In 1763, Dr. Mounsey passed on both the responsibility and the opportunity of rhubarb cultivation by giving a pound of the valuable seeds to Sir Alexander Dick of the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh and Dr. John Hope, King’s Botanist and Professor of Materia Medica. Sir Alexander successfully cultivated rhubarb by planting the seeds in the garden of his Edinburgh home, Prestonfield, which is now a luxury hotel featuring a restaurant aptly named Rhubarb.
In recognition of their contributions to introducing rhubarb cultivation to Scotland, both Dr. Mounsey and Sir Alexander were awarded gold medals by the Royal Society of Arts in London in 1770.
By the 1800s, rhubarb had become well-established and was commonly used in powdered form as a medicine. One notable example is Dr. Gregory's Stomachic Powder, developed by James Gregory, Professor of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and personal physician to the King.
Image: Gregorys Powder (c) CC License, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh