Caduceus Symbol - Meaning, History, and Medical Misuse #3857748 (License: Personal Use)

This black-and-white line drawing depicts the classical caduceus: a central staff crowned by a pair of wings and a petasos (winged traveler’s hat), with two serpents symmetrically coiled around the shaft. Unlike the single-serpent Rod of Asclepius-associated with healing-the caduceus belongs to Hermes, god of messengers, trade, and trickery. Its modern adoption in U.S. military medicine and healthcare branding is historically inaccurate but deeply entrenched.

This image is commonly used on educational, mythological, or medical history web pages to clarify symbolic confusion; users searching for “caduceus vs rod of asclepius” or “medical symbol meaning” seek accurate iconographic context.