Didnt you ever wonder about Gargoyles? I trained in Rochester, New York, and did a rotation at the old Monroe Community Hospital—a rambling brick building with multiple chimneys and steam rising from the roof in winter looking very much like a medieval castle. But I was always struck by the gargoyles on every corner of the multiple gables (now mostly removed). Here is the entrance and a couple examples:
The original symbol of medicine was the staff of Aesclepius ( the DemiGod of ancient Medicine)👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
A single snake was possibly thought to carry away the soul of the deceased.