Wrote letter of 1720-01-09 (AB 354) to members of the Royal Society about muscle fibres and membranes of a cow, mites on the flesh of a whale, and the nerves around the muscle fibres and tendons of a cow

Date:

January 9, 1720

Standard reference information

Cole's number:

[XLVII]

AB/CL number:

354

AB/CL volume:

Text of the letter in the original Dutch and in English translation in Alle de Brieven / The Collected Letters is not yet available at the DBNL - De Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren.

With this letter, the correspondence between L. and the Royal Society was re-established now that James Jurin had replaced Edmond Halley as editor of Philosophical Transactions. Leeuwenhoek ended the letter with a person postscript.

I made these discoveries towards the end of last year and put them down on paper in the beginning of January of this year. If there is something wanting there, you might kindly remember my very advanced years, which, if I come to celebrate my birthday this year, will be 88, and with health, I shall shortly send Your Honours some more of my discoveries.

Leeuwenhoek's summary

Leeuwenhoek did not publish any letters after 1718 in book form with his own summaries. The summary below comes from Alle de Brieven / Collected Letters.

In this letter, L. writes about the muscle fibres and membranes of a cow. The membranes are built up by very small vessels. He also observes mites on the flesh of a whale. L. now is of opinion that fat globules around the muscle fibres are transported through the small vessels. Finally, he observes the nerves around the muscle fibres and tendons of a cow.

Reception in London

Signed autograph letter. The manuscript is to be found in London, Royal Society, MS 2109, Early Letters L4.60; 6 quarto pages; 1 engraving.

A contemporary English translation of the letter by Dr Sprengell is to be found in London, Royal Society, MS 2110, Early Letters L4.61; 6 pages.

The translation was read during a meeting of the Royal Society on 7 March 1720 (O.S.); Royal Society, Letter Book Original, 15.79, 6 pages.

Sir Conrad Joachim Sprengell, M.D., was born in Leipzig and received his medical degree in Angiers in 1710. He was admitted to the Royal College of Physicians in 1719 and made a fellow of the Royal Society in 1721. He was knighted in 1725 and died in 1740 after publishing a translation of The Aphorisms of Hippocrates and Sentences of Celsus in 1735.

Figures

Two figures came with this letter. L. sent a single engraving instead of drawings. The figures 1-2 are to be found on Plate II with no. 367 of the Philosophical Transactions.

Publication history

Related sources, especially Philosophical Transactions, and first editions only of Leeuwenhoek's volumes of letters. For later editions see Related events under Learn more.

Year	Author	Title
1720	Leeuwenhoek, A. van	Observations upon the Membranes Enclosing the Fasciculi of Fibres, into Which a Muscle is Divided. By Mr. Leeuwenhoek, F. R. S. Translated by Dr. Sprengell, F. R. S.

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Period 7 - 1720-1723

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in the 1600's

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in the 1600's

Wrote letter of 1720-01-09 (AB 354) to members of the Royal Society about muscle fibres and membranes of a cow, mites on the flesh of a whale, and the nerves around the muscle fibres and tendons of a cow

Life in Holland

in the 1600's