Gottfried Leibniz wrote Letter L-528 to Leeuwenhoek about membranes, multiple births, and reproduction; he did not mention students

Date: 
March 31, 1716
L-number: 
L-528

Collected Letters number: 323
Collected Letters volume: 17

Text of the letter is in Alle de Brieven / The Collected Letters vol. 17 (AB 323), p. 410 (2018). It is not yet available at the DBNL - De Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren.

Continuing the discussion, Leibniz thanked Leeuwenhoek for some sketches, sent earlier. He discussed further the function of the membranes, their sensitivity, and the influence of heat and cold on their functioning. He gave his thoughts about the occurrence of multiple births in humans and animals.

Leibniz had shared information obtained from Leeuwenhoek with "some good physicians".

Finally, he discussed the views of other microscopic researchers on the question of reproduction.

He did not mention students, apparently having finally accepted Leeuwenhoek's refusal.

Document: 

The manuscript is in the Leibniz-Archiv in the Niedersächsische Landesbibliothek in Hannover, L konzept: LBr. 538.

Sämtliche Schriften und Briefe, Transkriptionen des Briefwechsels 1716, Leibniz-Archiv hannover, no. 231, pp. 324-326.

Sources
Year Author Title
2018 Leeuwenhoek, A. van Alle de Brieven. The Collected Letters. Volume 17