Physic Gardens

loth June, 1658. I went to see the Medical Garden at

Westminster, well stored with plants, under Morgan, a

very skillful botanist.

Diarist John Evelyn perhaps sought medical relief in the Westminster Physic Garden in 1658.  Edward Morgan, like many modern day herbalists, explored a foreign place for medicinal plants.  In this case, Wales.  There are currently at least two physic gardens in England that have their beginnings in the 17^th century, the Chelsea Physic Garden (1673), and the University of Oxford Botanic Garden (1621).   In Scotland, Edinburgh has the Sibbald Physic Garden, which has roots dating to 1656.  What became Sibbald was originally created by the Incorporation of Barbers and Surgeons. Sir Walter Scott mentions a physic garden in “The Surgeon’s Daughter”:

‘On the morning after this gay evening, the two young men were labouring

together in a plot of ground behind Stevenlaw's Land, which the Doctor

had converted into a garden, where he raised, with a view to pharmacy as

well as botany, some rare plants, which obtained the place from the

vulgar the sounding name of the Physic Garden. [Footnote: The Botanic

Garden is so termed by the vulgar of Edinburgh.] Mr. Gray's pupils

readily complied with his wishes, that they would take some care of this

favourite spot, to which both contributed their labours, after which

Hartley used to devote himself to the cultivation of the kitchen garden,

which he had raised into this respectability from a spot not excelling a

common kail-yard, while Richard Middleman did his utmost to decorate

with flowers and shrubs a sort of arbour, usually called Miss Menie's

bower.’

The Storming of Seringapatam

May 4, 1799 witnessed the Battle of Seringapatam, in Srirangapatna, India.  Srirangapatna fortress was located on an island in the Cauvery River.  This battle between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore led to the death of Sultan Tipu, and victory for the East India Company.  British troops participated in the fray, led by Major General David Baird, who had once been imprisoned by Tipu (for 44 months) after the Battle of Polilur (1780).

Walter Scott includes reference to Seringapatam in his story "The Surgeon's Daughter":

"...From the result of his anxious enquiries, Hartley had reason to hope, that though Seringapatam was seventy-five miles more to the eastward than Bangalore, yet, by using diligence, he might have time to throw himself at the feet of Hyder, and beseech his interposition, before the meeting betwixt Tippoo and the Begum should decide the fate of Menie Gray. On the other hand, he trembled as the Peon told him that the Begum's Bukshee, or General, who had travelled to Madras with her in disguise, had now assumed the dress and character belonging to his rank, and it was expected he was to be honoured by the Mahomedan Prince with some high office of dignity. With still deeper anxiety, he learned that a palanquin, watched with sedulous care by the slaves of Oriental jealousy, contained, it was whispered, a Feringi, or Frankish woman, beautiful as a Houri, who had been brought from England by the Begum, as a present to Tippoo. The deed of villany was therefore in full train to be accomplished; it remained to see whether by diligence on Hartley's side, its course could be interrupted.


When this eager vindicator of betrayed innocence arrived in the capital of Hyder, it may be believed that he consumed no time in viewing the temple of the celebrated Vishnoo, or in surveying the splendid Gardens called Loll-bang, which were the monument of Hyder's magnificence, and now hold his mortal remains. On the contrary, he was no sooner arrived in the city, than he hastened to the principal Mosque, having no doubt that he was there most likely to learn some tidings of Barak el Hadgi. He approached accordingly the sacred spot, and as to enter it would have cost a Feringi his life, he employed the agency of a devout Mussulman to obtain information concerning the person whom he sought. He was not long in learning that the Fakir Barak was within the Mosque, as he had anticipated, busied with his holy office of reading passages from the Koran, and its most approved commentators. To interrupt him in his devout task was impossible, and it was only by a high bribe that he could prevail on the same Moslem whom he had before employed, to slip into the sleeve of the holy man's robe a paper containing his name, and that of the Khan in which the Vakeel had taken up his residence. The agent brought back for answer, that the Fakir, immersed, as was to be expected, in the holy service which he was in the act of discharging, had paid no visible attention to the symbol of intimation which the Feringi Sahib [European gentleman] had sent to him. Distracted with the loss of time, of which each moment was precious, Hartley next endeavoured to prevail on the Mussulman to interrupt the Fakir's devotions with a verbal message; but the man was indignant at the very proposal.


"Dog of a Christian!" he said, "what art thou and thy whole generation, that Barak el Hadgi should lose a divine thought for the sake of an infidel like thee?" ..."