Rod of Asclepius Neck Tie (Light Scrubs Green)

This neck tie bears the Rod of Asclepius on a background that is a tint of hospital scrubs green. Not to be confused with the caduceus, the Rod of Asclepius is a simple stick entwined with a snake. + No one knows when or why exactly the snake and stick were originally paired, but scholars theorize. According to ancient Greek mythology, Asclepius was the son of Apollo, the first physician, and the god of medicine. Stories connecting Asclepius and snakes are too numerous to recount in this small space. Suffice it to say Aesculapian snakes, a special non-poisonous variety, were introduced in each temple dedicated to the god as part of the foundation ritual. Thereafter, they roamed freely even in the ‘dormitories’ where the sick and injured slept. Because they shed their skins, snakes were associated with death and rebirth and, by extension, illness and recovery. The stick may simply represent an itinerant physician’s walking stick. Another interesting explanation for the symbol has been posited though: There is a variety of skin-burrowing worm that was removed from painful surface blisters in antiquity by gradually twining it around a stick. Except for the stick being replaced by gauze, the modern treatment for Guinea worm infestation remains the same. Regardless, the Rod of Asclepius has endured as the emblem of medical professionals to the present day. + BTW... St. Luke the Evangelist is the principal patron saint of doctors and surgeons. See also our St. Luke COLLECTION (Medical Version)! + Image Credit (Rod of Asclepius): WikiMedia Commons, CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication.