The serpent (or serpents) of the medical emblems is a reminder of a misdirection of faith, a deception that there is something other than God that is Healer.
Have you ever considered why the medical arts are represented by snakes? Serpents, then, just to be polite. Having worked in the field of alternative medicine (in a concurrent career) the question hadn't really come up. But as the president-elect is expected to deliver on his promise to eradicate Obamacare, that a rod encircled by snakes symbolizes medicine is worth a look.
It's true that the medical arts have made amazing advances over the centuries, yet the caduceus appears to be relatively new on the scene. For those unfamiliar with the term 'caduceus' it refers to the oft-used insignia of a staff wrapped by two snakes sporting a set of wings. Whereas the chiropractic (which art was discovered in 1896) caduceus is a ribbon flowing around the human form that evokes the medical standard, it is meant to elevate the concept of innate health.
So, why snakes? Evidently, the caduceus came into use in the seventh century connected more to the arcane applications that were considered useful to healing, which might have included anything from blood-letting to consulting astrological charts. The birth of the symbol seems to range from a crossover representation of two staffs--one that belonged to Hermes, the messenger of the gods, the Greek deity of travelers, thieves, merchants, shepherds and athletes; and that carried by a healer named Asclepius who was deified as the god of medicine. Hermes' wielded a winged magic wand of intertwined snakes. Asclepius' staff was wrapped around by a single serpent, and is still the preferred symbol of many medical practitioners.
Whichever form the symbol takes, it is still derived from a foundation of Greek or perhaps Mesopotamian myth, whether that of an occult or commercial base (Hermes' caduceus), or Asclepius' catering to the physical body using what might be considered "earthly" methods. The origin may be a disconcerting concept to some.
I'm not here to disparage medicine. It serves the purpose of assisting the worldly healing needed by many suffering from all types of afflictions, but it is useful to follow the trail of symbology as it relates to things of faith. Perhaps even the interference with faith.
Numerous acts of healing occurred throughout Scripture according to faith. There is the instance where the Israelites were beset by poisonous snakes and the only way to overcome the deadly bites was to behold a serpent-coiled bronze staff held by Moses. Obviously, it was an act of faith to believe that looking upon the staff would heal them. Interesting as this is, this image is not the basis of the medical emblem.
How many oft-prescribed drugs are actually poisons used in moderation? Digitalis? Morphine? Botox? Any form of chemotherapy?
We can go back further to Eden where trickery appears in the form of a snake, or serpent, that poisons the garden's peace with words that contradict God's instruction. Deception--which just happens to be one of Hermes attributes as well. Hermes, whose caduceus has been used by some medical professionals more profoundly since the 1800s, is also a god of merchants and it was about this time (the 19th century) that medicine took on more of a mantle of commerce. The rise of treating illnesses with drugs, many derived from old herbal remedies, began to take on more of a magical quality. The euphoric painkillers extracted from opium or the numbing qualities of cocaine were put in general use along with "snake oil" sold by folks like the father of pharmaceuticals and oil baron, John D. Rockefeller.
The improvements made in surgery, the travesties of Civil War casualties suffering amputations evolving into the modern re-attachment of severed limbs, speak of wonders unimagined 150 years ago. And these innovations have revolutionized medical care. That is, until government stepped in influencing a change of reason to enter the field of medicine from beneficence to avarice, the latter of which results in power and ultimately control. It's not too hard to understand how government fully regulating medicine or "healthcare" has led to believing no alternatives exist to getting well. All because healthcare has been inextricably tied to commerce so much so that the first question out of a sick person's mouth is now, "how much does it cost?"
Going full circle brings this around to the definition of pharmakeia, the root of pharmaceutical. It not only means drugs, which could be administered for any reason, good or bad, but it refers to poison, witchcraft and sorcery. Poison can be easily accepted as most drugs are toxic in some fashion. Eli Lilly is reported to have said that it isn't a drug if it has no side effects. How many oft-prescribed drugs are actually poisons used in moderation? Digitalis? Morphine? Botox? Any form of chemotherapy?
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Coming back to the snake wound about a staff, the fact is it represents deception from the very beginning of man's consciousness. The concept couldn't have been overlooked by those who received it as a symbol of medicine--because there is a difference between medicine and healing.
Medicine is the administering of something from the outside in, be it drugs or surgery. Healing comes from the inside out. When God is in the picture, it is faith working from the inside by receiving the promise of healing finished by Jesus' sacrifice and suffering on the Cross. This is not to say that medicine can't be part of the equation because even that won't work without believing that it will work. However, healing can come by way of the miraculous (read the New Testament for untold examples) or it can be delivered by God's guiding man's efforts.
When government is removed from the healing arts, medicine becomes personal and God can move in hearts. Government institutions make worry and panic a part of the process which thwarts true healing. Repealing Obamacare is the first step to removing barriers between healer and healed. It opens the door to again contracting directly with the provider or insurer rather than putting all trust in government instead of God for supply. Poor individuals are helped by the free market drive to share abundance, charity coming from prosperous believers and philanthropic organizations that benefit from giving.
The serpent (or serpents) of the medical emblems is a reminder of a misdirection of faith, a deception that there is something other than God that is Healer. The staff points to God the Healer, but the entwined serpents cut off hope in the supernatural, being replaced with worldly pharmakeia, a limitation to true healing.
Former newspaper publisher, A. Dru Kristenev, grew up in the publishing industry working every angle of a paper, from ad composition and sales, to personnel management, copy writing, and overseeing all editorial content. During her tenure as a news professional, Kristenev traveled internationally as a representative of the paper and, on separate occasions, non-profit organizations. Since 2007, Kristenev has authored five fact-filled political suspense novels, the Baron Series, and two non-fiction books, all available on Amazon. Carrying an M.S. degree and having taught at premier northwest universities, she is the trustee of Scribes’ College of Journalism, which mission is to train a new generation of journalists in biblical standards of reporting. More information about the college and how to support it can be obtained by contacting Kristenev at cw.o@earthlink.net.
ChangingWind (changingwind.org) is a solutions-centered Christian ministry.
Have you ever considered why the medical arts are represented by snakes? Serpents, then, just to be polite. Having worked in the field of alternative medicine (in a concurrent career) the question hadn't really come up. But as the president-elect is expected to deliver on his promise to eradicate Obamacare, that a rod encircled by snakes symbolizes medicine is worth a look.
It's true that the medical arts have made amazing advances over the centuries, yet the caduceus appears to be relatively new on the scene. For those unfamiliar with the term 'caduceus' it refers to the oft-used insignia of a staff wrapped by two snakes sporting a set of wings. Whereas the chiropractic (which art was discovered in 1896) caduceus is a ribbon flowing around the human form that evokes the medical standard, it is meant to elevate the concept of innate health.
