First Page of Gerard's Herbal

Front page of Gerard's herbal.

John Gerard (1545–1612) was an English herbalist who produced one of the most famous English herbals: ‘Gerard’s Herbal’. The book, first published in 1597, lists many plants and their uses for the body. The herbal he produced is mostly an English translation of a 1554 Herbal by Flemish herbalist Rembert Dodoen (1517-85). A Dr Priest had previously begun the translation to English and Gerard failed to acknowledge either Dodoen or the Dr Priest in his book. He did add to Dodoen’s text with plants growing in his own garden and those from America such as the potato. The illustration in the Herbal is thought to be the first published picture of the potato.