The Explorers' Club, № DCCCLXXV

The Rod of Asclepius & the Caduceus, Part I
The Rod of Asclepius—A symbol of medicine & healing, consisting of a snake coiled around a staff, derived from Asclepius, a mythical hero & later god of medicine in the ancient Greek pagan religion, who was invoked in the original Hippocratic Oath; in 1963, the American Medical Association placed the Rod of Asclepius at the center of the Star of Life, a symbol of emergency medical services.

Commentary: The use of the pagan Rod of Asclepius as a symbol of healing instead of, for example, the Christian cross as used by the International Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement—Christ being the Divine Physician—speaks volumes about the pernicious effect of the self-styled Enlightenment on the darkening of intellects in the West.

Semper exploro.