The Little Dragon of Medina

Abstract

W HEN MOSES AND THE NEWLY liberated Hebrews paused by Mount Hor near Dead Sea, the Lord sent among and they bit people (Numbers 21:6). Today, nearly four thousand years later, this serpent is still biting nearly 50 million persons every year in Middle East, Central Africa, and India. Scholars of medical history have concluded that fiery serpents that scourged children of Israel were probably guinea worms, humanity's longest nematode parasite, Dracunculus medinensis, whose scientific name means little dragon of Medina. Females of these worms live in deeper layers of skin. An outline of their form can be followed along serpentine bulge that winds like a varicose vein over surface of skin above worm. When this worm becomes gravid, her digestive system and reproductive glands atrophy and are replaced by an expanded tubular uterus-a packet containing more than three million coiled, first-stage nematode larvae. At this time, worm secretes substances that cause a burning, itching, weeping sore to form over opening of worm-filled uterus providing an escape hole for her three million offspring. This burning sore and long meandering outline of worm beneath skin give condition its name, fiery serpent. According to biblical account, Lord directed Moses to make a talisman in shape of one of wrapped about a pole. Individuals afflicted with firey serpent would be relieved of their sufferings when this charm was brought into their presence. This presence. This mystical nostrum imitates ancient, and present, method of slowly extracting guinea worms by rolling them upon a stick. Figure 1, an ancient Persian woodcut depicts activities in an Arabian physician's operating room where a guinea worm is being removed in this manner. Perhaps association of snakes and healing cult originated with this surgical procedure of winding serpent upon a stick. We find a snake wrapped about a staff as emblem of society of Aescalapius who were ancient Greek medical practitioners. The symbol of Aescalapius is a single snake twisted about a staff similar to charm that Moses devised in Sinai Desert. The Caduceus, modern symbol of medical profession, has no traditional relationship to ancient medical cult of serpent, however; this winged staff with two entwined represents wand of Mercury, Greek god of commerce and thievery. We can imagine that as guinea worm extractions were PKE M1 4i