Medical symbol

A staff or rod with a snake curled? around it.?This is the Rod?of Aesculapius (also called Asklepios), the ancient?mythical god of medicine. ?Asklepios may have been a real person who was?renowned for his gentle remedies and humane treatment of the?mentally ill.?Today, the staff of Aesculapius is a commonly used symbol of medicine.?It is the symbol of the American Medical Association (AMA) and many other? medical societies. A similar symbol, the caduceus, was the staff of the Greek god Hermes.?The caduceus is usually depicted with two snakes and a pair of wings and is often used mistakenly as a symbol of medicine.