BARBER'S SIGN.
Though barbering is now entirely separated from surgery, yet a monument of their former union may be still seen in the striped pole and basin so often projecting from the front of barber shops.
The fillet, or spiral strip around the pole symbolizes the winding of a ribbon round the arm previous to letting blood, and its red color symbolizes the blood. The basin, yet sometimes seen at the base, represents a vessel prepared to catch the blood.
Barber's poles in this country are tri-colored. The white symbolizes the arm, the red represents the shed blood, while Americans have added the blue to complete our national colors.