The most common symbol of medicine is a bowl with a snake. The history of its origin goes back to the thousand-year history of the ancient civilizations of the East, Egypt and Greece, the New World.

In primitive society, when totemism and animalism took shape, reflecting the helplessness of primitive man in front of the outside world, the snake was one of the main totem animals. With the emergence of the cult of the snake, a dual role was attributed to it: evil and good. On the one hand, the snake was a symbol of cunning and deceit, on the other - immortality, wisdom and knowledge. As an emblem of medicine, the snake was originally depicted without any attributes. Later, images of a snake appeared in combination with various items. So, from about the 8th century. BC One of the symbols of medicine is the staff of the god of healing Asclepius (Aesculapius) - a gnarled stick around which a snake is wrapped with its head up. One of the ancient Greek myths tells that Asclepius was invited to the palace of Minos, the king of Crete, to resurrect his dead son. On the way, he saw a snake on his staff and killed it, but another snake appeared with healing herb in her mouth and raised the dead. Subsequently, Asclepius treated sick people with this herb.

The emblem of healing in the ancient world was not a poisonous snake, but a harmless, good-climbing, waterfowl snake, which in Latin is called the “Asclepius snake” (coluber flavescens aesculapii). It is these snakes that are still found on the sites of former buildings of Roman legionnaires near healing springs in those countries where such a snake is not usually found: in Switzerland (in Valisse and Lower Tessin), in Austria (near Baden near Vienna), in Germany (in Schlagenbad). They were brought here by the Romans.

Snakes, not poisonous snakes, lived in the centers of the cult of Asclepius (Aesculapius) in Greece and Rome. Data from numerous ancient authors indicate that snakes crawled along the abaton during “sacred sleep”, often licked sore spots (eyes, wounds, etc.), and it was even considered necessary for the sick to touch them, since their appearance supposedly the god Asclepius himself appeared. Initially in Greece, Asclepius was depicted as a snake and only later took on the appearance of a man. In one of the myths, even the mother of Asclepius appears in the guise of a snake, i.e. There was a gradual humanization of animals, while they themselves turned into attributes of humanized deities. According to one of their hypotheses about the origin of the name of the god of medical art, Asclepius, it came from the name of a special kind of snake - “askalabos”. Later, these snakes, harmless to humans, began to be called “Asclepius snakes.” The snake was depicted on the first aid kit of a Roman military doctor.

Thus, we can say with confidence that in the emblem of the bowl with the snake, the snake symbolizes wisdom, knowledge, immortality and, in general, all good principles. However, some authors believe that in the emblem of the bowl with the snake, the latter personifies evil. “The image of snakes in the medical emblem obviously symbolizes the beginning that brings suffering, illness and death to people, since the snake stands for everything that medicine fights against,” writes, for example, V. M. Tarasonov. Such an opinion, in my opinion, is illogical, since it is difficult to imagine that evil was chosen as a symbol of such a humane matter as treatment, that the snake - the evil genius - was used as the only decoration on the lids of the bronze pocket first aid kits of Roman doctors, that the god of healing Asclepius , depicted as a snake, was represented as evil, etc.

What does the cup mean in the emblem? There are different opinions on this matter. Some scientists believe that this is a vessel for water, others - a vessel for medicinal poison, i.e. antidotes, others - a vessel with a special sacrificial composition (melikraton), etc.

The assumptions of some researchers that the bowl is a vessel for storing water, which was vital for people, and its extraction required great wisdom, are unconvincing. This explanation is valid only in relation to waterless areas, deserts, where, indeed, water was of exceptional value for life and where people who knew how to find water were especially revered. However, since ancient times, people have settled on the banks of rivers, lakes, and seas, where obtaining water did not require any wisdom.

A much more convincing point of view is that the cup is a vessel with an antidote. The ancient Greeks used the term "pharmakos" to describe both poisons and medicines. Snake venom was collected and stored in special bowls. Medicines in ancient times were very complex composition, sometimes included over 70 ingredients, and included snake venom as an antidote.

In the ancient world, the effects of snake venom and antidote were well known. Aristotle, the tutor of Alexander the Great, studied animal poisons. Nikander of Colophonia (200-230 AD) in his work “Theriacus” described animal poisons, including snake poisons, and indicated methods of treating poisoning by them. The last Alexandrian empress of the Ptolemaic family, the proud Cleopatra VII Philopator (reigned 51-30 BC), who wrote a number of works on venereology and women's diseases, tested snake venom on slaves, and then took it herself, afraid of the possibility of capture after Roman victories over her lover Antony. Horace said on this occasion that the snakes performed a service for the Romans.

There is a known legend about the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator (120-63 BC), who, for fear of being poisoned, accustomed himself to taking poison in increasing doses. When, after defeat in the war with Rome, he took poison, wanting to commit suicide, the poison did not work. I had to order the slave to kill himself. The antidote prepared by Mithridates consisted of 54 different components. It also helped with snake bites. When Pompey defeated Mithridates, he first of all began to look for a recipe for this antidote, which later received the name “mitridaticum”.

The remedy also fell into the hands of Emperor Nero, who was also afraid of poisoning. He instructed his first court physician, Andromache, to investigate the composition of the medicine. Andromachus improved the mithridaticum recipe, removing a number of old ones and introducing new ingredients, bringing their total number to 74. In particular, he increased the amount of opium and added viper oil. He introduced the latter based on the principle “like cures like.” Andromachus presented it to Nero new recipe"mitridaticum" called "theriac", accompanied by a poem of 180 lines, which was later included by the greatest physician of Rome, Galen, in his work "On Antidotes" and was mentioned by him in a number of letters.

“Mithridaticum-theriac” existed in European pharmacopoeias until the 19th century, although it was criticized even in the Middle Ages. Thus, in his work “The Art of Curing Diseases by Waiting” (1689), the English author Gideon Harvey wrote: “A lion, a bear, a tiger, a cat, a wolf, a dog, and a hundred other wild animals in addition, gathered together, could not make such noise in the air , as all the indomitable elements of the “mydriaticum-theriac” produced in the stomach, if the opium among them did not calm their frenzy and restrain their abnormality.”

The use of snake venom for medicinal purposes became especially widespread in the Middle Ages, as evidenced by handwritten and printed pharmacopoeias from the beginning of printing in the 15th century. and until the end of the 18th century. At the court of the French “Sun King” Louis XIV, the “mitridaticum” enjoyed great success. Snake soup was also recommended to become strong and fat people To lose weight, they took powder from snakes. Often, snake meat was given to chickens and ducks, and then food was prepared from them: the liver and fat of snakes were eaten raw to “purify the blood.”

The largest French surgeon of the 16th century. Ambroise Pare wrote a "Treatise on Poisons", in which he expressed valuable theoretical considerations in this area. On the monument to him in his native Laval the words are carved: “A surgeon with a gloomy face saturates a patient with poison.”

Currently, snake venom has again been used in medicine in the form of many drugs. IN Central Asia and other places, the ancient profession of collecting snake venom still exists.

Thus, it is likely that the cup in the medical emblem to some extent reflected a fascination with poisons and antidotes. However, it is hardly correct to reduce the meaning of the cup in the emblem of medicine only to a vessel for storing poison. In my opinion, the meaning of the cup as a symbol has a close connection with the worldview of the distant past and was determined by the conditions of their life, their naive understanding of the essence natural phenomena and dependence on them. With the development of the slave system, the cup turns from a symbol of wisdom higher powers nature into a symbol of veneration for the wisdom of priests, pharaohs and kings, acting on earth as if on behalf and on behalf of the gods, who transferred the destinies of people into their hands. The Greek stemless cup (phial) was used in various rituals. It is with her that Hygieia is most often depicted and Asclepius very rarely. It was made from expensive materials and decorated on the inside with lotus petals, which were a symbol of life.

F. R. Borodulin, one of the first Soviet historians of medicine, who turned to the analysis of the content of the symbol of a cup entwined with a snake as a medical emblem, writes: “We are inclined to consider this emblem as a reminder to the doctor of the need to be wise, and to draw wisdom from the cup of knowledge of nature ". That is, in our time, the cup in the medical emblem is defined by him as the cup of the human mind, which embraces the whole world.

In ancient mythology, the gods drank the drink of immortality from a cup. In my opinion, most likely, the cup in the medical emblem can be interpreted as a symbol of the healing powers of nature in general.

Ancient myths were a unique form of understanding the world and its deep knowledge by man. Over the centuries, many ideas have changed. But the meaning of the main medical emblems has been preserved to this day.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, during the Middle Ages, images of a bowl and a snake were not used for a long time. They were revived in a modified form in some countries in the 17th-18th centuries, but not as a symbol of Hygieia, but as a general medical symbol. Professor of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Paris J. Dilleman, who studies the history of military medical and pharmaceutical emblems, expressed the opinion that the idea of ​​​​combining a snake and a bowl in one emblem in its modern form submitted to early XIII V. pharmacists of Padua.

In Russia, this emblem called the “Hippocratic Cup” became the main medical symbol also in the 18th century, but no official state documents this was not discovered. It began to appear in various medical publications, for example, in those published in 1828. I. V. Buyalsky "Anatomical and surgical tables", the large format of which made it possible to provide life-size engraved images of human organs; on monuments, on commemorative medals (in honor of the 50th anniversary of the work of the Russian anatomist P. A. Zagorodsky, the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Russian surgeon N. I. Pirogov, etc.), tokens, badges, also on book signs (ex libris) doctors and pharmacists.

Often, artists depict the “bowl with a snake” emblem arbitrarily, without taking into account the historical tradition. They depict a snake both to the left and to the right of the bowl. Such an image is possible only if the emblem is located in the center of an object ( title page, signs, seals, etc.). If the emblem is located on the edge of the object, the snake's head should be facing the center of the object's field: on an emblem placed on the left, the snake's head should be facing to the right and vice versa.

The bowl with the snake is still considered a symbol of medicine and pharmacy in our time. However, in the history of medicine in different countries, a snake entwined around a staff was more often considered the emblem of healing. It is not for nothing that this particular image was adopted in the middle of the 20th century. The World Health Organization (WHO) at the United Nations (UN) at its First World Assembly in Geneva. In 1948, the international health emblem was approved here, in the center of which is a staff entwined with a snake.

Medicine

This term has other meanings, see Medicine (meanings). Statue of Asclepius (Aesculapius), the Greek god of medicine, holding the symbolic staff of Asclepius with a spiral snake

Medicine(lat. medicina from the phrase ars medicina - “medicinal art”, “healing art”, and has the same root as the verb medeor, “heal”) - a system of scientific knowledge and practical measures united by the goal of diagnosing, treating and preventing diseases, preserving and strengthening health and working ability of people, prolongation of life, as well as alleviation of suffering from physical and mental illnesses.

If it is necessary to contrast “traditional”, “alternative” medicine and other “practices”, they clarify - conventional medicine (or conventional, from English conventional- ordinary, traditional; common).

Symbols

In the modern world, four options have received the greatest symbolic meaning for the designation of medicine.

One of the external symbols of medicine since the end of the 20th century is the six-pointed “Star of Life”. A more ancient symbol of medicine is the staff of Asclepius, which, according to legend, belonged to the great healer. Third popular sign- red cross and red crescent; his fame is closely connected with the activities of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The fourth symbol of medicine - a bowl with a snake entwined around it - is associated with Avicenna, who used snake venom in treatment, and the ancient Greek goddess of health Hygieia, depicted with a bowl and a snake.

Story

Main article: History of medicine A Chalcolithic skull with traces of trepanation, found in the town of Chalagantepe (Agdam region). 5th millennium BC e. Museum of History of Azerbaijan, Baku Image on wooden boards Khesi-Ra, philosopher, architect, court librarian and probably the first officially mentioned physician in history Famous Greek doctor - Hippocrates Ancient Roman catheter

Ancient world

Main article: Prehistoric medicine

Initially, the occurrence of the disease was considered as something external and completely hostile to humans. living creature, which somehow penetrates his body and can cause a painful condition. Thus, the absolute helplessness of man of that era in front of the forces of nature, combined with a lack of understanding of the essence and laws of the surrounding world, contributed to the emergence of false ideas about the existence of evil spirits capable of inhabiting the human body, and also led to the development and use of a number of magical remedies and treatment methods ( spells, conspiracies, prayers, and so on), which were, in fact, the rudiments of psychotherapy. The origin and development of witchcraft and shamanism in the early stages of human existence led to the emergence of the concept of treatment as such. In countries Ancient East The so-called priestly, or temple, medicine developed. Medicine achieved significant success in developed ancient states: there are historical documents that brought to us the testimony of contemporaries and eyewitnesses and the works of the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, the Roman naturalist Claudius Galen, and the Alexandrian doctors Herophilus and Erasistratus. In addition, written monuments of the Ancient East (ancient Egyptian medical papyri; the laws of Hammurabi; the laws of Manu and Ayurveda in India and others) indicate that in ancient states the conditions for the activities of doctors were regulated by law, up to the amount of fees for treatment and the establishment of various degrees of responsibility for harm. harm to the patient.

Thus, in ancient world doctors and priests, along with mystical, magical forms of healing, used rational healing techniques and healing remedies of traditional medicine. Equally important was given to dietetics, hygienic regulations, massage, water procedures, gymnastics. There is evidence of successful application that has survived to this day (traces of bone tissue restoration in the area of ​​man-made burr holes, the presence of calluses on broken bones, and so on). surgical methods treatment: craniotomy, in addition, the use is described in the case of pathological childbirth or death of a woman in labor during cesarean section, and in the case of intrauterine fetal death - embryotomy, and so on. Ancient Chinese medicine used more than 2,000 medicines, among which special place occupied by ginseng, mercury, rhubarb root, camphor and others. A unique method of acupuncture dates back several thousand years. Relatively high level achieved in Ancient India by anatomy and surgery.

Ancient Egypt

Doctor treating a patient

Ancient Egyptian medicine was a mixture of superstitious, prehistoric views with strictly verified observations and conclusions. The doctor had to follow only the rules that the priests set out in special writings. All discoveries in medicine were attributed to the gods and goddesses: Osiris, Isis, Horus, Bast and Thoth. Medicine was in the hands of priests - pastophores. They received the sick in churches. Medicine was taught in special schools.

Hygiene in Egypt played a prominent role: the lifestyle of citizens, their food, sleep, and washing were precisely defined. Many of these rules were borrowed by the Jews and included in their sacred books. Every 3 days (according to other sources - 3 months) it was prescribed to take laxatives and emetics to cleanse the body, and fasting was prescribed at certain intervals. Health was also maintained by games. Special counters kept records of birth and death rates, indicating the causes of illness. Burial took place in cemeteries in the mountains; special pyramids were built for the corpses of pharaohs. The corpses of free citizens were embalmed, three types, according to the social status of the deceased.

Habitual to modern man the concepts of anatomy and physiology were practically absent in ancient Egyptian medicine, and the idea of ​​them was idealistic. According to these views, the body is controlled by 4 spirits (decans). Until the age of 50, the body increases in weight annually by 1/2 lot (approximately 6.5 grams), and later begins to decrease, which is why death occurs.

The Egyptians knew the properties of 700 natural products. Opium and hashish were known. Compared to modern medicine, there were not very many internal remedies. They were always consumed fresh and heated, and were also mixed with dough and given in the form of bread. To administer medicine to children, the nurse took it and it went to the baby with milk. In addition to medications used orally (orally), there was a very diverse choice: enemas, tampons, fumigations, ointments, poultices. The teeth were filled, the missing ones were replaced with artificial ones, which were tied with gold wires to the adjacent teeth. According to Georg Ebers, spells were important only for the lower classes.

Middle Ages

Abu Ali Ibn Sina - one of the most famous medieval doctors Main article: Medieval medicine

The accumulation of practical medical observations continued into the Middle Ages. Special institutions arose for the treatment of the sick and wounded, monastery hospitals for the civilian population (7th century). The Crusades, accompanied by population migration, contributed to the emergence of devastating epidemics and led to the creation of quarantines in Europe.

In the 7th century, science began to actively develop in Islamic countries: scientists of the Islamic world, among other things, continued to develop the medical knowledge of ancient civilizations. Caliphs patronize sciences and scientists. Harun al-Rashid sets up schools, hospitals and pharmacies in Baghdad. His son Al-Mamun founded the Academy in Baghdad and called upon scientists from all countries. Schools are established in many places: in Kufa, Basra, Bukhara and other cities.

In 873, under Ahmad ibn Tulun, the first large public hospital was created, intended exclusively for the poor. Upon admission to the hospital, clothes and money were deposited with the manager, and upon discharge from the hospital, the patient received one chicken and one bread as his last ration. The hospital also included a ward for the insane.

The Arabs were in conditions that seemed particularly conducive to the development of medicine, since Islam encourages the search for cures for diseases and extols those who heal people. Arab medical scientists translated and studied the works of ancient physicians. Ibn Zuhr (Avenzoar) is the first known doctor to perform human anatomy and post-mortem dissection [ source not specified 1529 days]. The most famous of the Arab doctors: Aaron, Baktishva (several Nestorian doctors), Gonen, Ibn al-Wafid (English) Russian. (Abengefit), Ar-Razi, Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari (Ghali-Abbas), Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Albukasis, Ibn Rushd (Averroes), Abdul-Latif al-Baghdadi.

Byzantine and Arab medicine enriched world medical science with new descriptions of the symptoms of diseases and medicines. The Central Asian scientist Ibn Sina (Avicenna) played a significant role in the development of medicine.

Medicine in medieval Western Europe

Engraving depicting doctors and patients of the Salerno medical school, 11th-12th century

In medieval Western Europe, compared to antiquity, empirical science was in decline, theology and scholasticism took precedence. Science was concentrated in universities. Starting from the 9th century, in universities in the territory of modern Germany, England and France, along with other sciences, medicine was taught. The treatment was carried out by monks and secular people. The most famous medical school in Europe in the Middle Ages was Salerno. The works of this school were accepted as exemplary in other schools. The most famous was the hygienic poem “Lat. Regimen Sanitatis" Doctors of ecclesiastical and secular rank, as well as women, belonged to the Salerno school. They were in charge of hospitals, accompanied armies on campaigns, and served under kings and princes. Only from the 13th century did a few representatives of medicine of that time show a desire to study the nature of diseases through observations and experiments. Such are Arnold of Villanova and R. Bacon. In the 14th century, the development of anatomy as a science began, based on autopsies and M. de Luzzi (English) Russian. (1275-1326) publishes a work containing accurate images of organs. However, until the 15th century, the Arabs dominated European medicine, so that even the works of Galen in Europe were distributed in translations from Arabic.

Medieval Rus'

In Rus', along with monastic medicine, medicine continued to develop traditional medicine. In the 11th-12th centuries, hospitals were created in Pereyaslav and Kyiv, and in the 13th century in Lviv. Medicine in Russia has long been practiced by empirical doctors (“likovtsi”), pharmacists (“zeliyniks”), chiropractors, and barbers.

Renaissance

A significant step in the development of medicine was made during the Renaissance (XV-XVIII centuries). The Swiss physician Paracelsus promoted medicine based on experience and knowledge, introduced various chemicals into medical practice and mineral waters. A. Vesalius described the structure and functions of the human body. The English doctor W. Harvey created the doctrine of blood circulation.

In the field of practical medicine the most important events The 16th century was the creation by the Italian physician G. Fracastoro of the doctrine of contagious (infectious) diseases and the development of the first scientific foundations surgery by the French doctor A. Pare.

New time

A doctor visiting his patients in 1682 Operation in the seventeenth century AD

The growth of industrial production has attracted attention to the study of occupational diseases. At the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, the Italian doctor B. Ramazzini initiated the study of industrial pathology and occupational hygiene.

With the development of medicine, medical educational institutions. In the 18th century V Russian Empire The Academy of Sciences (1724) and the Medical College (1763) were created - administrative centers in the field of medicine, and several medical schools were opened.

In 1773, the Medical College was opened in Lviv, which in 1784 merged with medical faculty Lvov University, 1787 - Elizavetgrad Medical and Surgical School was opened. One of the main sources that recruited medical school students was the Kiev Academy, where they began teaching medicine at the end of the 18th century (a medical class was opened in 1802 - its first teacher was A.F. Maslovsky).

In the second half of the 18th century - the first half of the 19th century, the foundations of military and naval hygiene were laid. The German scientist R. Koch became one of the founders of microbiology. The foundations of experimental pharmacology and toxicology were laid by the French physiologist and pathologist C. Bernard. The works of the German physiologist G. Helmholtz and the Czech biologist J. Purkinė contributed to the progress of ophthalmology.

At this time, the number of medical schools is increasing.

Directions and areas of medicine

Preventive medicine

Main article: Preventive medicine

Previously this area was called Sanitation and hygiene. It aims to prevent diseases, both in relation to one individual and in relation to groups and populations of people.

Identifying and treating sick people and preventing the same patient from getting sick again.

• Dietetics studies the effects of food and drink on health and disease, especially in determining optimal nutrition. A nutritionist prescribes a therapeutic diet for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, excess weight and digestive disorders, allergies, malnutrition and tumors. (sometimes mistakenly confused with food hygiene).
• Therapy
• Surgery
• Psychiatry studies mental illnesses, the causes of their occurrence, methods of diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
• Pediatrics
• Gerontology studies the aging processes of living organisms, including humans.
• Cardiology
• Neurology studies structure and function nervous system, patterns of development and possible pathologies, causes of diseases, methods of their prevention and treatment.
• Endocrinology studies hormones and their effects on the body
• Ophthalmology studies diseases of the eyeball, its appendages (eyelids, lacrimal organs, mucous membrane), bone structures and tissue surrounding the eye.
• Dentistry
• Urology

Pharmacology (pharmaceuticals)

Main article: Pharmacology

• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Pharmacy
• Biochemical pharmacology
• Clinical pharmacology
• Molecular pharmacology
• Pharmacogenomics
• Experimental pharmacology

Biomedical industries

• Anatomy studies the physical structure of organisms. Unlike microscopic anatomy - cytology And histology- anatomy studies macroscopic structures.
• Biochemistry studies the chemical processes occurring in living organisms, the structural features and functions of their chemical components.
• Biomechanics studies the structures and functions of biological systems using mechanical methods.
• Biological statistics is the application of statistics to biological fields in the broadest sense. Knowledge of biostatistics is essential in the design, evaluation and interpretation of medical research. Biostatistics is also the basis for epidemiology and evidence-based medicine.
• Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses methods of physics and physical chemistry to study biological systems.
• Cytology deals with microscopic examination of individual cells.
• Embryology studies the early development of the organism.
• Genetics studies genes and their role in biological heredity.
• Histology studies the structures of biological tissues using light microscopy, electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry.
• Immunology studies the immune system, which includes innate and adaptive immunity.
• Infectology studies infections.
• Combustiology studies burns and their treatment.
• Medical physics studies the application of physics principles to medicine.
• Microbiology studies microorganisms, including protozoa, bacteria, fungi and viruses.
• Molecular biology studies the molecular basis of the process of replication, transcription and translation of genetic material.
• Neurobiology includes those disciplines of science that are associated with the study of the nervous system. Generally, neuroscience focuses on the physiology of the brain and spinal cord. Some associated clinical specialties include neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.
• Pathology how science studies the causes of diseases, their course, progression and resolution.
• Photobiology studies the interaction between non-ionizing radiation and living organisms.
• Physiology studies the normal functioning of the body and its underlying regulatory mechanisms.
• Radiobiology studies the interaction between ionizing radiation and living organisms.
• Toxicology studies the dangerous effects of drugs and poisons.
• Sexopathology studies human sexual behavior.

Selected areas of medicine

• Aviation medicine
• Arctic medicine
• Military medicine
• Space medicine
• Disaster Medicine
• Underwater medicine
• Sports medicine
• Forensic medicine
• Occupational medicine
• Chronomedicine

Theoretical medicine

In medicine, theoretical medicine or biomedicine is distinguished - a field of biology that studies the human body, its normal and pathological structure and functioning, diseases, pathological conditions, methods of their diagnosis, correction and treatment from a theoretical point of view.

Theoretical medicine studies theoretical foundations treatment, suggests ways to develop practical medicine. Theoretical medicine is based on logical medical thinking supported by scientific theoretical knowledge. Generalization different approaches gives theoretical medicine the opportunity to create medical hypotheses that will be an integral part of practical thinking (from the theses of D. V. Reiter). Theoretical medicine is the first step of practice (Prof. Soloviev V.Z.).

As a rule, theoretical medicine does not concern the practice of medicine to the extent that it is concerned with theory and research in medicine. The results of theoretical medicine make possible the emergence of new drugs, a deeper, molecular understanding of the mechanisms underlying disease and the healing process, thereby creating the foundation for all medical applications, diagnosis and treatment.

Practical medicine

Medicine also includes practical, or clinical, medicine (medical practice) - the practical application of knowledge accumulated by medical science for the treatment of diseases and pathological conditions of the human body.

Evidence-based medicine

Main article: Evidence-based medicine

In modern medical science, the criteria of evidence-based medicine are increasingly being used, which requires strict evidence of the effectiveness of certain methods of treatment, prevention or diagnosis through methodologically correctly performed RCTs (randomized controlled trials) - double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials. Any other method that has not been demonstrated to be effective in an RCT is dismissed as irrelevant and ineffective, regardless of its apparent effectiveness in open-label studies where some of the study participants know what treatment the patient is receiving.

Since the likelihood of many diseases increases with age, sections such as gerontology and geriatrics, which study the problems of slowing aging, anti-aging therapy and preventive medicine in old age, are intensively developing from the standpoint of evidence-based medicine.

Codes in knowledge classification systems

• UDC 61
• State rubricator of scientific and technical information (SRNTI) (as of 2001): 76 MEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE

• Veterinary

Where and when did the medical symbol first appear - a snake wrapped around a bowl of poison?

Eva love

This emblem was adopted at the First World Health Assembly in 1948 and consists essentially of two emblems: the UN emblem (a globe framed by laurel branches) and the emblem of medicine (a staff entwined with a snake). The symbolism of this emblem reflects the dominance of medicine over the healing, life-protecting forces of nature (snake).

Thomas

Bowl with snake
This is the most common in our country medical logo.
The first images of a bowl with a snake date back to 800-600. BC e. At the same time, at first the snake and the cup appeared separately and were attributes of the daughter of Aesculapius, the goddess of health Hygeia, who was usually depicted with a snake in one hand and a cup in the other.
There was no exact and legalized symbol of medicine in the form of an image of a snake coiled around a bowl or depicted next to it, either in ancient times or much later. According to Academician E.N. Pavlovsky, this appeared only in the 16th century, thanks to the famous physician Paracelsus, who first proposed a similar combination instead of the traditional caduceus at that time.
The true meaning of this emblem remains controversial. It is possible that she represents medicinal properties snake venom, so widely used in medicine, and means the vessel where snake venom was kept. The snake symbolizes wisdom, knowledge, immortality and, in general, all good principles.
One of the first Russian medical historians to analyze the content of the symbol of a bowl entwined with a snake was F. R. Borodulin. He put it this way: “We are inclined to regard this emblem as a reminder to the physician of the need to be wise, and to draw wisdom from the cup of knowledge of nature.” That is, in our time, the cup in the medical emblem is represented as the cup of the human mind, which embraces the whole world.
In Russia, this emblem, called the "Hippocratic Cup", became a major medical symbol in the 18th century, although no official government documents have been found to support this.
As a distinctive feature of medical service in the army, a bowl with a snake (two snakes) was introduced under Peter I. A snake entwined around the leg of the bowl and bowing its head over the bowl itself, as a symbol of military medicine, was approved in our country by the Revolutionary Military Council in 1924 (1922?) . This emblem is still preserved in Russia as the official emblem of military medical personnel of all branches.
The most common is the use of an emblem in the form of a bowl with a snake for pharmaceutical activities. In any case, this is precisely what is considered an absolute basis for refusing to register this symbol as trademark pharmaceutical companies.
Apparently it is worth mentioning two very common humorous interpretations of the “Bowl with a Snake” emblem. The first is the motto of doctors: “He’s as cunning as a snake, and he’s not a fool to drink.” The second is a popular one with numerous variations: “Mother-in-law eats ice cream.”

The Mystery of the Bowl with the Snake
In Europe, the snake not only symbolized a healer, as in Africa - a sorcerer, it symbolized wisdom and knowledge. And since the first scientists on Earth were doctors, the image of a snake next to them is understandable.
But here several questions arise at once. Firstly, why did the snake become a symbol of wisdom and knowledge? After all, snakes, like all reptiles, are significantly inferior to highly developed animals.
Firstly: is the snake a symbol of knowledge in general or some specific knowledge? For example, if, say, the first scientists on Earth were not doctors, but physicists, would the snake become their symbol? Or was it still associated specifically with treatment, healing?
And finally, the third, very significant question: why is the snake always depicted next to the bowl?
It must be said that these questions are not only of academic interest. To some extent, they shed light on the history of medicine, and it is no coincidence that many serious scientists have dealt with these issues, including the outstanding Russian physician Academician E. N. Pavlovsky.
For a long time, some historians of science interpreted the symbol of medicine - a snake wrapped around a bowl - as a statement of the healing properties of snake venom. In particular, Russian researcher P.E. Zabludovsky believes that the image of a bowl next to a snake appeared at the turn of our era and means a vessel where snake venom was stored. However, according to Academician Pavlovsky, such an image appeared only in the 16th century, thanks to the famous physician Paracelsus, who first proposed such a combination.
Perhaps the truth lies in the middle. Indeed, there was no exact and legalized symbol, that is, a snake coiled around a bowl or depicted next to it, either in ancient times or much later. This symbol became more or less defined thanks to Paracelsus.
By the way, the symbol was not at all the same as we know it now: the modern emblem of medicine - a snake entwined around the leg of a bowl and bowing its head over the bowl itself - was approved by our country in 1924, and then spread widely outside our country. The snake itself has been accompanying doctors for a long time.
The legendary Greek doctor Asclepius (among the Romans - Aesculapius) was always depicted with a snake, because it was thanks to snakes, as the myth tells, that he first became simply a great doctor, and then - a doctor-god, the patron of medicine.
This is what the myth says.
Already famous, Asclepius was invited by the Cretan king Minos to resurrect his dead son. The doctor was walking, leaning on his staff, and suddenly a snake entwined the staff. Frightened, Asclepius killed the snake. But as soon as he did this, a second snake appeared, carrying some kind of grass in its mouth. This herb resurrected the dead. Apparently, Asclepius was already destined to become a god, so he, possessing inhuman insight, immediately understood everything, found the grass that the snake brought, collected it and, arriving in Crete, resurrected the son of King Minos with it.
So says the legend and this explains why snakes are always present in temples dedicated to Asclepius and on sculptures of the god of medicine himself. True, they wrap around either the staff of Asclepius or himself, and not the cup. The only sculpture that has come down to us, found during excavations at Pompeii, depicts Asclepius holding a staff entwined with a snake in one hand and a cup in the other. But the daughter of Asclepius - the goddess of health Hygeia (hence - “hygiene”) - starting from the 6th century BC, she was constantly depicted with a snake in one hand and a bowl in the other. So, perhaps, in those days the snake was not a symbol of healing, but simply a symbol of health? Then why does Hygeia always have it next to the cup? No, it couldn’t just be a symbol of health, especially since the ancients knew very well how dangerous these creatures were.

Anyuta

The symbol of medicine - a snake entwined in a bowl - appeared in the 16th century thanks to the famous physician and alchemist Paracelsus, who first proposed such a combination. The true meaning of this emblem remains controversial. It is believed that it either personifies the healing properties of snake venom, which was so widely used in medicine, or means that snake venom was stored in this vessel. A snake wrapped around the leg of a bowl and bowing its head over the bowl itself, as a symbol of medicine, was approved in our country by the Revolutionary Military Council in 1924, and then spread widely beyond its borders.

Svetlana korolskaya

And one more thing:
In primitive society, when totemism took shape, reflecting the helplessness of primitive man in front of the outside world,
the snake was one of the main totem animals.
With the emergence of the cult of the snake, a dual role was attributed to it: evil and good. (deceit and evil. BUT also immortality, wisdom and knowledge.)
It is characteristic that in the ancient world medicine was symbolized not by a poisonous snake, but by a harmless snake.
It was the snakes - Aesculapian snakes - that lived in the centers of the cult of the god of healing Aesculapius in Greece and Rome. The records of ancient medical authors indicate
that snakes crawled around the house during “sacred sleep”, often licking sore spots - eyes, wounds. The Romans were very fond of these snakes and kept them in baths and baths.
It is believed that the Aesculapian snake came to some European countries thanks to the Roman conquerors

Snakes in symbols and coats of arms

I continue the theme of the Year of the Snake.

Snake - the oldest symbol, multi-valued and universal.
Snakes were carriers of both good and evil principles - symbol wisdom and protection, healing and immortality, but also a symbol of death and deceit.
In ancient Greek mythology, the patron of the medical arts Aesculapius (Asclepius) depicted with a staff around which she was entwined snake, symbol of health And immortality.

Caduceus - staff of Hermes(Mercury), the patron of trade, who had the ability to reconcile, became a symbol of trade and peace. Two snakes are wrapped around the caduceus.

The emblem acquired great significance in the Middle Ages Ouroboros - snake coiled and biting its tail , is a symbol of eternity.

And a coiled snake is identified with the cycle of phenomena, the cyclical nature of time.
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There are cities on earth where patroness of the year Snake captured on coats of arms, which means that these cities are under its protection, and the whole Year of the Snake will attract prosperity and success.
The coats of arms are varied and very interesting.
Mexico
The coat of arms of Mexico depicts a Mexican golden eagle sitting on a prickly pear cactus, holding a snake in its beak.

Below, a lake with an island (Texcoco) is symbolically depicted, and even lower are branches of an oak (republic) and laurel (glory). Among the Aztecs, symbols had religious associations. The meaning of the coat of arms is the victory of good over evil.

Coat of arms of Martinique 1766

French shield of 4 azure fields, divided by a silver cross. Each field features a snake (a native rattlesnake) in a reversed "L" shape. The shape of the snakes is explained by the fact that Martinique was then dependent on Saint Lucia until it became a British possession.

Milan
Ancient coat of arms of Milan, belonging to the two ducal families that ruled the city - Visconti and Sforza - a famous heraldic image.
Coat of arms of the Visconti family, Biscion depicts azure snake holding a person in its mouth.
According to legend, in crusade in 1187 Duke of Milan Ottone Visconti met in a duel with the Saracen prince. The Moor had on his shield an image of a snake swallowing a child. Otto defeated the Saracen, took his shield and chose him as his coat of arms.
According to another version, the dragon devastated the outskirts of Milan in the 5th century until it was killed by Duke Umberto Visconti.

More interpretations of this image:
The coat of arms depicts snake, swallowing a Saracen (Moor). Symbolizes the strength and victories of the city.
Or: on the coat of arms snake, from whose mouth appears a baby, which symbolizes awakening strength combined with wisdom.
When Visconti became duke in 1395, he added black eagles to the biscion (the duchy was part of the Holy Roman Empire). The coat of arms began to represent a shield, two golden fields of which were occupied by eagles and two silver fields by snakes.

The Visconti dynasty died out in the middle of the 15th century. Francesco Sforza married the daughter of the last Visconti, Bianca, and the throne of Milan passed to the Sforza dynasty in 1450.
And the coat of arms became coat of arms of the city of Milan.
Now Milan has a different coat of arms - the red cross of St. George on a silver field.
And the image of a snake with a child is used in its symbol car company Alfa Romeo, created in Milan.

The firm uses a combination of both Milanese coats of arms. This is a circle divided in half, with a cross placed on the left half and a snake on the right.
Pruzhany
Daughter of the Duke of Sforza who became through marriage Grand Duchess Lithuanian, brought the coat of arms of Biscion to the Belarusian Pruzhany.
In 1588, the owner of Pruzhany, Queen and Princess of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Anna Yagelonka(the widow of Stefan Batory, she owned Pruzhany after the death of her mother, Queen Bona Sforza), granted Pruzhany Magdeburg privileges with the status of a city, seal and coat of arms.

The coat of arms has changed, there were options with a Christmas tree and a double-headed eagle, but now the old coat of arms has been returned to the city.
Kamnik- an ancient Slovenian city 23 km from Ljubljana, its name is due to its quarries and mines.
In the center of the city, on a hill, rise the ruins of the Small Castle of the 11th century. The legend connects the Small Castle with the enchanted Countess Veronica - half-woman - half-snake, which guards the treasures hidden in the castle.

In the city's coat of arms - on an azure field, a dragon supports a white tower with an Illyrian star and month, and in the tower we see a woman - a snake.
The Hague, Netherlands.
White Stork holding a snake
Since the 15th century, the symbol of the city has been the stork.


The meaning is a purifier of filth (absorber of snakes, frogs, worms and other “swamp vermin”) and hence the guardian of the hearth.
Snake on the coat of arms of the German community of Schlangen- a talking coat of arms. (Schlangen - means snakes)

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Cities of Russia
Essentuki
Famous resort town.
The white cross on the coat of arms is an element of the coat of arms of the Stavropol Territory - (Stavropol - from Greek “city of the cross”).
Gold on top of the cross on the coat of arms bowl entwined with a snake, with water jets gushing from a bowl; The bowl with a snake symbolizes the resort city, the streams symbolize healing springs: Essentuki-4, Essentuki-17, Essentuki-20.

Above the bowl is a flying golden eagle with a mace - a symbol of the Cossacks and power. The red color of the background is associated with the Kuban Cossacks, and the azure color with the Terek Cossacks.
Ulan-Ude - capital of Buryatia
In the golden field there is a cornucopia, on top of which Mercury rod with two wrapped around him snakes(caduceus).

The shield is topped with gold crown about five teeth, on the central tooth soyombo-Buryat symbol of eternal life (sun, moon, hearth) - a circle accompanied by a crescent moon at the bottom, a flame in three languages ​​at the top, and a national ornament below the crown.
Sol-Iletsk-city of the Orenburg region.
In the 18th century, the Iletskaya Zashchita fortress was founded here. The defense of the border is symbolized in the coat of arms by a silver tower with battlements.

In the arch of the tower - snake, entwined around a golden bowl With salt. The bowl and snake symbolize the healing properties of the local lakes, and the silver diamonds symbolize the crystals of the salt mines.
Novozybkov- a city in the Bryansk region.
The coat of arms is golden Mercury's rod entwined with snakes.

The rod is crossed with a green sheaf of hemp. Don’t think anything bad, in the 19th century Novozybkov was big shopping center, and hemp was grown here - for the production of hemp and hemp oil.

Tura- a city in the Evenki district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The coat of arms is quite exotic.
In the silver field the azure are confronted snake and black mammoth.

Based on the mythical story from the Evenki epic about the struggle between Seli (mammoth) and Dyabdar (snake). Where the snake crawled, writhing in battle, rivers formed. Where the heavy mammoth walked, depressions appeared - lakes and mountains rose. And Sali and Dyabdar fell underground, becoming guardian spirits of the entrance to the Lower World.
This is how the Earth acquired its current appearance, and at the confluence of two rivers - the Lower Tunguska and Kochechum, an Evenki camp arose, now the town of Tura.
Coat of arms Volginsky village Vladimir region.
The village was organized in 1973 not far from the plant for the production of means for protecting animals from diseases, next to the Research Institute of Veterinary Microbiology.

On the coat of arms there is a silver figure, resembling a test tube in outline, and an azure bowl entwined with two golden snakes-symbol of healing and pharmacy. The blue color of the bowl indicates a veterinary focus, and the two snakes symbolize both the development of veterinary drugs and the production of pharmaceutical products.

City of Zmeinogorsk founded in Altai in 1736
The coat of arms depicts two crowned snakes, crossed pickaxes above them, and above them is a shining crystal.

The coat of arms reminds that the settlement arose near the mine.
Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo)
Coat of arms of Tsarskoe Selo, the official country residence of the emperors.
On it, at the behest of Catherine the Great, they painted a snake swallowing its tail. This symbol of wisdom and eternity was returned to the city coat of arms of the city of Pushkin in 2010.

The shield is four-part. In the first and third parts - in a red field - the golden crowned monogram of Empress Catherine I. In the second and fourth parts - in a purple field, an eagle from the time of Catherine II, holding a torch with a flame in its right paw; in the left paw there is an anchor. On the eagle's chest is an oval shield with a cross, fringed with a golden snake swallowing its tail.
Nakhodka city
In the dissected azure and green shield there is an inscribed golden anchor, entwined like a caduceus with a pair golden snakes.

Anchor is a symbol of port and navigation; two crossed snakes are a symbol of wisdom and vigilance. And the caduceus and wings are a symbol of Hermes (Mercury), the god of news and trade;
Interesting fact
In Russia, the snake adorned royal seals and money. The image of an eagle catching a snake was on the banknotes of General Yudenich, who commanded the White Army in northwestern Russia.

Cities of Ukraine
In the city's coat of arms Zmieva depicts a golden crowned snake.

Kharkov
On the coat of arms of Kharkov there is a Horn of Plenty and a Caduceus.

Evpatoria
A snake wraps itself around a staff and a bowl, reminiscent of the health resorts of Evpatoria

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Flag of Sicily
On the flag of Sicily in the center there is an image triskelion(three legs emerging from a common center), heads Gorgon Medusa (with snakes instead of hair)), and also three snakes or three ears of wheat. Three legs symbolize three extreme points islands of Sicily.

Trinacria, another name for triskelion (from the Greek “triangle”), is the first name of the island. The colors of the flag represent the cities of Palermo and Corleone.
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Snake emblems

Snake as a symbol found not only on the coats of arms and flags of countries and cities, but in the emblems of various organizations.
After all, the Snake can be symbol wisdom and protection, medicine and renewal.
The inconsistency of the symbol can be explained by the inconsistency of the properties of the snake itself: its poison both kills and heals; it can lie motionless, but is capable of making a swift throw. She sheds her skin and rejuvenates - which means she can live a very long time, forever.
Snake - emblem of wisdom- this is what they believed in the countries of Asia and Africa, where they observed the life of snakes, and knew how to tame them, and extracted healing poison from them.
Hence the ancient idea of ​​the snake as symbol of medicine.
They value the snake too security ability. In the East, snakes guard the house, and in the West they guard jewelry and money. (In one of the Swedish cities, a two-meter boa constrictor sleeps during the day and watches at night, waiting for thieves).
Medicine emblem
Let's remember the god of medicine Asclepius with a snake wrapped around his staff, which served as an emblem of health and immortality. And the "father of medicine" Hippocrates had a similar staff.

Snake wrapped around a bowl, pouring its poison into it for the benefit of man, also became the emblem of medicine.
This sign is like military medicine symbol, was approved by our Revolutionary Military Council in 1924. The sign is still preserved in Russia as an emblem of military medical personnel and medicine in general.
Daughter of Aesculapius Hygeia, goddess of health, was often depicted holding in her hand bowl with snake.


Sculpture Hygeia at the Military Medical Academy in St. Petersburg. I love this sculpture.
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In European countries, where there are few snakes, they were afraid of poisonous snakes and considered them the embodiment of danger.
Europeans associated the snake with the biblical legend of the serpent-devil and considered it a symbol of evil and deceit. Also in America, the snake emblem means evil.
In this capacity, the snake is present on the coat of arms of Mexico, where the eagle devours the snake, that is, good defeats evil. A snake wrapped around a sword is a symbol of cunning and deceit.
But in most emblems snake - a good start, symbol of wisdom, health, protection.
Caduceus - staff of Hermes(Mercury) is a symbol of trade and premium.
In occultism, it is a symbol of the key that opens the limit between darkness and light, good and evil.
Used in a number of countries (eg USA) as a symbol of medicine, (erroneously), due to its resemblance to the staff of Asclepius.
US military medic emblem

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In the emblem of the Federal Customs Service a caduceus enters, crossed with a torch.

The medieval emblem of victory over evil in the form of the right hand of God stretched out from a cloud and cutting a snake with a sword was used by the Soviet military counterintelligence "Smersh"».
The fire snake Asp is a symbol of blacksmiths.

In modern times Several more “snake” emblems of international organizations were born.
WHO emblem

Compiled by analogy with the medical emblem Emblem of the Plant Protection Service - snake wrapped around an ear of corn.

Also in the new logo Environmentalists against atomic explosions a snake entwining a bowl and a green branch growing from it against the backdrop of a nuclear mushroom serves as a reminder that people must be wise to prevent a nuclear disaster.
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Sources
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_in_heraldry
http://www.gumer.info/bibliotek_Buks/Culture/pohl/08.php
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Recognizable signs all over the world. The Red Cross emblem is a permit to carry out humanitarian activities - the emblem is designed to protect both the victims and the people who came to their aid. In countries with a predominantly Muslim population, a red crescent is used instead of the red cross emblem.
How did this international symbol appear? In 1859, Henri Dunant witnessed the Battle of Solferino, after which thousands of wounded soldiers were left without any help on the battlefield. The army sanitation services failed to cope with their responsibilities. One of the reasons for this was that they did not have any single distinctive emblem that could be easily identified by each side of the conflict.
An international conference was held in Geneva in 1863, which tried to find a solution to the problem of the low efficiency of army sanitary services on the battlefield. The conference participants approved the emblem - a red cross on a white background - as the distinctive sign of societies providing assistance to wounded military personnel.
During the Eastern Crisis (1875–1878) and Russian-Turkish War (1877–1878) Ottoman Empire allowed the activities of the Red Cross on its territory, obliging, however, the ICRC to change its symbols to the Red Crescent. Since then, in most Islamic countries the same role has been played by the red crescent, and in Iran by the red lion and sun (abolished in 1980).
Subsequently, Article 38 of the 1949 Geneva Convention I recognized the emblems of the red cross and red crescent on a white background as protective insignia of military medical services. This excluded the possibility of using any other signs other than the indicated emblems.
The red Star of David is common in Israel, although it is not recognized by international humanitarian law. At the international level, this symbolism caused protests from Arab countries. In this regard, on December 8, 2005, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) approved an addition to the official emblem of this organization. Now, along with the red cross and crescent, it uses a red crystal - a rhombus on a white background, standing on one of the corners.
Israel also announced its readiness to use the red diamond when conducting operations under the auspices of the ICRC outside the country, while in Israel itself the symbol of medical services will remain Magen David Adom - the red Star of David.
However, the fact that a person, organization or company is involved or wishes to participate in relief efforts does not in itself give them the right to use these symbols. Any use of the red cross (red crescent) emblem not authorized by the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocols of 1977, and by unauthorized institutions is misuse (abuse).
Thus, in peacetime, these symbols can be used as a distinctive sign by the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. On the territory Russian Federation- this is the Russian Red Cross (RRC).
Also, a red cross can be displayed on vehicles and points used to provide first aid, subject to compliance with national legislation, permission from the RKK and assistance provided exclusively free of charge.
In times of conflict, the emblem serves as a visible sign of the protection provided in accordance with the provisions of Geneva Conventions. Its purpose is to show the armed forces that under the protection of the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols are:
— volunteers from national societies, medical staff, delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross, etc.,
— hospitals, first aid stations, mobile hospitals, etc.,
— vehicles(land, sea and air).
It is necessary that the emblem used as a protective sign commands respect and encourages armed forces to restraint in actions.

Blue snowflake appeared in the United States of America. There she is called the “star of life”.

This medical emblem accompanies emergency medical services.
Each of the 6 rays of the blue star represents one of the functions of the emergency medical service: detection, notification, response, on-site assistance, transport assistance, transport for further assistance.
The light blue color of the cross symbolizes freeness and charity.
In the center of the emblem are a snake and the staff of Asclepius (see below).
The "star of life" emblem was designed by Leo R. Schwartz,

Chief of the Division of Emergency Medical Services of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The emblem was developed after the American Red Cross banned the use of the previously used orange cross on a white background, considering it an imitation of the Red Cross emblem.
The six-pointed blue snowflake has been registered as a certification mark since February 1, 1977. Its use on an emergency medical vehicle ensures that the vehicle is equipped to meet US Department of Transportation standards and that the personnel using the vehicle are trained to provide emergency medical care. Use of the logo on road maps and signs indicates locations of qualified emergency medical services.

Aesculapian snake
In primitive society, the snake was one of the main totem animals. With the emergence of the cult of the snake, a dual role was attributed to it: evil and good. On the one hand, the snake was a symbol of cunning and deceit, on the other - immortality, wisdom and knowledge.
In many nations, the snake symbolizes good beginnings, ensuring the well-being of the home and the health of those living there, and also has magical power heal wounds and teach people healing skills.
It is characteristic that in the ancient world medicine was symbolized not by a poisonous snake, but by a harmless snake. The Romans were very fond of these reptiles and kept them in baths and baths. It is believed that the Aesculapian snake came to some European countries thanks to the Roman conquerors.
In the mythology of the countries of the Ancient East, snakes often appeared together with deities who were associated with the health of people and their healing. It is assumed that the snake symbol was first used as an emblem of healing around the 2nd millennium BC in Ancient Babylon.
Among African peoples, the snake was also often associated with healing. This is obviously explained by the fact that in Africa sorcerers were engaged in healing; they, as a rule, were also snake charmers.
In Europe, the snake not only symbolized a healer, as in Africa - a sorcerer, it symbolized wisdom and knowledge in general. Perhaps doctors, as representatives of a special profession, stood out earlier than others from among “scientific people” and, perhaps, were even the first scientists on Earth. Therefore, it was the snake that remained their professional emblem.
As an emblem of medicine, the snake was originally depicted without any attributes. Later, images of snakes appeared in combination with various objects. The emblem of medicine is known in the form of the tripod of Apollo entwined with a snake. In Europe (France, Belgium, Greece, etc.) since the 8th century, there has been a medical emblem in the form of a mirror entwined with a snake. The mirror was a symbol of purity and caution - qualities necessary for a doctor. But the most famous were three emblems of medicine with the image of a snake: the staff of Asclepius, the caduceus and the cup with the snake.

Staff of Asclepius
The Staff of Asclepius - a gnarled stick around which a snake is coiled - has been one of the most recognizable symbols of medicine since around the 8th century. BC e.

Greek myths tell that Asclepius (Aesculapius among the Romans) - the son of the god of light, truth and prophecies Apollo - learned his healing skills from the centaur Chiron and was known as a skilled doctor who knew how to resurrect the dead. However, Zeus, fearing that thanks to the art of Asclepius people would become immortal, killed him with a lightning strike. Asclepius began to be revered as the god of healing.
One of the ancient Greek myths tells that Asclepius was invited to the palace of Minos, the king of Crete, to resurrect his dead son. The doctor was walking, leaning on his staff, and suddenly a snake entwined the staff. Frightened, Asclepius killed the snake. But as soon as he did this, a second snake appeared, carrying some kind of grass in its mouth. This herb resurrected the dead. Asclepius, possessing inhuman insight, found the grass that the snake brought, collected it and, arriving in Crete, resurrected the son of King Minos with it.
Currently, a staff entwined with a snake, depicted against a background of a globe bordered by laurel branches, is the emblem of the World Health Organization of the United Nations. This emblem was adopted in 1948 and reflects the dominance of medicine over the healing, life-protecting forces of nature.

Caduceus (rod of Mercury)
The Greek word "caduceus" ("sign of the messenger's authority") was the name given to the magic rod of the messenger of the Greek gods Hermes (for the Romans - Mercury), entwined with two snakes, usually crowned with a pair of wings.
The snakes entwined around the caduceus symbolized the interaction of opposing forces. In Roman mythology, Mercury used a rod to reconcile two fighting snakes - the reason why it became a symbol of balanced and virtuous behavior in Ancient Rome.

Today the caduceus is an emblem of medicine or commerce, but over the past 4,000 years the symbol has been associated with divine powers (and sometimes with messengers of the gods) in Phenicia and Babylon, in Egypt and India. In alchemy, the caduceus is a symbol of the unity of opposites. It symbolized balance, and in Western art it was an attribute of the allegorical figure of the World.
The association with medicine was due to the presence of snakes in the caduceus - as in the staff of Aesculapius. The famous psychologist Carl Jung considered the caduceus an emblem of homeopathic medicine - the snake signifies both poison and medicinal potion.

Bowl with snake
This is the most common medical emblem in Russia.
The first images of a bowl with a snake date back to 800-600 BC. e. At first, the snake and the cup appeared separately and were attributes of the daughter of Aesculapius, the goddess of health Hygeia, who was usually depicted with a snake in one hand and a cup in the other.
According to Academician E.N. Pavlovsky, the first image of a snake entwined around a bowl appeared in the 16th century, thanks to the famous physician Paracelsus, who first proposed such a combination instead of the caduceus, which was traditional at that time.

The true meaning of this emblem remains controversial. Perhaps the cup means a vessel that contained snake venom, which was widely used in medicine at that time. The snake symbolizes wisdom, knowledge, immortality.
Russian medical historian F.R. Borodulin believed that this emblem is a reminder to the doctor of the need to be wise and to draw wisdom from the cup of knowledge of nature.
In Russia, this emblem, called the “Hippocratic Cup,” became the main medical symbol in the 8th century. As a distinction of medical service in the army, a bowl with a snake (two snakes) was introduced under Peter I. A snake entwined around the leg of the bowl and bowing its head over the bowl itself, as a symbol of military medicine, was approved in our country by the Revolutionary Military Council in 1924. This sign is still preserved in Russia as the official emblem of military medical personnel of all branches.
The most common is the use of an emblem in the form of a bowl with a snake for pharmaceutical activities.

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There are several well-known medical emblems, each with its own unique origin and meaning.

Staff of Asclepius

The Staff of Asclepius is a famous medical symbol. He is depicted as a knotted stick around which a snake is entwined, head up. This emblem originated in Ancient Greece, around the 8th century BC.

According to legend, the patron of medicine, Asclepius (in Roman mythology -), who had divine origin, was a most skilled doctor and could even resurrect the dead. One day he was invited to the palace of the Cretan king, Minos, to resurrect his dead son. Asclepius walked, leaning on a staff around which a snake coiled. He got scared and killed it, but suddenly a second snake appeared, carrying some kind of plant in its mouth. With this herb she resurrected the dead woman. Asclepius realized that this plant was healing, collected it and resurrected the king’s son.

Bowl with snake

The snake bowl is the most famous medical symbol. For the first time, her images began to appear around 800-600 BC. Initially, the cup and the snake were attributes of Hygeia, the daughter of Aesculapius, who held them in different hands.

Subsequently, this emblem was forgotten for a long time. It was only in the 16th century, at the suggestion, that a bowl with a snake became a medical symbol. According to various assumptions, the snake is a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and immortality, as well as the healing properties of its venom, which was widely used in medicine of that time. And the bowl is a vessel for storing them.

Caduceus

Caduceus - the rod of the Greek messenger of the gods Hermes (in the myths of Ancient Rome - Mercury). He is depicted as a staff with wings entwined with two snakes. Snakes are a symbol of interaction and balance of opposites. In ancient Rome, the caduceus also symbolized virtue and mystery.

For a long time it was used as a sign that protects commercial or political correspondence. Now it is the emblem of commerce and medicine.

Red Cross

In 1859, a Swiss citizen, Henri Dunant traveled to Italy, where he witnessed the Battle of Solferino. The army's medical services were unable to cope with their duties because they did not have a distinctive emblem that could be identified during battle. As a result, after the battle, several thousand wounded soldiers were left on the battlefield without help.

In 1863, at the International Conference in Geneva, the symbol of a red cross on a white background was approved as a distinctive sign of assistance to wounded military personnel. A year later it was recognized as the insignia of the armed forces medical service.

Star of Life

The star of life is depicted as a blue snowflake. This sign appeared in the USA, where it is called “Star of life”. The Star of Life is the emblem of emergency medical services, regulated by the American Medical Association and the US Department of Health, Education and Human Services. This is the “youngest” medical symbol, it has been used only since February 1, 1977.

Each ray of the star of life represents a different emergency medical service function: detection, alert, response, on-site assistance, assistance during transport, transport for subsequent assistance. The staff of Asclepius is usually depicted in its center.

There are many medical emblems. A cup entwined with a snake is a Russian medical symbol. In general, the image of a snake was intensively exploited by the peoples of the world. For example, in Egypt it was a professional sign for doctors. The Egyptian goddess of healing, Isis, is entwined with a snake, representing health. Legends and tales of Ancient Babylon and Africa tell about the healing properties of reptiles.

The origin of the cup as a symbol of medicine is explained by the tradition of preparing medicine in a ritual vessel or by the fact that in the arid desert regions of the East, precious moisture pouring from heaven and bringing life was collected in the vessel.

It is unknown who united the cup and the snake into a single whole. Found images of a snake and a bowl date back to 600 BC. e. on them greek goddess health Hygeia, daughter of Aesculapius, feeds a snake (snake) from a charm, she holds it in one hand and the snake in the other.

It was the snakes that were considered to have magical healing powers and lived in the treatment center of the god of healing, Aesculapius. In the ancient world, they embodied a good beginning, guaranteeing the well-being of the home and the health of the people living in it.

Symbol of Russian military medicine

Subsequently, this emblem was forgotten and only in the 16th century, according to Academician E.N. Pavlovsky, a snake appeared, entwined around the bowl, thanks to the famous physician Paracelsus at that time.

The meaning of this sign and the contents of the cup are still controversial. It is logical to assume that the bowl contains snake venom, which is known to have healing properties. Therefore, this emblem is considered the most acceptable for pharmacology.

The snake is a symbol of wisdom and immortality. There is an opinion that this tells the doctor that he must be reasonable and draw wisdom from the cup of knowledge of nature. One of the first to think about the contents of the cup was the historian and doctor F. R. Borodulin. He suggested that chara is a symbol of reason, embracing the knowledge of the world.

In Russia, a cup entwined with a snake appeared under Peter I as a distinction of military medicine. This symbol was also inscribed on, granted along with the nobility to the Assessor of Pharmacy of Lublin, the Apothecary Karl Friedrich son of Hinch, by Emperor Nicholas I for loyalty to the throne.

The young Soviet government took the baton from the tsarist government and the symbol of military medicine - a snake entwined around a cup and bowing its head over it - was approved in 1924 by the Revolutionary Military Council. This sign is still the common emblem of the Russian military medical service today.

In primitive society, when totemism and animalism took shape, reflecting the helplessness of primitive man in front of the outside world, the snake was one of the main totem animals. With the emergence of the cult of the snake, a dual role was attributed to it: evil and good. On the one hand, the snake was a symbol of cunning and deceit, on the other - immortality, wisdom and knowledge.

Snake as a symbol of medicine

Snake as a symbol of medicine

The symbol of the snake among the peoples of the world

For many peoples, the snake symbolizes good beginnings, ensuring the well-being of the home and the health of those living there, and also has the magical power to heal wounds and teach people healing skills.

Some researchers believe that illness, and especially death, have always been mysterious and incomprehensible phenomena for people. The causes of illness and death were also unclear. The snake, too, has always remained a mysterious and incomprehensible creature. Perhaps, these researchers believe, people associate strange phenomena with strange creatures. Perhaps, although the explanation is perhaps not very convincing. Moreover, the snake has always been a symbol of wisdom, learning, i.e. alternatives to ignorance.

The snake is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge

In Europe, the snake not only symbolized a healer, as in Africa - a sorcerer, it symbolized wisdom and knowledge in general. Perhaps doctors, as representatives of a special profession, stood out earlier than others from among “scientific people” and, perhaps, were even the first scientists on Earth. Therefore, it was the snake that remained their professional emblem.

And yet, it is difficult to say with certainty why this happened: we have almost no facts, except for one fact - the symbol of medicine - the snake.

History of the medical emblem

It is assumed that the snake symbol was first used as an emblem of healing around the 2nd millennium BC in Ancient Babylon, where animal worship was maintained during the era of slavery.

As an emblem of medicine, the snake was originally depicted without any attributes. Later, images of snakes appeared in combination with various objects. The emblem of medicine is known in the form of the tripod of Apollo entwined with a snake. In Europe (France, Belgium, Greece, etc.) from the 18th century. There was a medical emblem in the form of a mirror entwined with a snake. The mirror was a symbol of purity and caution - qualities necessary for a doctor.

However, the most famous were three emblems of medicine: the staff of Asclepius, the caduceus and the cup with the snake.

Red cross and red crescent

on a white field are among the few signs that are easily recognized by people all over the world. Originally created to represent the sanitation services of the armed forces and provide protection for the sick and wounded, they gradually evolved into symbols of impartial humanitarian assistance provided to all who are suffering.

This symbol is the official emblem International Movement Red Cross and Red Crescent.

Blue "snowflake" - star of life

The famous medical emblem - the blue "snowflake" - comes from the United States of America. There they call her the Star of Life. This medical emblem accompanies Emergency Medical Services, which is jointly administered by the American Medical Association and the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Each of the 6 rays of the Star of Life means one of the functions of the Emergency Medical Services: detection, notification, response, assistance on the spot, assistance with transportation, transportation for further assistance. In the center of the emblem are a snake and the staff of Asclepius.