Also at this *curative site* I saw this pillar; the snakes, the symbol for Aesklepios, ornament the marble altar. In the ancient world, snakes symbolized healing and life-renewal. The caduceus was adopted as a symbol of the medical profession because of its similarity with the serpent entwined staff of Aesklepios.
This must fall in to the category of *there's nothing new under the sun*. :)