Agnieszka Rzepiela

Hygieja w ikonografii farmaceutycznej na przykładzie zbiorów Muzeum Farmacji Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
2006-12-16

Hygieia in pharmaceutical iconography on the example of collection of the Pharmacy Museum at the Jagellonian University in Cracow. Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health, a daughter of Asclepius, the god of healing and medicine, was deified with him over the whole Greece. She was the guardian of physical and mental health, usually shown in art as young woman with a snake drinking from a chalice in her hand. Nowadays this symbol is also very popular in medicine and pharmacy, as well as her name in the words hygiene, hygienic etc. In pharmaceutical iconography Hygieia often appears (as an allegory of health) on the diplomas of universities or medical and pharmaceutical societies, on medals, plaques, stained glasses and in pharmacy emblems. In the Cracow Pharmacy Museum at Jagellonian University have been displayed a lot of examples of popularity of Hygieia as a pharmaceutical symbol. There are, among the others, a painting of Hygieia by famous Polish painter, Piotr Stachiewicz; the diplomas, stained glasses and sculptures as well.