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"

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