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A staff with a single serpent coiled around it, associated in Greek mythology with Asclepius, the god of medicine.
Also known as: Staff of Asclepius, Asklepian
Sometimes confused with: Caduceus
Depicting a single snake wound around a staff, the Rod of Asclepius originates in ancient Greek mythology as the attribute of Asclepius, god of medicine, and remains the historically and professionally appropriate symbol of medicine — used by the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association — though frequently confused with the two-snake, winged caduceus.
Used today as the emblem of numerous medical bodies, including the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association, as the historically correct symbol of medicine — distinct from the caduceus.
Contexts: Medicine
Is not universally preferred even where the distinction is understood. American professional bodies split over the two staffs through the twentieth century: the American Medical Association settled on the single-serpent rod, while the United States Army Medical Corps had adopted the two-serpent caduceus in 1902 and kept it. Both are therefore in current institutional use, which is why the error is so durable.
United States · Twentieth century · Contexts: Medicine, History
Is seen on ambulances and paramedic uniforms inside the Star of Life, on hospital and medical-school arms, on professional registers, and as the World Health Organization's emblem where it is combined with the rod and a globe.
Contexts: Medicine, Public information
Related forms that are not treated as separate canonical symbols — see our variant rules.
Rough-hewn staff form
The rod drawn as a knotted branch with the stubs of cut limbs, following the classical depictions, rather than as a smooth pole.
A vertical staff with a single snake coiled around it.
The staff marks medicine and the bowl marks pharmacy; both carry one snake.
Frequently mistaken for the two-snake, winged caduceus, which historically symbolised commerce and Hermes, not medicine.
Both are built from animals, and both are used in medicine, history and public information contexts.