SUMMARY.
The insignia and device of the red cross belongs to another organization and its use is not proper for the medical profession. It represents a character of work entirely different.
From the fact that Mercury was the Roman god of trade and commerce and his magic caduceus was the symbol of authority over trade and commerce and was the enchanted wand of prosperity, it is not adapted to be an emblem for the healing art.
The knotty rod and serpent of Esculapius is the ancient inheritance of the medical profession, and the history of this symbol, together with its mythology and its legends, prove its appropriateness, for the reason that the serpent was considered by every race on the globe as a great power and man’s mind used it as a symbol of wisdom and health.
The knotty rod is an expressive representation of support, protection and comfort in the difficult problems arising in the management of disease.
After a Battle.