What does the sign on the American ambulance mean, a snake wrapped around a stick?

This is a symbol of a snake, also called "snake-wrapped crutch". Originated from the ancient Greek legend, Asquelepo, a medical god, often travels around with a scepter wrapped around a snake in his hand to cure diseases and save lives. Later, he used a "snake-wrapped crutch" as a medical symbol and emblem.

Greece is the birthplace of the snake emblem, which has spread all over Greece since ancient times. In modern times, the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany and the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) all regard the snake emblem as their medical symbol. 1The cover of Chinese Medical Journal published in April, 948 is an eye-catching snake emblem. To this day, snakes are still the symbol of western medical workers.

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Drugstores also like to use snakes as symbols, usually a snake wrapped around a goblet. This sign is similar to "snake-wrapped crutch". The reason why pharmacies are marked with snakes is that thousands of years ago, human beings knew the medicinal value of poisonous snakes, and collected them purposefully, refined them into medicine, and used them to cure diseases and save lives.

In the works of ancient Roman painters and artists, there are almost scenes depicting the god of health holding a cup to feed snakes. Whether in real life or in artistic creation, snakes have an indissoluble bond with medicine. Therefore, since the Middle Ages, pharmacies in European countries began to show this sign. Snakes symbolize the ability to save human beings, and goblets represent the tools for human beings to collect snake venom.

Snakes around the crutches of Baidu Encyclopedia

Baidu encyclopedia snake emblem