X-Message-Number: 20537 Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2002 13:00:38 -0800 From: Kennita Watson <> Subject: Re: logo of a human holding back the grim reaper > From: Dan Hitt <> > The atlas of gastrointestinal endoscopy (http://www.endoatlas.com/) > has a logo depecting a man pushing back with his right hand the grim > reaper's scythe. The man is holding the medical trident (which i > suppose comes from the story of Moses' rod?) with his left hand. > > Is this a well-known image? Not a trident, and not from Moses (thank goodness). From dictionary.com, http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=caduceus: \Ca*du"ce*us\, n. [L. caduceum, caduceus; akin to Gr. ? a herald's wand, fr. ? herald.] (Myth.) The official staff or wand of Hermes or Mercury, the messenger of the gods. It was originally said to be a herald's staff of olive wood, but was afterwards fabled to have two serpents coiled about it, and two wings at the top. Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. caduceus n : an insignia used by the medical profession; modeled after the staff of Hermes Source: WordNet 1.6, 1997 Princeton University caduceus A staff with two oppositely twined serpents and surmounted by two wings; emblem of the U.S. Army Medical Corps. For veterinary medicine the double serpent was changed in 1972 to its present form with a single serpent. See: staff of Aesculapius. Origin: L. The staff of Mercury; G. Keryx herald, the staff of Hermes Source: On-line Medical Dictionary, 1997-98 Academic Medical Publishing & CancerWEB staff of Aesculapius A rod with only one serpent encircling it and without wings; symbol of medicine and emblem of the American Medical Association, Royal Army Medical Corps (Britain), and Royal Canadian Medical Corps. See: caduceus. Origin: L. Aesculapius, G. Asklepios, god of medicine Source: ibid. -- May you live long and prosper, Kennita -- Kennita Watson | Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; | None but ourselves can free our minds. http://www.kennita.com | -- Bob Marley, "Redemption Song" Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=20537