Wrote Letter 2 of 1673-08-15 (AB 2) to Henry Oldenburg

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Date: 
August 15, 1673
Standard reference information
Cole's number: 
2
AB/CL number: 
2
AB/CL volume: 
1

Text of the letter in the original Dutch and in English translation from Alle de Brieven. The Collected Letters at the DBNL - De Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren

Leeuwenhoek wrote this letter to Henry Oldenburg about the bee; movement of liquids in wood and food in louse; composition of air.

Leeuwenhoek's second letter:

  • followed up on the observations from his first letter
  • added more observations of the bee
  • added observations about wood
  • described his experiment with capillary tubes to learn how fluids rose in trees
  • enclosed a drawing of the tubes he used

Of 3 ink figures, only 2 were published in Philosophical Transactions, both of straight capillary tubes (right). The third is also a capillary tube, but it is bent in a U-shape. The much shorter part is thicker and has a plunger inserted into the open end.