THE CHELSEA ‘‘ PHYSICKE GARDEN ” 
One has only to examine the ancient grey wall on the Swan walk, 
or west side, of the garden, and to compare it with the smooth 
red brick of the houses, and the southern wall, to realize how much 
of charm has been lost by the demolition and rebuilding on the 
’ game site, of the former lecture-hall and Curator’s dwelling in 1900. 
They were probably out of date, inconvenient, and falling into 
decay—and originally no more beautiful in design than the present 
buildings; but the mellowing hand of time can always throw 
a veil over ugliness, and every venerable brick and stone must 
have told its story, and age and use had doubtless dignified them.. 
Hence I regret that they no longer exist to give point to the story 
of the ancient garden which I have so feebly told. 
In 1899 the garden passed from the Apothecaries’ into other 
hands. The Charity Commissioners of England and Wales, 
and the Trustees of the London Parochial Charities, were ap- 
pointed its trustees in place of the Apothecaries’ Society, which, 
considering that the garden was no longer suitable for botanic 
purposes owing to the deleterious effect of London smoke and the 
impoverished state of the soil, desired to give it up. Provision 
was then made for its management by a committee appointed 
by the Trustees of the garden, the Treasury, the Lord President 
of the Council, the Technical Educational Board of the London 
County Council, the Royal Society of Apothecaries, the Royal 
College of Physicians, the Pharmaceutical Society, the senate of 
the University of London, and the representatives of Sir Hans 
Sloan. 
Under this new management and the care of Mr. Hales, its 
learned curator, formerly of Kew, whose work at Chelsea is a labour 
of love, and with sufficient funds to carry it on, the famous old 
garden flourishes, and has taken on a new lease of life, amply 
justifying the finding of the committee in 1899, that there was 
still room for such a garden. 
At the present time there are signs of revived interest in that 
department of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of 
simples, and even the press urges that our native medicinal plants 
and herbs might well supply some of the drugs in constant use, 
that have greatly increased in price since the world war cut off 
the foreign supply. Therefore, though it should be remembered 
that the word “ Physic ” was here originally employed in its wider 
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