapped around a staff (thanks to the myths about Asclepius);
a snake entwining the tripod of Apollo;
a pentagram, later recognized by Christians as heresy and replaced by the image of a hand with outstretched fingers.

Also, snakes have become a symbol of eternal youth, thanks to their ability to “shed”, removing old skin. Even in ancient Africa, these reptiles were considered medicinal and were associated with sorcerers, since only they knew how to subjugate them to their will.

The bowl has always been perceived by people as something good and saving, since fresh water could be stored in it. This turned out to be especially true for arid lands, where, due to rare rains, water was often mistaken for a gift from heaven. Even in Christianity there is a reflection of this - the communion cup, a cup that can save a person from his sins.

An interesting fact is that initially the cup was not a separate attribute of healing and, according to mythology, belonged to Hygiea, the daughter of Asclepius. She always holds a snake in one hand and a bowl in the other. Subsequently, this symbol was combined into one, which gave rise to numerous disputes among historians.

The interpretation of the cup varies greatly, depending on the source, it can either be a repository for poison used for treatment, or serve as a reminder that the doctor must be wise and draw his knowledge from the cup of world knowledge, which, in fact, is an allegory on the human mind, which declared the whole world.

The “Hippocratic Cup” appeared only in the 13th century, becoming the official symbol of medicine. However, no documents capable of confirming this have survived to this day.

Medical students gave the most positive interpretation of their symbol. According to their version, the doctor is cunning, like a snake, and is also always happy to drink, which is what the cup symbolizes.

Conclusion

In the modern world, the symbol of medicine - a bowl with a snake, is quite often used by pharmaceutical companies, but it can also be seen in military medicine. This is one of the most recognizable symbols of our time. Its appearance is quite logical, largely thanks to the culture of the ancient Greeks and Romans, which spread throughout almost all of Eurasia. Thanks to this, ancient medicine was able to rise quite high, and healers began to enjoy even greater respect.

It is assumed that snake symbol in medicine appeared in Ancient Babylon about four thousand years ago.

The snake was generally one of the totem animals among ancient people. Characteristic of that time was the endowment of magical properties to animals - totemism. They were worshiped, elevated to cult. The totem snake was assigned a dual role: the role of good and evil. On the one hand, the snake symbolized deceit and cunning, and on the other, immortality, wisdom and knowledge.

The symbol of the snake is present among many peoples and symbolizes goodness, prosperity and health. Snakes were also credited with a magical role in healing wounds and teaching witchcraft.
There are different hypotheses trying to explain the connection of the snake among many peoples with the healing of the sick. According to one of them, people associate incomprehensible phenomena with incomprehensible and mysterious creatures, which were snakes. The causes of illness and death were still unknown.
Snakes were deified and considered immortal, as they were able to shed their skin and be reborn. It was believed that people also had this gift, but cunning snakes stole it.

Crawling creatures appeared in the mythology of the Ancient East, in which they were associated with health and healing. In Africa they were associated with healing and witchcraft. Obviously because sorcerers were engaged in treatment (the symbol of the sorcerer was a snake).

In European countries, the snake was a symbol of more than just healing. She symbolized knowledge and wisdom. It is quite possible that the first doctors were noted as knowledgeable, “learned” people.

There are quite a lot of hypotheses and assumptions, but there is one fact - the symbol of medicine is a snake.

At first, the snake was depicted without any additional attributes. Later, the emblem in the form of Apollo’s tripod entwined with a snake became known. But still the most famous are three medicine emblems: cup with snake, caduceus and staff of Asclepius.

One of the most recognizable symbols of medicine is the staff of Asclepius. A snake coiled around a gnarled stick.

Asclepius is the god of healing, the son of the god of truth and prophecies Apollo. According to legend, he knew how to resurrect the dead. Zeus, fearing that all people would become immortal, killed him with a lightning strike. According to one legend, Asclepius was invited to the palace of Minos, the king of Crete, whose son had died. Asclepius leaned on his staff on the way, when suddenly a snake wrapped itself around this staff. Frightened, the doctor killed her. The second one immediately climbed onto the staff to resurrect the first one with the help of magic grass. Asclepius found this herb and used medicine to resurrect the son of King Minos.
Therefore, Asclepius is depicted standing in a long cloak, leaning on a staff with a snake. By the way, sometimes they were depicted with two snakes, which was apparently confused with the rod of Hermes.

Rod of Hermes (Romans - Mercury) or caduceus

The word "caduceus" is Greek. Indicates the sign of the messenger's authority. The Caduceus is the magic staff of the god Hermes, the messenger of the Greek gods. Two snakes wrap around him. At the top of the wand is a pair of wings, a symbol of balanced and virtuous behavior. Now it is a symbol of commerce and medicine. However, previously it was a rather diverse symbolic figure (it’s interesting if you know that Hermes, in addition to merchants, also patronized thieves and rogues). For the last four thousand years, the caduceus has been associated with divine powers, sometimes with messengers of the gods. In alchemy it was a symbol of duality and cosmic energy.

The association with medicine arose from the presence of the same snakes, as well as the snake on the staff of Asclepius.

Bowl with snake

“Cunning as a snake and not a fool to drink” -
medical students

The most common medical emblem in Russia. The first images date back to the 8th century BC. At first these were two different symbols: . These were the attributes of the daughter of Aesculapius - the goddess of health Hygeia (the science of hygiene, remember?). Hygeia was depicted with a cup in one hand and a snake in the other. And there was no such symbol before as we are used to seeing now.

Historians believe that the cup with a snake as a symbol was proposed by the famous physician Paracelsus in the 16th century. There are several versions about the true meaning of the symbol. It is possible that the bowl with the snake symbolizes snake venom with its healing properties. But most often the cup is considered as a source of wisdom and intelligence, a source of knowledge for the doctor.

Hygeia was depicted with a snake drinking from a cup

In Russia, a bowl with a snake appeared as the main medical symbol in the 18th century (at first with two snakes). In 1924, a symbol similar to the modern one was the distinctive sign of military medicine. This sign is currently the official emblem of the military medical personnel of the Russian Army.

Symbol of military medics since 2005

Red cross symbol

This is the official emblem of the Red Cross Society. Many associate it with medical activities and perceive it as “everything medical.” The meaning of this symbol is completely different. This is a special symbol. Designed to protect doctors during military operations. Therefore, it is now being removed from pharmacy signs, medical caps, and car first aid kits (I’m not sure if it’s active). This is one of the few symbols that is recognized throughout the world.

Symbols of the Red Cross

The symbol of the red cross and red crescent (and now also the red diamond) is the official emblem of the International Red Cross Movement. The initiator of the creation of a society providing charitable medical care to those wounded during wars was the Swiss Henri Dunant in the 19th century. Essentially, the red cross is an inverted (colors swapped) flag of Switzerland. Although the symbol of the red cross has been known since the times of the Crusades.
In Muslim countries, the red crescent emblem plays the same role; in Israel, the red Star of David is common.

In 2005, the International Committee of the Red Cross adopted another symbol: a red diamond (or crystal). The fact is that the Committee received a large number of applications for recognition of national emblems: the red flame from Thailand, the red cedar from Lebanon, the red palm tree from Syria, even the red rhinoceros from Sudan. A red star was declared for Zimbabwe. They considered that such diversity could destroy the very idea of a universal symbol, so they left these three emblems.

According to the Geneva Convention of 1949, the Red Cross emblem is assigned to humanitarian medical transports, buildings, and missions for the purpose of protection against attack during armed conflict. This symbol is used on buildings, cars, and is applied to uniforms. This emblem has one peculiarity: it cannot be purchased as a trademark or brand.
Now there is confusion in Russia: the red stripe, red cross and telephone number 03 on ambulances are applied according to GOST 1975, but according to the Geneva Convention this is prohibited.

Star of Life

Ambulance emblem. First of all in the USA

An emblem that looks like a blue snowflake. The six-pointed star symbol representing emergency medical care in the United States. In the center of the emblem is the famous staff of Asclepius with a snake. Used on emergency medical vehicles throughout the United States. Until 1973, the ambulance service used an orange cross on a white background (orange is the color of all EMERCOM workers, as it is clearly visible). In 1997, the US patent for this symbol expired. Now it can be seen in other countries (for example Peru, Poland).

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There are several well-known medical emblems, each with its own unique origin and meaning.

Staff of Asclepius

The Staff of Asclepius is a famous medical symbol. He is depicted as a knotted stick around which a snake is entwined, head up. This emblem originated in Ancient Greece, around the 8th century BC.

According to legend, the patron of medicine, Asclepius (in Roman mythology -), who had divine origin, was a most skilled doctor and could even resurrect the dead. One day he was invited to the palace of the Cretan king, Minos, to resurrect his dead son. Asclepius walked, leaning on a staff around which a snake coiled. He got scared and killed it, but suddenly a second snake appeared, carrying some kind of plant in its mouth. With this herb she resurrected the dead woman. Asclepius realized that this plant was healing, collected it and resurrected the king’s son.

Bowl with snake

The snake bowl is the most famous medical symbol. For the first time, her images began to appear around 800-600 BC. Initially, the cup and the snake were attributes of Hygeia, the daughter of Aesculapius, who held them in different hands.

Subsequently, this emblem was forgotten for a long time. It was only in the 16th century, at the suggestion, that a bowl with a snake became a medical symbol. According to various assumptions, the snake is a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and immortality, as well as the healing properties of its venom, which was widely used in medicine of that time. And the bowl is a vessel for storing them.

Caduceus

Caduceus - the rod of the Greek messenger of the gods Hermes (in the myths of Ancient Rome - Mercury). He is depicted as a staff with wings entwined with two snakes. Snakes are a symbol of interaction and balance of opposites. In ancient Rome, the caduceus also symbolized virtue and mystery.

For a long time it was used as a sign that protects commercial or political correspondence. Now it is the emblem of commerce and medicine.

Red Cross

In 1859, a Swiss citizen, Henri Dunant traveled to Italy, where he witnessed the Battle of Solferino. The army's medical services failed to cope with their duties, since they did not have a distinctive emblem that could be identified during battle. As a result, after the battle, several thousand wounded soldiers were left on the battlefield without help.

In 1863, at the International Conference in Geneva, the symbol of a red cross on a white background was approved as a distinctive sign of assistance to wounded military personnel. A year later it was recognized as the insignia of the armed forces medical service.

Star of Life

The star of life is depicted as a blue snowflake. This sign appeared in the USA, where it is called “Star of life”. The Star of Life is the emblem of emergency medical services, regulated by the American Medical Association and the US Department of Health, Education and Human Services. This is the “youngest” medical symbol, it has been used only since February 1, 1977.

Each ray of the life star represents a different emergency medical service function: detection, alert, response, on-site assistance, assistance during transport, transport for subsequent assistance. The staff of Asclepius is usually depicted in its center.

Medicine, or the “art of healing,” dates back to ancient civilizations. Most modern symbols associated with her also originate from those times. They were particularly influenced by culture. What do medical signs and symbols mean? Photos and meanings of the most common emblems can be found later in the article.

Basic emblems

Throughout history, medicine has accumulated a huge number of emblems. We use them as identification marks and can be placed on documentation, offices or workwear of various healthcare organizations.

The most famous medical symbols and signs are:

red cross and red crescent;
vessel of Hygeia;
staff of Asclepius;
"star of life"
caduceus.

The most common are emblems depicting a snake - an ancient Greek symbol of wisdom, healing and rebirth. It was considered an attribute of the famous physician Hippocrates, the gods Hermes, Asclepius and Hygeia. A snake can be depicted with a staff, a bowl, a mirror, candles, Apollo’s tripod and other objects.

There are other medical signs. For example, an enema, a vessel for collecting urine, or a urinaria (as a symbol of the doctor’s care over the patient), a rooster, a drop of blood, an egg, a burning torch, a lamp.

Staff of Asclepius

The Staff of Asclepius is a medical sign born from myth. According to the latter, the staff of the ancient Greek god-healer was once wrapped around a snake. He killed her, but another one appeared on his way. In her mouth she held grass, which she used to resurrect her murdered “friend.”

Thus, Asclepius found a means to bring the dead back to life, and the snake entwining a staff became the first international emblem of the ancient art of healing. The symbol itself appeared around the 8th century BC.

The symbol of ambulance in many countries is the “star of life”. It represents the white staff of Asclepius against the background of a blue six-pointed star.

Vessel of Hygeia

Hygeia is the goddess of health and daughter of the legendary Asclepius. Since 800 BC, its symbol has been the bowl. Later, images of a bowl with a grass snake wrapped around it began to appear. Sometimes the goddess herself was depicted holding a cup in her hands and feeding a snake from it.

Around the 18th century, the vessel of Hygeia became a medical sign of pharmacy, first in Paris and then throughout the world. The National Society of Pharmacists of the USA and Canada has an award in the form of the Hygeia Cup, which is awarded to leaders in the field.

Caduceus

Kerikion, or caduceus, is another emblem originally from Ancient Greece. This medical sign is very similar to the staff of Asclepius, which leads to confusion between the two. But, unlike the staff, the caduceus belongs to Hermes.

The symbol is a rod with wings on top, which is entwined with two snakes. Hermes was a very multidisciplinary deity. He patronized merchants, travelers, magic and alchemy. His caduceus was considered the staff of heralds and had the ability to reconcile people. In ancient times it had nothing to do with medicine.

Later he became associated with secret knowledge, knowledge of the universe and the dualism of the Universe. The sign gained particular popularity in the 15th-16th centuries, when alchemists made it their symbol. It migrated to medicine only in the 19th century, personifying life and death as two sides of a single whole.

Red cross and crescent

The Red Cross emblem originated in 1863 as a symbol of aid to military personnel wounded in battle. It appeared thanks to the Swiss Henri Dunant, a witness to the Battle of Solferino. Henri saw that due to the lack of distinctive signs among orderlies and doctors, helping the victims on the battlefield was very difficult. The result was a red cross on a white background.

During the Russo-Turkish War, the Ottoman Empire abandoned the cross, associating it with a religious sign. Instead, they used a red crescent on a white background. In 1929, in Geneva, the crescent was recognized as the second emblem of aid. It is more common in Muslim countries.

Both signs are symbols of the International Red Cross and Crescent Movement, which is committed to helping all those in need, regardless of their differences, and promoting world peace.

Everyone knows that the symbol of medicine is a bowl with a snake, and people jokingly call it “mother-in-law eating ice cream.” But not everyone knows what this emblem means. What other symbols are there that denote medicine, where did they come from and what is their true meaning? This is exactly what we will talk about in our article.

Where did medical symbols come from?

At different times, different cultures adopted their own symbols and emblems of medicine, which reflected the understanding and perception of death and life, indicated the image of the healer and methods of treatment. Speaking about various medical symbols, it is worth remembering the famous gods - patrons of healing, ancient methods of treatment and other features.

The most basic medicine is snakes. It was their image in a variety of forms that was used to indicate healing. The history of the use of this sign goes back to the ancient civilizations of the East, Greece and Egypt. For example, it is the snake that wraps itself around the body of Isis, the Egyptian patroness of healing. The snake is also accompanied by an inscription on the pillar of Sesostris I in Karnak, which says: “I give life, longevity and health... to the king of lower and upper Egypt.” Interestingly, the modern symbol of medicine also could not do without a snake image. Here the reptile encircles the bowl, and each part of this emblem deserves special attention.

As society developed, with an increase in the level of knowledge about nature and the environment, various phenomena reflecting them changed and were rethought. Today, the interpretation of the symbols of healing that have come down to us is quite diverse. There are about fifty different conventional images meaning medicine, but we will consider only the most common ones.

General and specific emblems of healing

For a comprehensive study of the issue, along with many scientific methods used in the study of medical symbolism, the historical method is also relevant.

The most valuable sources for studying the issue are numismatics and bonistics. The first studies coins, tokens, medals and orders, and the second examines paper banknotes from a historical, economic and artistic perspective. It is on coins and banknotes of different eras that one can find the largest number of medical symbols and emblems of healing, and in some cases this is generally the only source of confirmation of their physical existence.

Specialists who study the emblems and symbols of medicine tend to use a special classification, according to which all existing designations can be divided into private and general. Private ones include:

a drop of blood is a sign of a surgical profile;
image of a lily of the valley;
klistir (enema);
a hand feeling the pulse is the emblem of therapists;
image of a Florentine baby;
pentagrams of surgical instruments, such as a scalpel;
urinary;
mortars with or without pestle - such emblems are used by pharmacists or medical societies;
military medical signs (emblems).

Common medical symbols are much more famous. These include:

snake;
staff of Asclepius (Aesculapius) - a snake wrapped around a stick;
snake around the bowl;
two snakes entwining the rod of Hermes (Mercury);
egg;
a snake entwining the tripod of Apollo;
lamp;
ank Impotech;
a snake coiled around a mirror;
rooster;
one or two snakes twisted around a candle or lamp;
snake entwining the Delphic navel, omphalos;
burning candle or torch;
heart in palms and others.

Thus, we can conclude that general symbols mean healing in general, and private ones are designed to divide medicine into areas.

Why the snake is a symbol of medicine

At the dawn of civilization, in the just emerging primitive society, when the first totems reflected man’s helplessness before nature and the outside world, the snake was one of the main symbols. With the advent of religious cult, snakes were attributed the dual nature of good and evil. On the one hand, they personified deceit and cunning, and on the other, they were immortality.

It’s interesting, but in ancient beliefs the symbol of medicine was a quiet, harmless snake. They were called “Aesculapian snakes.” These reptiles were honorary residents of cult healing centers in Rome and Greece. The snakes moved freely around the house and treated those who were sick - they licked their wounds. The Romans and Greeks loved their snakes very much and kept them in their homes, baths and bathhouses.

Many nations have a good start, bringing prosperity to the home, health and happiness to those living in it. Also, according to legend, snakes heal wounds and can teach the wisdom of healing.

In ancient Eastern mythology, the snake was also associated with people’s health and their treatment, and in African countries it personified healing. Perhaps this is the only case in which it is possible to trace a chain of associations. The fact is that in Africa, only sorcerers were involved in treating people, and they were also poisonous snake charmers. And so a chain of associations appeared: sorcerer - snakes - treatment. Then, however, the sorcerers disappeared somewhere, but snakes and healing remained tightly connected.

In European countries, unlike Africa, the snake was associated not with sorcerers, but with wisdom and knowledge in general. eternal youth - rejuvenation in this case is symbolized by annual molting, skin change. This ability of the snake to literally “lose its temper” is interestingly reflected in Egyptian legends. At midnight, the great sun god Ra, together with his entourage, leaves the luminous boat and enters the body of a huge serpent. In the morning, they all emerge from his interior as children, again sit down in the sacred boat and continue their journey across the sky. This is exactly how, according to the ancient Egyptians, day gives way to night.

Similar myths of rejuvenation and immortality exist in African tales, Sumerian legends and Greek myths. As an ancient symbol of medicine, the snake was depicted without any additions or attributes. And only much later they began to attach a staff, tripod, mirror or the famous cup to it.

What does the cup symbolize?

Since the symbol of medicine is a bowl with a snake, the next thing we will talk about will be that. The most common interpretation of the fact that the bowl became a symbol of something good and saving, that is, medicine, is associated with the perception of fresh water in the arid regions of the globe. Since it rarely rained in these places, water became a gift from heaven. It was possible to preserve the gift of the heavenly gods using hands folded in the shape of a bowl, or stones with indentations, clay or metal utensils. Since entire villages were dying out from drought, prayers for rain began to be accompanied by requests for health and the preservation of life. On ancient Egyptian steles and frescoes, the sick person, turning to the gods with a request for recovery, holds exactly the cup in his hands.

Treatment with water became traditional for the countries of the Ancient East and India. Alchemists always used water or dew drops to obtain medicines. For healing, special cups with spells and symbols engraved on them were used. For example, to treat fear (“the disease of fear”), Muslims used a special “cup of fear” - a copper bowl specially made in Mecca and decorated with sayings from the Holy Koran.

Folk tales have preserved expressions associated with ritual cups to this day: “the cup of suffering”, “let the house become a full cup”, “drink the cup to the dregs”, “the cup of patience” and others. These sayings contain the dual nature of the image - a double-bottomed cup, a creation of heaven and earth. If a person drinks from the cup of earthly creation, his insides turn to earthly passions. Having drunk from the heavenly cup, a person directs his thoughts to heaven, to lofty ideals, and gets rid of earthly sins and passions. It is not without reason that one of them is the communion cup - the cup of deliverance from sins.

Staff

When considering the symbols of medicine, one cannot help but remember the staff - a gnarled pole around which a snake is usually coiled. This item represents a traveling stick, signifying the journey of healers. The staff not only helps along the way, but also increases the level of confidence. Indian medical treatises strongly recommended that the doctor carry a staff with him, since patients subconsciously trust more experienced, middle-aged people who have a connection with the earth.

It was this item that became the prototype of the doctor’s cane, especially popular in England in the Middle Ages. Sometimes, as a medical symbol, the staff was depicted with branches and foliage. This symbolized the beginning of a new life, rejuvenation.

In some emblems there is not a staff, but a rod of Mercury, or Hermes. This god was considered a mediator between the kingdoms of the dead and the living, between people and gods. According to legend, Hermes received his rod as a gift from Apollo. This was a reward for the fact that he invented such a musical instrument as the lyre and played it masterfully. The Greeks called this magic cane the kirekiyon, and the Romans called it the caduceus.

Pentagram and tripod

Symbols of medicine such as the pentagram and tripod of Apollo are also quite popular.

The first of them is a five-pointed star drawn with a single line. This sign has its roots in Mesopotamia and Egypt. It is believed that the five planets known at that time were connected in this way: Mars, Venus, Saturn, Mercury and Jupiter. This symbol was most often used as a talisman and amulet against spirits and creatures that cause misfortune and illness. A little later, during the widespread spread of Christianity, the pentagram became a sign of heretics and was replaced by the image of a hand with outstretched fingers.

The second sign is the tripod of Apollo. According to legend, at the foot of Mount Parnassus, Apollo killed Python, an evil monster guarding the valley. The Delphic Temple, a sanctuary of Apollo, was built on the site of the battle. One of the walls of the temple was a rock, from the crevice of which a heady aroma flowed. Nearby, on a golden tripod, sat Pythia, a priestess who communicated with the gods and thus learned their will. And since Apollo was the patron of medicine and healing, the tripod from his sanctuary became a special symbol that unites the three principles of medicine:

own observation;
analysis of other people's observations;
conclusion by analogy.

Staff of Asclepius

So, what does the medicine symbol mean, depicting a stick with a snake crawling up it? To begin with, it is worth noting that this sign has been most recognizable since about the 8th century BC. The history of this sign dates back to Greek myths. According to legend, Asclepius (the Romans called him Aesculapius) learned his craft, the art of healing, from a centaur named Chiron. He successfully applied the knowledge he gained in practice and became a skilled healer. He treated people so well that Zeus was afraid that thanks to his efforts, people would become immortal. So he killed Asclepius with a lightning strike.

There is a legend according to which one day Asclepius was invited to the court to resurrect his dead son. On the way to the palace, a snake suddenly climbed onto the stick on which Asclepius leaned while walking. The healer got scared and killed her. As soon as he took the life of the reptile, another snake appeared out of nowhere, carrying grass in its mouth. With the help of a bunch of grass, the snake resurrected its friend, and they crawled away together. Asclepius correctly understood the sign of the gods, he found the grass that the snake was holding in the mouth, and was able to resurrect the son of King Minos.

Since then, the image of the staff of Asclepius began to be used as a symbol of healing, and the doctor himself began to be revered as the god of healing.

Bowl with snake

However, a much more common symbol of medicine is a snake wrapped around a bowl. The first images of this symbol date back to 600-800. BC. It is noteworthy that at first the parts of the image existed separately and were attributes of Hygeia, the daughter of Asclepius - she held a snake in one hand and a cup in the other. And only much later the images were combined into a single whole.

The true meaning of this sign is highly controversial. Some people interpret it one way, and others another. Most often, the cup is associated with a container for storing a well-known healing substance, and the snake symbolizes wisdom. However, there is another interpretation. According to him, the emblem reminds the doctor of the need to be wise, and to draw wisdom from the cup of world knowledge, the human mind, which embraces the whole world.

The funniest interpretation of the symbol came from medical students. In their opinion, the symbol means that the doctor is “cunning as a snake and loves to drink.”

Today, such an emblem is most often used to designate pharmaceutical activities.

Caduceus

The meaning of the medicine symbol, depicting a rod with wings around which two snakes curl, is also not very clear.

The fact is that initially the caduceus was a symbol of secrecy, a sign that protected commercial or political correspondence. And only much later it became a symbol of medicine.

For ease of perception, it is worth dividing the emblem into several parts:

the rod symbolizes the Tree of Life, the connection between heaven and earth;
a double spiral formed by the interweaving of serpentine bodies is a symbol of cosmic energy, the unity of opposites, the duality of phenomena;
The reptiles themselves are the active forces of the earthly and otherworldly worlds.

Most likely, the transformation of the symbol from a commercial (political) to a medical one occurred due to the presence of snakes, which provide both a medicinal drug and poison.

Red cross and crescent

If we consider the symbols of medicine, popular all over the world, we should not forget about the red cross and crescent. Oddly enough, such a symbol does not mean “something medical” at all, as is commonly believed in our country. It is designed to protect doctors, wounded people, hospitals and clinics during military conflicts. Therefore, it is unacceptable to use such a symbol on pharmacies, car first aid kits, gowns and caps of medical staff and in other places. As planned, it should have an “emergency” meaning and be used only in extreme cases.

Similar meanings:

Red Cross;
red crescent (in Islamic countries);
sun and red lion (in Iran);
red star of David (in Israel).

At the present time, the Red Cross Movement is busy developing new symbols, devoid of national and religious characteristics.

Star of Life

The symbol of medicine, the photo of which is presented below, is not very popular in Russia. This is the “Star of Life” - a symbol of medicine, born in the USA. Each of the rays of the snowflake symbolizes a specific function of emergency medical care:

detection;
notice;
response;
assistance at the scene of the incident;
assistance with transportation;
transportation for further assistance.

Conclusion

When studying medicine, it is impossible not to know or not understand the symbols that mean healing. Interest in the past, as we know, gives rise to a bright future. The more clearly we can imagine the content and meaning of the cultural baton passed on to us by past generations, the more valuable and significant the present becomes for us. After all, our ancestors put a special meaning into each symbol, designed to convey its value to future generations.