BY: JESSICA BEUKER
Centuries ago, before big pharmaceutical companies ran the medical game, doctors cultivated physic gardens—medieval herb gardens which contain dozens, or even hundreds, of medicinal plants that they would use to concoct remedies for patients.
But somewhere along the line, pharmaceutical companies stepped in and heavily marketed their products to the general public. Disease mongering—the practice of pharmaceutical companies using aggressive media campaigns to “raise awareness” for urgent, but of course treatable, health conditions—has become the go-to tactic for convincing the general public to turn to, and rely on, prescription pills, which are the furthest thing from natural.
In the past two years, drug company advertising dollars have increased by 30 per cent. In 2014, drug companies spent $4.5 billion on advertising. It’s working, too, which is unfortunate, as prescription drugs are responsible for an overwhelmingly large number of deaths per year.
But plant-based medicines are making a comeback, and it seems that more and more people are turning to ancient methods in order to boost immunity, soothe symptoms and treat a variety of illnesses. Recently, Swedish architecture firm Sweco, in collaboration with landscape designer Thorbjorn Andersson, created a modern physic garden in hopes of bringing back the practice of growing medicinal herbs. The garden is located in Basel, Switzerland, situated in a large courtyard on the campus of Novartis, which, ironically, happens to be a pharmaceutical company.
Photo © Swecosweden
According to Inhabitat, the garden makes up a large rectangle with rows of medicinal herbs and flowers. Two elevated walkways run over the area diagonally. The garden is lined with benches, tables and chairs and features an abundance of greenery. Signs scattered throughout help visitors identify the different plants. There’s even a collection of beehives at one end of the garden, which allows bees to pollinate the plants and keep the garden alive.
The plants in the garden change with the seasons; some plants include Echinacea, chamomile, which can be used to treat fever, inflammation and muscle spasms and calendulas, which are used to detoxify the liver and gall bladder, as well as treating a number of skin conditions. In total, there are over 70 varieties of medicinal plants.
The garden is a symbolic representation of the history of medicine, according to Inhabitat. But furthermore, it serves as a reminder and inspiration to those who work at the pharmaceutical company.
For more information: instagram.com, sweco.se
