An eye-opener
A
consultation session with a Doctor always means waiting for a long time and
recently on one such occasion came the bouncer question. My younger daughter
asks “Dad, Look a logo on the Doctor’s Car. What is it?” The knowledgeable dad
in me who plays and fights with logos everyday quite confidently replied, “That
is the Symbol of Medicine used by Doctors as Doctors’ logo on vehicles.” On the
spot came the next question a little tricky one though, “But what is the use of
that logo on a Doctor’s vehicle”. I had to think a bit to answer this as I
haven’t given much thought before on this doubt. Though not sure about myself I
faced the question bravely and answered “Oh that is used to recognize a
Doctor’s vehicle so that in an emergency they can be given special privilege to
reach their destination.”(Still am not sure about that answer but she seemed
satisfied). Now came the million dollar bouncer question (maybe because she hear
a lot about logos and meanings of colours in branding and blah blah blah talked
around her by me) “What is the meaning
of that logo and why is a snake used in it?”. I started to answer as we do
always to a child as if we know everything more than them. But alas I really
didn’t know the answer for that. Now the researcher in me gets motivated and
starts learning on the symbol and here goes the interesting find. Symbol of
medicine or the Doctors Symbol is the most mistakenly used logo in the world
and the Doctors or healthcare practitioners are the ones who use this symbol
most mistakenly all around the world!!!
The real one: Rod of Asclepius
A single
snake on a rod is called a Staff or Rod of Asclepius (sometimes also called Asklepios
or Aesculapius). According to Greek mythology Asclepius was a son of Apollo and
he is depicted as the God of Healing. His daughters are Hygieia (goddess of
cleanliness), Iaso (goddess of recuperation from illness), Aceso (goddess of
the healing process), Aglea (the goddess of splendor and adornment), and
Panacea (goddess of universal remedy). The Rod was believed to have magical
powers in the hand of Asclepius and though there are different versions to the
story, the snake is believed to be on the rod to show the power of Asclepius to
resurrect dead people through his healing process. The serpent is also a symbol
of rebirth and fertility due to its character of changing skins on its own. In those days snake bite was the one of the
most dangerous causes of death but Asclepius is believed to have the power even
to bring back the dead to life through his healing powers.
The mistaken one: Rod of Hermes or The
Caduceus
Two snakes
entwined on a Rod with wings is called the Staff of Hermes. This symbol is also
known as The Caduceus. According to Greek mythology this is the staff of the
Greek God Hermes (also known as Roman Mercury). Hermes is known to be the
protector of merchants, business men, shepherds and even gamblers, thieves and
liars. Unfortunately this is the symbol used mistakenly by many people associated with health care and medicine.
The serpents on the rod here is believed to be symbolizing peaceful
negotiations in business and the wings depict the speed of God Hermes as he was
the messenger of Gods too.
How came the misrepresentation?
There are
studies conducted on the subject years back. According to a survey conducted in
1993 of 242 medical logos, over 38% of American medical associations and over
63% of American hospitals use the Caduceus as their symbol. It is believed to
be first misrepresented by the US Army in 1903 while creating a logo for their
Medical Corps Unit. The Caduceus symbol is also used by more than 75%
commercial establishments as the symbol of trade. So this symbol got more
popularized as we see the symbol of Hermes more than the symbol of Asclepius
all around us.
Conclusion:
Both logos may look similar but both stands
for very different symbolisms. Using the right logo goes a long way in sending
across a message. There are no wings on the logo of medicine and only one snake
on the rod.
References:
http://medtiquity.com/2015/08/23/the-symbol-of-medicine/
https://www.florenceinferno.com/rod-of-asclepius-and-caduceus-symbols/
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=7229
https://www.livescience.com/33104-why-is-the-medical-symbol-a-snake-on-a-stick.html
