Okuda J, Kiyokawa R
Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Tempaku-ku, Nagoya.
Yakushigaku Zasshi. 2000;35(1):25-40.
The snake and snake venoms have stimulated the mind and imagination of humankind since the beginning of records about society. No animal has been more worshipped yet more cast out, more loved yet more despised than the snake. The essence of the fascination with fear of the snake lies within the creature's venom. Snakes have been used for worship, magic potions and, medicine, and they have been the symbol of love, health, disease, medicine, pharmacy, immortality, death and even wisdom. In the Sumer civilization (B.C. 2350-2150), designs with 2 snakes appeared. In Greek mythology (B.C. 2000-400), statues of Asclepius (God of Medicine), with "Caduceus" (made of two snakes and a staff), and his daughter Hygeia (God of Health), holding a snake and bowl, were created as symbols for medicine and health, respectively. A kind of Caduceus (1 snake and 1 staff) has been used as a symbol by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a snake and bowl as a symbol of pharmacies in Europe. Snakes have also been worshipped by old Indian peoples involved in Hinduism since 6-4th century B.C. In ancient Egypt, snake designs were used in hieroglyphs. In China, dried bodies of about 30 species of snakes are still using as Chinese medicines. In Japan, a painting of the symbol of "Genbu" (snake with tortoise) was found recently on the north wall of the Takamatsuzuka ancient tomb (7-8th century A.D.), however it is a symbol of a compass direction, and has probably less relation to medicine and pharmacy.
自从有关于社会的记载开始，蛇及蛇毒就激发了人类的思维和想象力。没有哪种动物像蛇这样，既备受崇拜又被排斥，既备受喜爱又遭人鄙视。对蛇既恐惧又着迷的本质就在于这种生物的毒液。蛇被用于崇拜、魔药和医药，它们一直是爱、健康、疾病、医学、药学、不朽、死亡甚至智慧的象征。在苏美尔文明（公元前2350 - 2150年）中，出现了有两条蛇的图案。在希腊神话（公元前2000 - 400年）中，医神阿斯克勒庇俄斯的雕像配有“双盘蛇杖”（由两条蛇和一根权杖组成），而他的女儿许癸厄亚（健康女神）手持一条蛇和一个碗，分别被塑造为医学和健康的象征。一种双盘蛇杖（一条蛇和一根权杖）被世界卫生组织（WHO）用作标志，而一条蛇和一个碗则是欧洲药店的标志。自公元前6至4世纪以来，印度教的古老民族也崇拜蛇。在古埃及，蛇的图案被用于象形文字中。在中国，约30种蛇的干尸仍被用作中药。在日本，最近在高松冢古坟（公元7至8世纪）的北墙上发现了一幅“玄武”（蛇与龟）的象征画，然而它是一个方位的象征，可能与医学和药学关系不大。
