1894.] Dr. Anthony Robinson. 
A LITTLE KNOWN JAMAICAN NATURALIST, DR. 
ANTHONY ROBINSON. 
By T. D. A. CocKERELL. 
There are, in the library of the Institute of Jamaica, some 
interesting old manuscripts, together with a number of draw- 
ings which constitute almost the sole record we have of the sci- 
entific labors of Dr. Robinson intheisland. The drawings are 
original but the manuscripts are copied from the papers left 
by the learned doctor, which latter appear to have been lost. 
The following notice is appended to the copy: 
“ This [is a] faithfull transcript of Mr. Robinson’s loose un- 
connected and detach’d papers, by Rt. Long, who has revised 
the whole and corrected the errors of copyist thro-out. Septr., 
1769. 
“ Anthony Robinson, Chirurgeon, formerly of Sunderland 
by the Sea in Durham, but lately of Jamaica.” 
In the Jamaica Institute is a pencil drawing of the doctor, 
by Edward Long, in connection with which Mr. F. Cundall 
has written the following biographical note: 
“Anthony Robinson, surgeon and botanist: a native of 
Sunderland, England, where he was apprenticed to his father, 
a surgeon and apothecary: early turned his attention to bot- 
any: came to Jamaica: made a collection of several hundred 
figures and descriptions of Jamaica plants and animals: the 
drawings are in the Institute of Jamaica, with a copy of the 
MS. made under the supervision of his friend, Robert Long. 
(The original MS. is lost). His notes were used by Lunan in 
his * Hortus Jamaicensis,” and by Gosse in his “ Naturalist's 
Sojourn” and “ Birds of Jamaica.” The House of Assembly 
voted him £140 in 1767 for his discovery of the method of 
making soap from the juice of the Coratoe. d. 1768." (Journ. 
Inst. Jamaica, Vol. 1, p. 327). 
Although Dr. Robinson did not himself publish, some of his 
notes have been used by later writers, as stated above. The 
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