HISTORY OF MEDICIXE EXHIBITS WHITEBREAD. 



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resting- upon a serpent, and lying by his side, a dog. The serpent and the dog 

 are satellites of Aesculapius, and living specimens of these animals were 

 kept in the temples, and sometimes played a part in the miraculous cures. 

 The serpent, son of the earth, living in the bosom of the earth, symbolizes 



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secret and mysterious powers. Its habit of shedding its skin every year 

 makes it a symbol of rejuvenation. The Romans, during a pestilence (B. C. 

 293). sent a solemn embassy to Epidaurus to obtain the sacred serpent kept in 

 that temple, hoping thereby to stay the plague. 



