The Staff of Aesculapius vs. the caduceus: What’s the difference?

Have you ever noticed that the medical field uses two different staff symbols? 

One features a single snake coiled around a rough wooden walking stick. The other shows two snakes intertwined around a winged rod. While both appear across modern health care, only one has a legitimate historical claim to medicine. 

The easiest way to tell them apart comes down to a quick count: one snake versus two. 

A symbol of healing 

The single serpent belongs to the Staff of Aesculapius, named for the Greek god of healing. A snake shedding its skin symbolized rejuvenation and renewal, while the walking stick represented the traveling physician supporting patients on foot. 

For the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, the staff aligns with the core philosophy of the profession. When Dr. Andrew Taylor Still founded osteopathic medicine in 1874, he built it on the principle that the human body possesses an innate ability to heal and regulate itself. 

Because of its historical ties to medicine, major health care organizations — including the American Osteopathic Association, the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization — use only the single-snake staff. 

How the caduceus took over 

The two-snake winged staff is the caduceus, the symbol of Hermes, the messenger god of trade and commerce — not medicine. 

Its connection to American health care stems from a mix-up in July 1902. Capt. Frederick P. Reynolds of the U.S. Army Medical Corps convinced Surgeon General William H. Forwood to adopt the caduceus as the official collar insignia for medical officers. The design had been mistakenly linked to medicine through old European publishing marks, but military officials adopted it anyway. Medical suppliers and illustrators quickly followed, favoring the caduceus because its symmetrical wings made for an attractive logo. 

Despite its common appearance, the caduceus has nothing to do with healing. When representing the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, make sure you're using the Staff of Aesculapius.