Medicinal plants past and present
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- Start Date: 09 Jun 2025End Date: 12 Jun 2025Last Spaces LeftMon-Tue+Thu (Daytime): 10:30 - 16:30In PersonFull fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00
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What is the course about?
The uses of medicinal plants has been recorded in books, recipe books and manuscripts since earliest times. We will have access to examples of these resources in the 3 different libraries, demonstrating the role of gardeners, doctors, herbalists, pharmacists and scholars in recording and illustrating the diverse uses of plants in different ,mainly western medical traditions, up until the present day. The Librarians will explain about access to these collections and how you can follow up with your own interests after the course.
What will we cover?
On this course you will have 2 background classroom briefing sessions at City Lit - Monday 9th morning and Tuesday 10th morning, 10.30-12.30pm. On Monday 9th 2pm we will visit the Friends (Quakers) House Library, Euston; and on Tuesday 10th at 2pm The Wellcome Library, Euston; and Thursday 12th 1030-1330 the Royal College of Physicians, Regents Park, exhibition,’ Healing Words :the unofficial story of medical practice 1500-1800’ Garden tour, Library and herbarium (dried plants). At 1430-1630 there will be a medicinal plants walk plus course summary and Q and A. in Regents Park, next door.
We will explore what the 3 libraries contain and the topics they cover, with examples of Medicinal texts, early printed books, recipe books, manuscripts and herbarium(dried) collections. We will look at the writings of, for example, Dioscorides, John Gerard, Nicholas Culpeper, Dr John Fothergill and others. Consideration will be given to the botanical illustrations and how they were produced and how, if at all, they relate to real plants growing outside today. The Garden tour will include examples of pharmaceutical plants used in medicine today as well as those used in herbalism past and present.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
Evaluate the topics of history, medicine and botany
Undertake basic and practical plant identification
Assess the significance of the libraries visited and their collections, and be able to undertake basic reasearch using this knowledge.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is suitable for complete beginners/those with a curiosity about the topic wanting to further their interest. 12 students maximum due to Library restrictions. You will need to be able to find your way independently to the 3 libraries and home again, instructions on public transport will be provided on the first day. They are all easily reached from City Lit and are near to bus stops/tube stations.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Classroom based learning, together with library and garden visits.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
There is a supplementary charge of approx. £15 per student for the Royal College of Physicians Library Visit and Garden Tour on 12 June, payable in cash only, on the day. Details will be given on Monday 9th morning session at City Lit.
A notebook and pencil or electronic notebook useful, plus a hand lense if you already have one. No photographing of library items or the group/tutor is allowed.
Please let City Lit when you enrol if you have any access needs so that we can make suitable arrangements for you on your behalf with the libraries we are visiting.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
HS215 Exploring Regent's Park Trees.
Letta Jones, MA, is a Lecturer in Horticulture and Garden History. She taught at Capel Manor College and and Birkbeck, University of London for 15 years. She now teaches classes at the City Lit, Marlborough College Summer School, Woodbrooke,Denman, Glenthorne and Knuston Hall. She is part of the Garden History Grapevine/Gardens Trust group which offers introductory and advanced courses in garden history www.gardenhistorygrapevine.wordpress.com. A guide at the Chelsea Physic Garden for 18 years, Letta now teaches on their education programme. She is a Green Flag Park judge and she also leads her own garden study tours abroad.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.