Black Rod 1350 by royal letters patent, though the current title dates from 1522. The position was adopted by other members of the Commonwealth when they adopted the British Westminster system. The title is derived from the staff of office, an ebony staff topped with a golden lion, which is the main symbol of the office's authority. A ceremonial rod or staff is a common type of symbol indicating the authority of the office-holder. Depictions of ancient authority figures in many cultures include such a rod (alternatively called a sceptre). Another early example was the fasces (literally a bound bundle of rods)
Caduceus as a symbol of medicine of medicine with commerce, recognizing the importance of "advertising essential for competitive marketing", and suggesting that it is up to individual physicians to choose between the two symbols, based on their own views about what associations are appropriate. In 2009, conspiracy theorist David Icke suggested that the American Medical Association deliberately adopted the symbol due to their underlying profit motives, although the AMA has used the Rod of Asclepius for over a century, and its current logo since 2005. In North America, there are calls to clarify the symbol and to move to a uniform use of the rod of