'medical' cross tattoo symbolism

Hi all, I'm enamoured with the 'medical cross' shape and have occassionally seen it as a tattoo design. I'd love to know the symbolism behind it; obviously for some it has direct connotations to medicine/health, perhaps it has religious links as a 'cross' shape, and obviously it may have personal meanings to the 'wearer'. I'd be really grateful if anyone had any insight on this!

Google search function is your best friend!! :)

Normally it is, but, my google searches for this have been fruitless. All i keep finding is information on the cross in a religious sense.

There are several versions of the "caduceus" ( medical cross symbol) one for Physician, nurse, emt, paramedic etc etc. Google medical symbols and there ya go!

well amusingly it a misnomer that nothing to do with medicine the Cadueus is the symboled of messenger where as the Staff of Asclepius or the Asklepian as thats its other name is directly related to medicine

just google caduses (unsure of the spelling)

From Wiki: The caduceus is strongly linked to the Ancient Greek god Hermes (Mercury in Roman mythology). The origin of the staff is described in the story of Tiresias,[1] who found two snakes copulating and attempted to separate them with his staff. Tiresias was immediately turned in to a woman, and so remained until he was able to repeat the act seven years later. This staff later came in to the possession of the god Hermes, along with its transformative powers. [edit]Variations In some cases, ancient depictions of the Greek kerykeion (e.g. on vase paintings) can be radically different from the modern representation (as in the picture at top right). These representations feature the two snakes atop the staff (rod), crossed to create a circle with the heads of the snakes resembling horns. This old graphic form, with an additional crossbar to the staff, has become the typographical Mercury-sign widely used in astrological and alchemistic contexts for centuries. Another simplified variant of the caduceus is to be found in dictionaries, indicating “commercial term”: the staff with two winglets attached, the snakes omitted (or better: reduced to a small ring in the middle).[citations needed] [edit]Meaning The caduceus is used by a variety of professions who have a connection with Hermes, who was the god of commerce, eloquence, invention, travel and theft. Examples of groups who use the caduceus include: Merchants - The most recognised use of the caduceus is by merchants Journalists - The symbol is often used by journalists as Hermes was both a messenger and god of eloquence Postal workers - Related to the association of Hermes with being a messenger [edit]Confusion with the rod of Asclepius The caduceus is often (incorrectly) used as a symbol for medicine or doctors, in place of the rod of Asclepius which is the usual symbol of the medical profession. A 1992 survey of American health organisations found that 62% of professional associations used the rod of Asclepius, whereas in commercial organisations, 76% used the caduceus.[2] Early confusion between the symbols almost certainly arose due to the links between alchemy and Hermes, whose symbol is the caduceus. The alchemists adopted the caduceus because Hermes, the God of Messengers, was also the patron lord of gamblers, thieves, tricksters and alchemists. By the end of the 16th century, alchemy became widely associated with medicine in some areas, leading to some use of the caduceus as a medical symbol.[1] The main reason for the modern confusion over the symbols occurred when the caduceus was adopted by the Medical Department of the United States Army in 1902. [3] This was brought about by one Captain Reynolds, who after having the idea rejected several times by the Surgeon General, persuaded the new incumbent (WH Forwood) to adopt it. The mistake was noticed several years later by the librarian to the surgeon general, but was not changed.[3] There was further confusion caused by the use of the caduceus as a printer's mark (as Hermes was the god of eloquence and messengers), which appeared in many medical textbooks as a printing mark, although subsequently mistaken for a medical symbol.[3] [edit]Examples of usage The caduceus is the official emblem of the United States Navy Hospital Corps. (see Hospital Corpsman) The caduceus is the official magazine of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. The symbol (with a slight difference) appears on the Order's pledge pin and crest. Caduceus Capital, a famous group of on & off-shore Venture Capital funds specializing in early-stage Life Science & Biotech security investments. Columbia Business School uses a logo derived from the caduceus symbol. They also have other references to the Greek god Hermes including an alumni magazine. The caduceus is used in the coat of arms of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. A stylized caduceus was used on the outside of the main Starfleet Medical headquarters, in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Endgame". The Renaissance artist Jacopo de' Barbari signed most of his work just with a (wingless) caduceus. [edit]Standard representation There are three Unicode representations of the caduceus: U+2624 (?) on the Miscellaneous Symbols table, U+263F (the astrological form) and U+269A (the lexicographical form), both in the same range.