I was very disappointed to see the BCMJ adopting a caduceus car key fob on the cover of the November 2015 issue [10]. Using the caduceus as a symbol of medicine is a very common American solecism that I had hoped would be less seen in Canada. The caduceus is the winged staff with two entwined snakes that is associated with Hermes, the messenger of the gods (and also Mercury). It is also the ancient astrological symbol of commerce (which many might cynically think is very appropriate as a symbol of North American medicine!). The true symbol of medicine is the staff or rod of Aesculapius (Asclepius)—a rod with a single entwined snake and no wings. It is, of course, on the badge of the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Canadian Army Medical Corps.
—Victor Black, MD
Vancouver
Links
[1] https://bcmj.org/cover/januaryfebruary-2016
[2] https://bcmj.org/author/victor-black-md
[3] https://bcmj.org/node/94
[4] https://bcmj.org/sites/default/files/BCMJ_Vol58_No1_pv_5.pdf
[5] https://bcmj.org/print/letters/re-november-2015-cover-image
[6] https://bcmj.org/printmail/letters/re-november-2015-cover-image
[7] http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://bcmj.org/print/letters/re-november-2015-cover-image
[8] https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Re: November 2015 cover image&url=https://bcmj.org/print/letters/re-november-2015-cover-image&via=BCMedicalJrnl&tw_p=tweetbutton
[9] https://bcmj.org/javascript%3A%3B
[10] https://bcmj.org/cover/november-2015
[11] https://bcmj.org/modal_forms/nojs/webform/176
[12] https://bcmj.org/%3Finline%3Dtrue%23citationpop