Unearthed: Plants as medicine

From windowsills to allotments, Unearthed: The Power of Gardening at The Mitchell Library explores how the act of gardening can heal and sustain people in a multitude of ways. It reveals how gardening can bring people together, empower communities and shape our relationship with the natural world. 

As well as a specially designed travelling exhibition created by the British Library, our display will reflect the collections in the Mitchell Library, with some surprising stories behind the books!

This is the second in a series of blogs bringing together images and information from the exhibition, and has the theme of "plants as medicine".

William Rhind's A history of the vegetable kingdom embracing the physiology of plants with their uses to man and the lower animals and their applications to the arts, manufacture and domestic economy was printed in Edinburgh, London & Glasgow in 1855. 

Rhind was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and produced several books on geology, zoology and science. 

On the plates below we find four plants which have been used in medicine for treating a variety of illnesses.

Rhind has brought together these medicinal plants from across the globe, highlighting humanity’s use of herbal medicine, which is a practise that remains commonplace today.

You can read this book in the Mitchell Library or, if you can't visit, why not have a look at an online copy on the Biodiversity Heritage Library?

The rhubarb pictured here is also known as Chinese Rhubarb and has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years to relieve constipation.

Aloe has been used to treat skin conditions, such as rashes, and has been used to soothe burnt skin. This aloe (aloe succotrina) is a variant originating in South Africa, though the aloe is believed to originate from the Arabian Peninsula.

Though now restricted in use due to being endangered, Gentiana lutea was used to improve the functioning of the stomach, and its intense bitter taste was also used in creating aperitifs and liqueurs in France. Finally, leaves from the Cajeput, native to Southeast Asia and Australia, are distilled into an oil which can be used as a decongestant as well as for topical pain relief, and is used in products such as Tiger Balm. 

Check out the other blogs in this series.

Unearthed: Gardening to feed

Unearthed: John and Jane Loudon

You can find out more by visiting our exhibition, which is open in the Granville Street exhibition area from 2nd May - 10th August 2025.