SIR ROBERT SIBBALD. 
29 
plants and medals, — both qualifications likely to 
recommend him to their notice — they engaged 
him to superintend it ; and in a very short time, 
they had formed a collection of between eight and 
nine hundred plants. 
The design meeting encouragement from several 
physicians of the city, who entered into an annual 
subscription to defray the expenses, they made 
interest with the Town Council for a lease for 
nineteen years of the garden belonging to the 
Trinity Hospital. This, however, excited the jea- 
lous} of the apothecaries, who foresaw that it might 
lead to the establishment of a College of Physi- 
cians, and they strongly opposed the attempt ; but 
through Dr Balfour’s “ dexterity,” this opposition 
was overcome, and the lease granted to Mr James 
Sutherland, — Dr Balfour, Dr Sibbald, and others, 
being appointed by the council visiters of the gar- 
den. These gentlemen continued their exertions, 
and were the means not only of obtaining the sub- 
scriptions of many of the nobility towards the 
expenses, but also of grants of money from the 
Exchequer, the Lords of Session, and the Faculty 
of Advocates, by which contributions they were 
enabled to import plants and packets of seeds from 
abroad ; and the medical students being encou- 
raged to send specimens from all places they tra- 
velled to, the garden soon increased to a respec- 
table rank. 
These pleasing occupations were disturbed by 
