Herb Garret
The Herb Garret was so called by the Grand Committee of St Thomas' Hospital when, in 1821, they ordered that an operating theatre be built in the garret of the church to serve the patients of the hospital.
Little is known of its function beyond its name and the discovery of poppy heads in the rafters. It was presumably used to store and dry herbs for the hospital's apothecary. At about the same time as the operating theatre was built, the garret was reroofed and dormer windows inserted. It has been conjectured that this may suggest the garret changed use, perhaps becoming a recovery ward.
In 1962, after 100 years of disuse, the garret and operating theatre were opened to the public as the current museum.
Read more about this topic: Old Operating Theatre Museum And Herb Garret
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Of every star that heaven doth show,
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Till old experience do attain
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—John Milton (1608–1674)
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)