36: Medical Symbols, Shorthand, and Signage

Society’s symbols truly do reflect its values (Lahey, 1999). Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of medicine. Symbols such as the white coat serve many purposes: communicating hope, honor, and professional distance. In recent times, receiving this symbol in a White Coat Ceremony has become a rite of passage (Jones, 1999). Among the more well-known symbols of medicine is the single serpent-entwined staff of Asklepios. This symbol carries a fascinating history that provides significant insight into our culturally based views of medicine.

As Lankshear has stated, literacy is best understood “as a sociocultural practice . . . in the context of social, cultural, political, economic, historical practices” of which it is a part (Lankshear, 1999, p. 13). Within this position, the single-serpented staff of Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing, carries insightful meaning. In his essay entitled “Serpents, Staffs, and the Emblems of Medicine,” Nathan Williams notes that for many centuries and throughout various cultures, serpents have been associated with both healing and death, being both worshipped and feared. This dualistic nature symbolizes “the struggle between life and death as well as the potential for resurrection and immortality” (Williams, 1999, p. 475). In addition, the serpent has been associated with the role of messenger between this world and the underworld, thus signifying both the aspirations and perils associated with medical practice. When pursued with wisdom and benevolence, medicine is often capable of great healing. However, illness and death can still occur.