Aesculapius

The staff of Aesculapius, the traditional serpentine symbol of medicine, as opposed to the Caduceus (the entwined winged serpents of Hermes/Mercury) is herein presented entwined in a twig that bears uncanny resemblance to the Yin-Yang of Chinese lore - opposing qualities of life and death, light and darkness, health and sickness. Only by being both will one be whole, only by embracing both opposing traits will one begin to understand.