The Romance of the Apothecaries' Garden at Chelsea

Published in 1928, Drewitt's charming and engaging study traces the origin and antiquity of the peaceful botanical garden in Chelsea. The garden was established in 1673 by the Society of Apothecaries in order to train apprentices to identify the plants used in medicine that, later on, they would be prescribing for their patients. Revised and enlarged for its third edition, the book recognises the special character of this garden, which still teaches students the names and properties of plants, as it did in the time of the Stuarts. Describing the gentle lives of the past naturalists and botanists of the Physic Garden, the study also includes material on the visits of Linnaeus and his pupils. Written with a light touch and full of fascinating anecdotes, the book will appeal to those interested in botany, the history of medicine and the history of early modern London.