Among the orientals the shepherd was considered the highest type of citizen, whose life in the open country brought him in contact with great struggles. The rod was the weapon with which he struck down the adversaries of the sheep; the staff or crook, however, was used for their guidance in the proper path on the trackless pastures. Hence we read in the beautiful pastoral song of the “shepherd king” these expressive words: “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” The rod therefore became the symbol of a defending power which brought comfort and support to the weak in the consciousness that they were protected from all danger. Esculapius was always pictured with a knotty rod in his hand, the knots indicating the many difficult problems of physic to be solved in the treatment of the ailments of mankind. Therefore, applying these thoughts to the symbol, we have in the entwined serpent, power, wisdom and health, together with the protection and support against disease and the difficulties to be overcome by the knotty rod. With this historical symbol the sanctity of medicine can be pictured and the doctor is shown in his true light, not only as a laboratory scientist and as a practitioner, but as a teacher and adviser to the patient, the family and the community in all the difficult problems that arise concerning health and disease. This dissertation on the meaning of the medical emblem will suggest the appropriate insignia of the American Medical Association to be as follows: A shield on which is emblazoned the American eagle holding in its talons a laurel wreath within which is the knotty rod and entwined serpent and the letters A. M. A. The explanation of the emblem so devised would be as follows: The eagle represents the national organization of the United States; the laurel wreath stands for the crown which the Romans bestowed on the healing art; the entwined serpent is indicative of power, wisdom and health, and the knotty rod signifies protection and support in the difficult problems of the treatment of disease. SUMMARY. The insignia and device of the red cross belongs to another organization and its use is not proper for the medical profession. It represents a character of work entirely different. From the fact that Mercury was the Roman god of trade and commerce and his magic caduceus was the symbol of authority over trade and commerce and was the enchanted wand of prosperity, it is not adapted to be an emblem for the healing art. The knotty rod and serpent of Esculapius is the ancient inheritance of the medical profession, and the history of this symbol, together with its mythology and its legends, prove its appropriateness, for the reason that the serpent was considered by every race on the globe as a great power and man’s mind used it as a symbol of wisdom and health. The knotty rod is an expressive representation of support, protection and comfort in the difficult problems arising in the management of disease.