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The serpentine staff you're referring to is called a caduceus. It has Greek origins -- Hermes, the messenger of the gods, carried it as a symbol of peace. Ancient Greeks created the caduceus as a badge of honor; ambassadors and noblemen carried a long staff entwined with garlands or ribbons to announce their presence. The garlands were later interpreted as snakes, and a pair of wings was added to denote Hermes, the winged messenger. Here's where it gets tricky. The U.S. Army medical corps adopted the caduceus as their insignia because of its similarity to the staff carried by Asclepius,
the god of medicine. The staff of Asclepius is considered the "true symbol of medicine" -- it features only one snake, and no wings. It's the emblem of the American Medical Association. The two symbols are quite similar in appearance, and both are derived from Greek mythology. The caduceus generally stands for peace, although it may also serve as a symbol of trade and communication, while the staff of Asclepius stands for healing.
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