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Letters |17 February 2004

The Symbol of Modern Medicine

Konstantinos Paparounas, MD, PhD

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  • From Hatzikosta General Hospital of Ioannina; Ioannina 45001, Greece.
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TO THE EDITOR:
I read with interest the article by Wilcox and Whitham (1) about the symbol of medicine. The double serpent and wings, the caduceus, which is often used as the insignia of many medical organizations, in fact has no medical relevance. The Latin word caduceus is an alteration of the Greek word karykeion, from karyx, meaning a “herald's wand.” According to Greek mythology, the caduceus was the magical rod of Hermes, who was the god of commerce, invention, cunning, and theft and who also served as messenger, scribe, and herald for the other gods (2)....
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Paparounas K. The Symbol of Modern Medicine. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:311. doi: https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-140-4-200402170-00023

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Published: Ann Intern Med. 2004;140(4):311.

DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-140-4-200402170-00023

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2004 American College of Physicians
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