228 
London  Botanic  Gardens. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1906. 
garden  is  found  in  one  of  the  Society's  minute  books  under  the  date 
of  October  6,  1681,  where  it  is  recorded  that  it  was  then  determined 
to  "  contrive  a  library  "  for  the  use  of  the  laboratory  and  garden. 
Samuel  Dale,  a  member  of  the  Society,1  who  died  in  1739, 
left  a  legacy  of  books  and  dried  plants  to  the  Society  on  condition 
that  the  Master  and  Wardens  should,  within  twelve  months  after  his 
decease,  "  make  or  erect  proper  conveniences  in  their  Physick  Gar- 
den at  Chelsea,  for  the  reception  thereof."  Presses  were  accord- 
ingly made  for  their  accommodation,  and  an  inscription  was  placed 
over  the  collection  to  indicate  that  it  was  the  gift  of  Dr.  Dale.2  The 
collection  of  books  in  the  Chelsea  Garden  was  increased  in  1744  by 
the  addition  of  a  number  of  botanical  works,  the  gift  of  the  executrix 
of  Isaac  Rand.  From  a  catalogue  prepared  by  Stanesby  Alchorne 
in  1769,  it  appears  that  there  were  in  that  year  at  the  garden  266 
books,  mostly  on  botanical  subjects,  and  about  50  unbound  books 
and  pamphlets.  According  to  this  same  catalogue,  there  were  also 
238  volumes  in  the  older  library  at  the  Apothecaries'  Hail,  but 
many  of  these  had  originally  formed  part  of  the  garden  library,  and 
had  been  removed  to  the  hall  on  various  occasions.  This  process 
seems  to  have  continued  until  the  whole  of  the  collection  of  books 
at  the  garden  became  absorbed  by  the  Hall  Library,  for  it  was  found 
necessary  in  1863  to  furnish  "  the  rooms  of  the  assistant  gardeners 
with  suitable  books  and  specimens  for  the  instruction  of  these 
officials." 
1  This  is  on  Field's  authority,  but  Prof.  G.  S.  Boulger,  in  an  able  account  of 
Dale  contributed  to  The  Journal  of  Botany,  Vol.  XXI  (1883),  pp.  193-197  and 
225-231,  has  shown  that  the  statement  is  probably  incorrect.  Professor  Boulger 
says  :  "He  was  apprenticed  on  the  5th  of  May,  1674,  as  the  'son  of  North  : 
Dale  of  ye  parish  of  St.  Mary  Whitechappell  in  County  Middlsx.  silk-thrower 
.  .  .  to  Thos.  Wells  for  8  yeares  ; '  but  as  he  seems  never  to  have  practised 
as  an  apothecary  in  London  it  was  not  necessary  for  him  to  take  out  his  freedom 
as  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Apothecaries,  and  he  seems  never  to  have  done 
so." 
2  "  In  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  he  is  described  at  his  death  as  Dr.  Samuel 
Dale,  F.R.S.  ;  and  many  notices  of  him  speak  of  his  being  a  Licentiate  of  the 
Royal  College  of  Physicians.  He,  however,  seems  never  to  have  received  or 
used  the  title  of  M.D. ;  his  name  does  not  occur  in  Dr.  Thomson's  list  of  the 
Fellows  of  the  Royal  Society,  nor  in  that  by  Dr.  Munk  of  the  Licentiates  of 
the  College  of  Physicians.  There  is,  in  fact,  no  reason  to  suppose  that  either 
of  these  three  titles  has  been  rightly  applied  to  him." — Boulger,  loc.  cit., 
p.  229. 
