The doctor’s secret garden: Hidden stories of healing

Step into the doctor’s secret garden with Dr Theeba Krishnamoorthy and discover the remarkable stories of early South Asian women doctors of the British Raj and Ceylon. These pioneering healers were often the first women in their communities to practice Western medicine, working within societies shaped by generations of traditional botanical healing knowledge.

They navigated the complex meeting of Western medicine and indigenous understandings of health, and their stories invite us to consider how medical knowledge travels, transforms and takes root in different lands.

Through their work, we are reminded that medicine is not only about treating the body, but also about connection – to the land, the community and the living world of plants.

Visitors can explore the stories of these women, whose achievements are almost lost to time, and engage directly with their world. Handle botanical specimens, including jars of real herbs, learn about their uses in both traditional and modern contexts, and let’s get creative. Through touch, smell and observation, participants of all ages can discover how botanical knowledge continues to shape medicine today, and how the land itself remains central to healing practices.

Join us to celebrate the resilience, wisdom and resourcefulness of these extraordinary women, and experience a hands-on journey with plants through the intersection of science, history and care.