Collegium Medicum te Amsterdam, toegangspenning voor de hortus medicus voor I. Frescarode 1788

This silver admission token to the Hortus Medicus in Amsterdam was created by Willem de Wijs. Observe the figure of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, prominently featured. The serpent entwined around a staff, known as the Rod of Asclepius, is a powerful symbol of healing and medicine. This motif, tracing back to ancient Greece, embodies the renewal of health and the healing arts. Consider how this symbol has echoed through time. The serpent, often associated with both poison and cure, speaks to the duality of medicine itself. Its shedding of skin mirrors regeneration, an idea found in other ancient medical texts. Even today, the Rod of Asclepius is employed worldwide as a symbol of healthcare organizations. The continuous presence of this symbol isn’t coincidence. It is the human longing for health, regeneration, and the hope for a cure that resonates across epochs, embedding itself in our collective psyche. It is a potent reminder of our unending quest to confront mortality and human suffering.