Wrote Letter L-073 of 1678-05-31 to Nehemiah Grew about teeth, bone, hair, and sperm and what de Graaf got wrong about ovulation

Date:

May 31, 1678

Standard reference information

L-number:

L-073

Leeuwenhoek's number:

Collected Letters number:

Collected Letters volume:

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 Nehemiah Grew about:

Regnier de Graaf's questionable theories about ovulation in women
further observations about sperm of rabbits and dogs
the structure of teeth and bone and the growth of hair

Reception in London

This letter is not mentioned in Birch's History of the Royal Society of London. It was the 15th letter by Leeuwenhoek that was published in Philosophical Transactions.

Figures

According to the text there should be eight figures. Only three figures (figs. 1, 3 and 4), ink-drawings sent by Leeuwenhoeck, have been preserved in the original. Figs. 1-4 give the vessels in the male semen; fig. 2 is printed in the Phil. Trans. Vol. XII. No. 142. 1678, opposite p. 1035. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are fragments of bone. Two of these were printed on p. 1002 of the Phil. Trans. Vol. XII. No. 140. 1678, viz. figs. 5 and 6 or 7. Which of the latter was represented cannot now be made out. Fig. 8 (a hair) is on p. 1004.

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
1665	various	Philosophical Transactions
1678	Leeuwenhoek, A. van	Microscopical Observations of the Structure of Hair: Made Also and Communicated by the above Said Mr. Anthony Leeuwenhoeck
1678	Leeuwenhoek, A. van	Microscopical Observations of the Structure of Teeth and other Bones: Made and Communicated, in a Letter by Mr. Anthony Leeuwenhoeck
1678	Leeuwenhoek, A. van	Observationes D. Anthonii Lewenhoeck, De Natis E Semine Genitali Animalculis
1754 - 1787	Berryat, J. (ed.)	Collection académique
1779 - 1780	Leske, N. G.	Abhandlungen zur Naturgeschichte, Physik und Oekonomie
1941	Leeuwenhoek, A. van	Alle de Brieven. The Collected Letters. Volume 2