Why is the Medical Symbol a Snake?

Currently, health-related professions and institutions are symbolized with an illustration of a snake wrapped around a branch of a tree, a stick or a rod. In this article, we will try to find out why the snake, which has influenced the humankind since the ancient ages and has been given place in leg...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Istanbul medical journal 2019-03, Vol.20 (2), p.172-175
Main Authors: Güner, Ekrem, Şeker, Kamil Gökhan, İzmir Güner, Şebnem
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Asclepius
Caduceus
Coin
Coins
Deities
Dictionaries
Epic literature
Greek civilization
Hermes
Logos
Medicine
Mythology
Professions
Sculpture
Snake
Snakes
Symbol
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Summary:Currently, health-related professions and institutions are symbolized with an illustration of a snake wrapped around a branch of a tree, a stick or a rod. In this article, we will try to find out why the snake, which has influenced the humankind since the ancient ages and has been given place in legends and mythologies, has been depicted in ancient age reliefs, statues and coins, and has taken part in written texts, is accepted as the symbol of health and medicine in the light of ancient archaeological coin images.
ISSN:2619-9793
1304-8503
2148-094X
DOI:10.4274/imj.galenos.2018.65902