History of the Clinic

The Clinic, at 68 London Road, Leicester, was opened in 1934 by Mr. F. Fletcher Hyde, together with his father, the late Mr. Frederick J. Hyde., FNIMH, who was a Council Member of the Institute. Mr. F. J. Hyde had founded the original Medical Herbalist Clinic and commenced practice in Leicester 25 years earlier. His large Practice was gradually transferred from St. Peter's Road to the Clinic where he worked until his retirement.

Mr. F. Fletcher Hyde's qualifications as a Member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists followed a degree in chemistry and a first class honours degree in the special examination in botany granted in 1932 at London University. He was appointed early to the Research and Analytical Department of the Institute, over which he has served as Director for more than 30 years. A Doctorate in Botanic Medicine was conferred on him by the School of Botanic Medicine, London. After occupying the office of President of the NIMH from 1967 to 1975 he was presented with an illuminated Address and in 1978 was awarded the honorary status of President Emeritus. Mr. Hyde has been Chairman of the British Herbal Pharmacopoeial Committee since 1965, and is President of the British Herbal Medicine Association. Mr. Hyde was invited by the Ministry of Health to become a member on the Committee for the Review of Medicines and also on the Herbal Standards Sub-Committee of the Committee on Safety of Medicines. These two appointments followed membership of the Herbal Remedies Committee and the Prescription Only Medicine Committee. A former Principal of the Tutorial School of Herbal Medicine, Mr. Fletcher Hyde retired from consulting practice but remained deeply involved in the establishment of herbal medicines as a valid and effective therapeutic discipline.

Fletcher's hard work in committee allowed freedom of choice for the individual and gave people the option of chemical free natural medicines made only from plants. In 2008 his achievements were recognised when the British Herbal Medicine association posthumously conferred their lifetime achievement award on Fletcher with an inscription that reads "the unique achievement of Frederick Fletcher Hyde to the science, practice and recognition of herbal medicine in the 20th Century",. Today that plaque is proudly displayed in the clinic that still bears Fletcher Hyde's name.