Wrote Letter L-501 of 1713-10-24 to Antony Cinck refuting, as requested, Kircher's ideas about poisonous little animals on sage leaves and spontaneous generation

Date: 
October 24, 1713
Standard reference information
L-number: 
L-501
Leeuwenhoek's number: 
IX
Collected Letters number: 
305
Collected Letters volume: 
17

Reply to Cink's appeal to investigate Athanasius Kircher's statement that poison-excreting little animals live on sage leaves of. Description of the glandular hairs of sage leaves. Opposition to Kircher's opinion that small animals originate from plants. Leeuwenhoek refutes Kircher's opinion that ‘flying creatures’ do not produce living young by referring to aphids. Glandular hairs of sage are jointed, contrary to the hairs of the leaves of tea.