The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7398 p515
29 April 2006

Society summary

New display of medicinal plants from Saxon times to the 21st century

A joint initiative between the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's museum and four other medical museums in London is exploring the history of medicinal plants as part of Museums and Galleries Month, which runs from 29 April to 4 June.

In the spirit of this year’s Museums and Galleries Month theme, “Making connections”, the Society is co-operating with the Royal College of Physicians of London Heritage Centre, the Museum of the Order of St John, the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, and Chelsea Physic Garden to delve into the history of medicinal plants. The five organisations are working in partnership to promote each other’s exhibitions, collections and events, under the title “London’s healing herbs”.

The Society’s contribution is to emphasise the medicinal plants and plant-derived medicines that can now be seen in new showcases in the reception area of the headquarters building. Among the items on display are fennel, which was used in Anglo-Saxon times for eye complaints, butcher’s broom, which was a medieval treatment for asthma, and paeony, which was also used for asthma but in the 17th century. Other exhibits include cinchona bark (the source of quinine),which was a popular treatment for malaria in the 18th century, bryony, which was employed as a whooping cough remedy in the 19th century, and digoxin, derived from foxgloves, which was first used for heart problems in the 20th century and is still widely used.

The medicinal plant exhibits are spread across five of the six showcases now installed in the reception area. The themes of the showcases are “Pharmacy and nature”, “Developing treatments”, “Making medicines”, “The Society then and now”, “The evolving pharmacy” and “The pharmacy student”.

Briony Hudson, keeper of the Society’s museum collections, said: “Museums and Galleries Month is about collaboration and promoting the important work of museums and galleries. Working in partnership with other museums that have similar collections to ours is an effective way to raise our profile among potential visitors.”

No appointment is necessary to visit the museum displays in the Society’s reception area, which can be viewed from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. Anyone wishing to visit displays elsewhere in the building should contact the museum office (tel 020 7572 2210) to make an appointment.

Museum and Galleries Month is organised by the Campaign for Museums, a registered charity, with support from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (through its Renaissance in the Regions programme) and Arts Council England. Further information about events during the month is available from the Museum and Galleries Month website (www.mgm.org.uk).