Golden Wand of Medicine

The Caduceus, two entwined snakes set upon a rod, was the ancient symbol of Hermes, the Greek god of merchants. Today, it is a common and popular symbol of the medical and allied professions. This book traces the use of the caduceus symbol and answers the question of how it came to be the symbol of medicine.

The work begins with a discussion of the symbol's origin as the magic wand of Hermes/Mercur...