Davison was of Scottish descent, but at an early period settled in Paris, and, through the patronage of Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, was named physician to the king of France.

Lord Scudamore, English ambassador in Paris, writing to Secretary Windebank, promises to ‘signify to Dr. Davison his majesty's [Charles I] gracious favour.

His name also occurs occasionally in subsequent volumes of the ‘Calendars of State Papers,’ in connection with those of persons of eminence who had consulted him.

Evelyn mentions in his ‘Diary’ having gone during his visit to Paris to ‘hear Dr. D'Avisson's lecture in ye physical garden and see his laboratorie, he being prefect of y't excellent garden and Professor Botannicus.’ He is mentioned by La Marolles, along with several other savants, as not less distinguished by their knowledge and skill than by their probity (Mémoires, Amsterdam, ed.

Another edition of the Philosophia Pyrotechnica was published in 1657 (Lengley du Fresnoy, Histoire de la Philosophie Hermétique, iii.

This book, of which there is a copy in the British Museum, is probably a translation of the De Natura Antimonii mentioned by Lenglet du Fresnoy as published in Paris in 1641.

The other works of Davison in the library of the British Museum are: Oblatio Salis, sive Gallia Lege Salis condita, 1641; Commentariorum in sublimis philosophi et incomparabilis viri Petri Severini Dani ideam medicinæ philosophicæ prope diem proditurorum Prodromus, the Hague, 1660 (another edition was published at the Hague and at Rotterdam in 1668); and Theophrasti veridici Scoti Doctoris Medici Plicomastix seu plicæ e numero morborum apospasma, Danzig, 1668.