I walk along the way to work by a clinical hospital. On the iron fence – the image of the symbol of medicine – a bowl with a snake. It was always interesting who came up with the emblem? And what initially meant these symbols? L. Maradchenko, Tula

. Who came up with the emblem of physicians?

The emblem of medicine is a snake, whipping the leg of the bowl and inclined her head over the bowl itself, was officially recognized by the Soviet state in 1924, and then gained widespread and beyond. The sharp medical students in the language have long come up with the interpretation sign of medicine: the symbol explains – the medic is not simple, he is a kite as a snake, and do not drink a fool. If seriously, the snake is accompanied by physicians since ancient times. The legendary Greek doctor of Asclepius (in Roman transcription – Eskulap) has always been depicted with a snake. Since thanks to the snakes, he became not just a great physician, but even a doctor-God, the patron of medicine. Many researchers believe that the "serpentine symbolism" in medicine is a hidden fear of a person in front of the snakes, the desire to delete the Terrible "Goddess of Death" or scare away the disease using the Grozny species of a poisonous snake.

The first images of such a symbol of medicine were dated 800-600. BC. True, in those times, the snake and the bowl existed separately – in the right and left hand of the goddess of GEI health. The emblem with a combination of a bowl and snake, which we used to see, was proposed in the XVI century by the famous Paracelsian doctor.

According to the Russian historian F. Borodulin, the bowl symbolizes the vessel where the knowledge of nature is kept, which should draw a wise doctor from it. Officially, a bowl with a snake as a distinctive feature of military medicine was introduced by Peter I. This symbolism is widespread among pharmacists. On the territory of Russia, an image with a snake, whipping the leg of the bowl, is still considered the emblem of military medical troops.