Medical Heraldry

The medical profession makes wide use of heraldry. Many South African hospitals, colleges, professional associations, and other bodies in or related to medicine, have adopted arms over the years, though some have since sidelined them in favour of logos.

The traditional symbols of healing and nursing are popular choices as charges. They include the Rod of Aesculapius, the caduceus (which is actually a symbol of commerce but has been borrowed by the medical profession), the ankh or ansate cross, and the nurse's lamp. Murrey (maroon), perhaps borrowed from the military medical services, is a widely used colour.

The following is a small selection of South African medical arms.

Colleges

The arms of the College of Medicine of SA (originally the College of Physicians, Surgeons and Gynaecologists) are Or, on a pale Vert between two protea flowers slipped and leaved proper, a Rod of Aesculapius at the head an ansate cross conjoined thereto Or (CoA 1958, CoA 1966). Those of the University of Cape Town Medical Students' Council (DoI 1958) are Argent, a caduceus Azure; on a chief Gules three annulets Or.

First Aid Societies
The SA Red Cross Society and the St John Ambulance use the insignia of their overseas parent organisations.

The SA Noodhulpliga (SA First Aid League), the Afrikaner equivalent of the Red Cross, has its own arms, which depict stretchers and a flaming torch, which was something of an Afrikaner nationalist symbol: Argent, a torch Sable enflamed Gules erect entwined by two serpents respectant Sable langued Gules; on each of two flaunches Vert a stretcher in pale Or (BoH 1964).

Hospitals

Many hospitals have adopted arms. Those of the Johannesburg Hospital (BoH 1980), for instance, incorporate the gold stamp and tinctures of the city arms: Azure, on a Latin cross nowy the arms potent and the foot throughout Argent, a pomme charged with a gold stamp Or between, on the arms, three potents and on the foot a Rod of Aesculapius Vert, the rod entwined of a serpent Or. Pretoria's Kalafong Hospital combines the ankh with a bee from the city arms: Azure, an ansate cross Argent charged on the shaft with a bee Or (CoA 1980).

Two Cape Town hospitals, however, have arms alluding to their histories. Those of Somerset Hospital (BoH 1970) marshal the arms of Jan van Riebeeck and Sir George Grey: Per pale, dexter Gules three annulets Or, sinister barry of six Argent and Azure. Those of Groote Schuur Hospital (BoH 1986) allude to the original 17th-century Groote Schuur, which was a granary: Murrey, three garbs Or.

Professional Associations

The arms of the now-defunct Medical Association of SA (BoH 1971) bore some resemblance to the College of Medicine's: Vert on a pale Or between four proteas slipped and leaved Argent, a branch lopped entwined with a serpent proper. Those of the Democratic Nursing Association of SA (BoH 1999) are depicted on a cartouche: Murrey, a fess the lower edge enarched Argent between in chief a protea flower slipped and leaved Or seeded Argent, and in base a double-handled lamp of the second enflamed Or.

Research Institutes
The SA Medical Research Council (BoH 1971) combined ancient symbols of healing with the modern DNA double helix in their arms: Gules, on a pale between two ansate crosses Or entwined with serpents proper, a double helix Gules, with a sun as crest. The SAMRC stopped using its arms in 1988, because they gave the impression of an "academic ivory tower".

Statutory Bodies

The SA Medical and Dental Council (now the Health Professions Council of SA) is the regulating and licensing authority. Its arms, which were replaced with a logo in 2002, were Azure, on a pale nowy Argent, a staff entwined of two serpents respectant Azure, ensigned with an antique lamp Sable enflamed Gules (BoH 1979). The arms of the SA Nursing Council (BoH 1990) are Per chevron Gules and Azure, a chevron Or, in base a double handled antique lamp also Or ensigned of a plate charged with a flame Gules.

References/Sources/Links

South African Heraldry Website © Arthur Radburn