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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Unpublished letter and paper, on innate sounds and colours by unknown author

Reference number: AP/4/2

Date: 19 May 1777

Description

Paper regarding the cause and nature of innate sounds in the ear that are not caused by any external vibrations, and innate colours in the eye that are not dependent on rays of light. The paper is preceded by an introductory letter to an unknown recipient, explaining that he had written the enclosed paper many years previously with the intention of cleaning it up to send it to the Royal Society, but that he was too 'lazy' to edit it and was sending it in its rough form. He requests that the paper be burned if it is not deemed worthy of reading before the Society.

Subject: Physiology

Reference number
AP/4/2
Earliest possible date
19 May 1777
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
19 pages
Format
Manuscript

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Citation

Unpublished letter and paper, on innate sounds and colours by unknown author, 19 May 1777, AP/4/2, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_4_2/unpublished-letter-and-paper-on-innate-sounds-and-colours-by-unknown-author, accessed on 07 February 2026

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_4_2/unpublished-letter-and-paper-on-innate-sounds-and-colours-by-unknown-author

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  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

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