One of the most misused symbols is the one used by medical associations all over the world!
In fact some of the most famous medical associations in the world actually use the symbol by mistake!
The symbol what they use is actually meant for trade and commerce while they were supposed to used the symbol for health! It is so frequently used (or misused!) that no one even minds it!
Accuracy though takes a beating!
The problems of not knowing history!
The symbol in question is called the caduceus!
The incorrect use of the Caduceus as a symbol of medicine, when the actual symbol is the Rod of Asclepius!
The Caduceus is the staff of Hermes, the Greek messenger god associated with commerce and trade, and was mistakenly adopted by the U.S. Army Medical Corps in the early 1900s!
The Caduceus is a staff with a staff, two snakes, and usually wings on top which is actually the staff of Hermes, the messenger of the gods! The actual representation is that it represents commerce, negotiation, and trade!
It was erroneously adopted as a medical symbol in the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to a misunderstanding by the US ARMY (no comments there!)
The actual symbol should have been the Rod of Asclepius which is a staff with a single snake entwined around it! This actually represents the staff of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing and medicine! And represents healing, medicine, and healthcare! One theory is that it represents the Guinea worm parasite. To remove it, healers would wrap the slowly emerging worm around a stick, creating a visual similar to the Rod! By the way, even now one of the best treatment of a guinea worm protruding out of a lesion is to wrap it slowly on a stick and take it out! The snake represents a worm! Maybe that is why it was not good enough! Let us do away with one worm like snake and take two snakes! And give them wings!
What is represents for a medical professional can always be handled later! They would be too busy to notice!
All because a U.S. Army officer mistook the Caduceus for the Rod of Asclepius around 1902!
Unfortunately everyone follows the one with money and power while history and truth normally takes a beating!
Then again a medical professional can still be a “messenger” of good or bad news and justify the Caduceus! Justifying also is the title of Dynamic Hero for Devaraj!
Now look at other wrong symbols but do not lose your sleep over it!
SHubh Ratri!
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