A plain staff with a single snake wound around it. It belonged to Asclepius, the ancient Greek god of medicine, and it is still the sign of medicine today: the World Health Organization uses it in its emblem.
Record, Folk and Modern are kept apart, and each one carries its source.
In Greek religion Asclepius was the god of medicine, and his sign was a staff with one snake wound around it. Our files give no date or object for the earliest image of the rod, so we leave the date open until we can name one.
To verify: The date and place of the earliest known image of Asclepius with his staff; A museum or scholarly source to stand beside Wikipedia
Over time the god’s staff became a sign for medicine itself, and today the World Health Organization uses the single-snake staff in its emblem.
To verify: When the rod first became a general sign of medicine, and who used it first
A chart of ‘spiritual symbols’ that circulates online lists the rod for medicine and getting well. We found no early record of people wearing it for that: it is a sign of medicine. It is also a different sign from the caduceus, a staff with two snakes and a pair of wings. We make no health claim.
