What was symbol of Hippocrates in medicine?

Answer 1

Hippocrates' role in the symbol for medicine has a long and complicated history which is based primarily on Greek mythology. To put it simply, the Roman god Mercury (Greek Hermes) was the god of medicine/science in the ancient world while Asclepius was the Roman god of healing. These Greco-Roman gods later became associated with the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370 BC), who some call the "father of modern medicine" because, like modern doctors, he did not believe disease was caused by the anger of the gods but by scientifically explained circumstances.

In North America, the staff of Mercury called the Caduceus is the symbol for medicine, but the Caduceus is based on the staff of the Greek god of healing Asclepius, called the rod of Asclepius. Like the staff of Mercury, the rod of Asclepius is entwined with a serpent, but the Caduceus sometimes bears a pair of wings at the top, representing the wings/agility of Mercury, while the rod of Asclepius usually does not. So in other words, you might find both the Caduceus (with wings) and the rod of Asclepius (without wings) as modern symbols for medicine. The serpent became associated with medicine because the ancients wrongly believed the snake was the only creature immune from disease. This is why Hippocrates and the serpent combined as symbols and became associated with the modern medical profession. All modern doctors take the "Hippocratic oath" (i.e. principles derived from the teachings of Hippocrates: to cure to the best of the ability and never wilfully harm a patient) upon entering the medical profession.