Letter, from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to Henry Oldenburg, dated at Delft

Description

Signed autograph
Observations of the colour of the iris of the eye; the anatomy of the optic nerve; comments about English criticisms of his observations of the brain
Figure of the transverse section of an optic nerve of a cow is attached.

Specimen of the optic nerve was attached to the letter in an original packet. The original packet and samples are now stored separately in an envelope. The packet is mounted and the samples of transversal cuts of optic nerve are separate in tissue paper. The envelope contain >70% of the original material, in 1981 Brian Ford separated two portions of the samples, a first portion was placed in separate packets, kept in an envelope; a second portion of the samples were sputtered in gold and are kept in a separate container.

For summary see 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 11, p 134
Partial translation in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 10, no 117, p 378
Transcribed and translated in 'Alle de brieven van Antoni van Leeuwenhoek', edited, illustrated and annotated by Committee of Dutch Scientists, part 1, p 188
'The van Leeuwenhoek specimens' by Brian Ford in 'Notes and Records', vol 36, no 1, pp 37-59

Reference number

EL/L1/9

Earliest possible date

04 December 1674

Page extent

6 pages

Format

Manuscript

Also available on Early Modern Letters Online

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