Friday, February 26, 2016

Chelsea Physic Garden, WW2

Chelsea Physic Garden, WW2 - Gresham > .
Cultivated Rx - Healing Plants, Grow Your Own Medications - anth >> .
Plants - Medicinal & Toxic - Ben >> .
Medicinal Foraging, Grow Your Own - Savoir >> .

With over 5000 species of plants - many of them medicinal or otherwise 'useful' to our lives - Chelsea Physic Garden still serves the same purpose almost 350 years after it was founded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries.

The Garden was considerably affected by both World Wars; with the Home Front fully mobilised to do everything it could to support the war effort, Chelsea Physic Garden contributed.

Plants and medicines were in short supply in both conflicts, so the public was encouraged to start collecting or growing plants to help with the effort. Many of plants had previously been imported from Europe, but this was no longer possible. The Government even issued leaflets helping people to identify plants outdoors and with advice on growing essential plants. The types of plants that needed to be grown were similar in both wars, and the Government issued lists of these plants. (Ayres 2015)

Kew Gardens contributed to growing food for the Second World War effort, but Chelsea Physic Garden made other contributions; in light of the enhanced need for medicine, the Garden made use of their extensive medicinal collection. The Garden sent belladonna (Atropa belladonna) and Digitalis (heart medicines) and Hyoscyamus (anaesthetic) to the University College Hospital in 1940, and they also supplied Atropa belladonna to the Ministry of Health in 1943. During World War II the demand led to a resurgence in the interest in medicinal plants. (Minter 2000)

Chelsea Physic Garden, WW2 ..

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