"guardant" and "couchant".) freemen (most of whom are "yeomen") apprentices (not technically members of the society) the master, wardens and assistants together constitute the "court" which is the governing body of the society. members of the court wear dark-blue gowns with gold facings. the master and wardens have chains of office and particular traditional robes – the master's trimmed with musquash, the wardens' trimmed with fitch. liverymen are "clothed" upon attaining that rank (modernly with a solicitor's-type black robe and a blue/cream epitoge). the society's only truly academic dress were: for the master of midwifery qualification (mmsa – ceased in 1963), a light-blue lambskin-faced robe with a blue/white epitoge a dark-blue gown with blue/gold facings for the licentiate (lmssa) the chief operating officer of the society is its clerk and the hall is managed by the beadle. the clerk wears a black solicitor's gown trimmed with blue ribbons, and the beadle's robe is decorated with miniature hanging rosettes. other roles in the society include the dean (a senior member who oversees the educational functions), the registrar (who directs the examinations' department), the curator, and the presidents of the faculties. chelsea physic garden the physic garden: a 1751 engraving the society of apothecaries is perhaps best known generally for its foundation in 1673 of the chelsea physic garden, london, one of europe's oldest botanical gardens and the second oldest in britain. after sir hans sloane granted the society rights to the manor of chelsea, the four-acre (16,000 m²) garden became the richest collection of medicinal plants in europe under the direction of philip miller. its seed exchange programme, originally initiated with the leiden botanical garden, led to cotton being planted for the first time in the colony of georgia. jealously guarded during the society's tenure, in 1983 the garden became a charity and opened to the public for the first time. the garden is a member of the london museums of health & medicine. it is also grade i listed in the register of historic parks and gardens of special historic interest in england by english heritage.