In addition to book and manuscript resources, the History of Medicine Collections offers some botanical connections to the history of medicine. Over fifty different medicinal herbs, each with an identifying label, have been planted in four large round planters on the terrace outside the Reading Room. Among them are ginger, hyssop, foxglove, comfrey, flax, St. John's wort, columbine, rosemary, and wood sorrel.

Traditionally, each is reputed to have been a cure for a disease or to have had some specific therapeutic application. Even today, research continues to be conducted into the value of plants for treatment of cancer and other diseases.

The terrace, which is on the west side of the Seeley G. Mudd building, can be accessed by means of the outside stone stairway around the corner from the Searle Center entrance. Everyone is welcome to relax on the wooden chairs and benches and enjoy the variety of color, texture, and scent offered by the garden.

Pamphlet

PDF version of pamphlet

In response to increased interest in herbal remedies and alternative therapies, Christine Davis, a graduate botany student, revised and enlarged The Medical Garden, a medicinal herbal guide to include in-depth entries and additional indexes. The original guide was created in 1978 by Susan C. Smith and former curator, G.S.T. Cavanagh. Woodcuts from the Trent copies of the 1597 and 1636 editions of Gerarde's Herball have been used to illustrate the text.

The 32-page guide was designed in a handy format to enable the visitor to take it into the herb garden and use it to learn more about the herbs contained in the eight large planters on the History of Medicine terrace.