Born in HM Dockyard at Devonport, where his father held an important office. Educated at a neighbouring Grammar School he was articled at the age of 17 to Dr James Bell, the surgeon to the dockyard. After four years’ apprenticeship, during which time there were opportunities of seeing casualties and attending operations, he came to London and became a student at Carpue’s School and was a pupil of Sir George Tuthill, working at the Middlesex Hospital under Dr Southey and Sir Charles Bell, and later attending obstetric lectures at Guy’s Hospital. He passed for the Navy Board and was appointed Assistant Surgeon to the Royal Naval Hospital at Plymouth, where he came under the notice of Sir Stephen Love Hammick. He retired from the Navy after uncomfortable experiences in HM Sloop Pelorus and became medical superintendent of a private lunatic asylum – Holly House, Hoxton – which he conducted successfully for twelve years before he removed to Stoke House, Newington Green, where, as a licensed proprietor, he received a limited number of mild cases. He died on Dec 24th, 1869, at 29 Lordship Road, Stoke Newington. Publications: Atkins published a work on Mania in 1849 and another on Organic and Animal Life in 1859. He also contributed to the Reports of the Commissioners of Lunacy in 1847 – “Observations on the Medical Treatment of Insanity”, and was the author of several statistical papers relative to insanity.