Skip to content

Please be aware that some material may contain words, descriptions or illustrations which will not reflect current scientific understanding and may be considered in today's context inaccurate, unethical, offensive or distressing.

The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to the Royal Society, dated at Delft

Reference number: EL/L1/75

Date: 30 March 1685

Description

Signed letter
Duration of the life of spermotozoa 'in vitro'; dissecting the uterus of a bitch, killed after copulation, to investigate reproduction; stating that spermatozoa are the life-carriers and believes that there are male and female ones; observations of embryos in sheep; observations of ovaries in young animals; discussion of the embryo in the seed of an apple (expanded in EL/L1/76)
Original figures now no longer exist with letter
Transcribed and translated in 'Alle de brieven van Antoni van Leeuwenhoek', edited, illustrated and annotated by Committee of Dutch Scientists, vol 5, p 139
English extract printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 15, no 174, p 1120

Reference number
EL/L1/75
Earliest possible date
30 March 1685
Page extent
25 pages
Format
Manuscript
Also available on Early Modern Letters Online
View Also available on Early Modern Letters Online (external link, opens in new tab)

Creator name

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek

View page for Antoni van Leeuwenhoek

Use this record

IIIF manifest

View​ IIIF ​ manifest Opens in new tab

Open in Mirador viewer Opens in new tab

Export this record

Download PDF Opens in new tab

Citation

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to the Royal Society, dated at Delft, 30 March 1685, EL/L1/75, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/el_l1_75/letter-from-antoni-van-leeuwenhoek-to-the-royal-society-dated-at-delft, accessed on 09 October 2024

Link to this record

https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/el_l1_75/letter-from-antoni-van-leeuwenhoek-to-the-royal-society-dated-at-delft

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/el_l1_75/letter-from-antoni-van-leeuwenhoek-to-the-royal-society-dated-at-delft" title="Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to the Royal Society, dated at Delft" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Related Publications

Related Records

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Related Fellows

Map

Explore the collection

  • Early Letters

    Dates: 1613-1740

    The archival collection known as 'Early Letters' is composed of original manuscript letters sent to, or collected by, the Royal Society from English and foreign correspondents.

    View collection