The History of the Royal Society of London

Author:

Birch, T.

Volume:

4°. 4 vols.

Publisher:

London: Millar

Year:

1756

Full Title: The history of the Royal Society of London for improving of natural knowledge from its first rise, in which the most considerable of those papers communicated to the Society, which have hitherto not been published, are inserted as a supplement to the Philosophical Transactions

This is less a history and more a transcription and fleshing out of Robert Hooke's minutes of the meeting of the Society taken from his notes, recently recovered and how available at Hooke's Folio Online. Birch's text is an often-frustrating summary, flat words concealing strong emotions.

Volume I - 1756 (Google Books)

Volume II - 1756 (pdf) from January 4, 1664/5 to December 21, 1671

Volume III - 1757 (pdf) from January 11, 1671/2 to December 18, 1679

Volume IV - 1757 (pdf) from January 8, 1679/80 to December 14, 1687

Thomas Birch (1705-1766 ) in 1741

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Related sources:

Year	Author	Title
1665	various	Philosophical Transactions
1667	Sprat, T.	History of the Royal Society of London
2002	Jardine, L.	Ingenious pursuits: building the scientific revolution
2002	Hall, M. B.	Promoting Experimental Learning
2007	Centre for Editing Lives and Letters (CELL)	The Hooke Folio Online
2016	Jorink, E.	Swammerdam, hoveling?

Related events:

Date	Event
July 2, 1663	Christiaan Huygens elected member of the Royal Society
May 17, 1673	The Royal Society received Leeuwenhoek's first letter
May 4, 1674	Henry Oldenburg wrote Letter L-010 to Leeuwenhoek requesting that he examine saliva, chyle, and sweat
October 25, 1674	The Royal Society began requiring an oath of secrecy from the members who attended meetings
November 22, 1674	The Royal Society asked Olderburg to produce Leeuwenhoek's Letter L-011 of 1 June 1674
January 20, 1675	Christiaan Huygens wrote to Henry Oldenburg doubting Leeuwenhoek's observations of globules
February 11, 1677	The Royal Society read the first part of Leeuwenhoek's long Letter L-040 of the previous 9 October about little animals in various waters
February 18, 1677	The Royal Society read the second part of Leeuwenhoek's long letter of 9 October 1676
March 8, 1677	The Royal Society read the third part of Leeuwenhoek's long letter of 9 October 1676
April 15, 1677	The Royal Society read Leeuwenhoek's Letter L-054 of 23 March 1677 and assigned Grew to replicate his results
May 27, 1677	The Royal Society read Leeuwenhoek's Letter L-056 of 14 May 1677
October 25, 1677	The Royal Society requested that Robert Hooke try to replicate Leeuwenhoek's observations
November 11, 1677	Robert Hooke failed to demonstrate "minute animals" in pump water. The Royal Society read the testimonials from people in Delft.
November 18, 1677	Robert Hooke again failed, using an improved microscope
November 25, 1677	Robert Hooke finally succeeded in replicating Leeuwenhoek's observations of little animals
December 16, 1677	Robert Hooke demonstrated the superiority of single-lens over double-lens microscopes
January 27, 1678	Robert Hooke read Letter L-067 of 1678-01-14 at a meeting of the Royal Society
February 3, 1678	Robert Hooke produced two experiments on blood and milk and read the latter part of the Letter L-067 of 1678-01-14 about phlegm and little animals in pepper water
March 17, 1678	Robert Hooke showed the Royal Society microscopical observations of tendons and little animals in anise and coffee
March 24, 1678	Robert Hooke read his paper about his microscopic observations and methods
April 7, 1678	Robert Hooke showed the Royal Society microscopical observations of muscle from a lobster's claw
May 5, 1678	Robert Hooke showed the Royal Society microscopical observations of the motion and composition of muscles
June 6, 1678	Christiaan Huygens wrote to Nehemiah Grew about seeing the sperm in human semen
November 10, 1678	Christiaan Huygens's method of melting powdered glass to make a spherical lens
July 20, 1679	Robert Hooke read his translation of Letter L-080 of 1679-04-25 at a weekly meeting of the Royal Society
July 27, 1679	Robert Hooke showed the Royal Society microscopical observations of the liquor in a lamb's testicles
August 10, 1679	Robert Hooke showed the Royal Society microscopical observations of a cock's testicles
January 25, 1680	Robert Hooke read part of Letter L-096 of 1680-01-12 about the structure of wood
February 1, 1680	Robert Hooke read Letter L-085 to Huygens of 1679-05-20 about the number and size of little animals in ginger water
February 8, 1680	Elected a member by the Royal Society
February 22, 1680	Thomas Gale authorized by the Royal Society to send diploma with seal to Leeuwenhoek
February 29, 1680	Royal Society ordered that its coat of arms be engraved on the silver box holding Leeuwenhoek's diploma
March 4, 1680	Royal Society discussed a silver box for Leeuwenhoek's diploma
March 7, 1680	Royal Society further discussed Leeuwenhoek's diploma
March 8, 1680	Thomas Gale wrote Letter L-101, sending Leeuwenhoek official notice of his election as member of the Royal Society
March 21, 1680	Royal Society postponed reading of Letter L-085 of 1679-05-20 to Huygens
March 28, 1680	Royal Society again postponed reading of Letter L-085 of 1679-05-20 to Huygens
April 11, 1680	Robert Hooke read Letter L-102 of 1680-04-05 about rat sperm and organisms in gills of oysters and sap of vines
April 22, 1680	Robert Hooke wrote Letter L-103 to Leeuwenhoek as official notice of his election as member of the Royal Society
June 27, 1680	The Royal Society read Letter 108 of 1680-06-14 about beer, yeast, a little animals in hermetically sealed tubes
November 21, 1680	Robert Hooke read the headings of Letter L-111 of 1680-11-12
December 5, 1680	Francis Aston promised the Royal Society to translate Letter L-111 of 1680-11-12 into English
November 12, 1681	Robert Hooke produced Letter L-114 of 1681-11-04 from Leeuwenhoek
November 19, 1681	Robert Hooke read Letter L-114 of 1681-11-04
November 26, 1681	Members of the Royal Society discussed Leeuwenhoek's observations of hair
December 3, 1681	Members of the Royal Society discussed Leeuwenhoek's microscopes
March 11, 1682	Robert Hooke read the first part of Letter L-116 of 1682-03-03 about striated muscle fibres of mammals and fishes
March 18, 1682	Robert Hooke read part of Letter L-116 of 1682-03-03 about muscle fibers
April 15, 1682	Robert Hooke read his Letter L-117 of 1682-03-20 and Leeuwenhoek's reply, Letter L-119 of 1682-04-04 about muscles of crabs, lobsters, and shrimp
April 22, 1682	Robert Hooke showed the Royal Society part of a flesh muscle in a microscope, but the rimples mentioned by Leeuwenhoek could not be seen
February 17, 1683	The Royal Society read Letter L-122 of 1683-01-22 to Christopher Wren
July 28, 1683	The Royal Society read Letter L-128 of 1683-07-16 about reproduction, little animals, digestion, and blood
August 4, 1683	The Royal Society discussed Letter L-128 of 1683-07-16 about the male seed in egg yolks
November 3, 1683	The Royal Society read and discussed Letter L-135
November 10, 1683	The Royal Society discussed Leeuwenhoek's observations about pores in the skin in Letter L-135
February 23, 1684	The Royal Society read Letter L-144 of 1683-12-28 to Francis Aston
May 24, 1684	The Royal Society read the first part of Letter L-147 about the crystalline humour of the eye
May 26, 1684	William Molyneux demonstrated blood flow in a newt to the Dublin Philosophical Society
May 31, 1684	The Royal Society discussed Leeuwenhoek's observations in Letter L-147 about the crystalline humour of the eye
June 14, 1684	The Royal Society read the latter part of Letter L-147 about the crystalline humour of bird and fish eyes, the vitreous humour, the cornea tunica, and the colour of a Blackamore
September 15, 1684	Francis Aston wrote Letter L-151 to Leeuwenhoek that Letter L-150 had not been read by the Royal Society
December 13, 1684	The Royal Society read the first part of Letter L-150 about the brain of several animals, chalk stones of gout, leprosy, and scales of eels
January 17, 1685	The Royal Society read the latter part of Letter L-150 about the brain of an ox and a sparrow, moxa, chalk from gout, leprosy, and eels, in which he discovered both scales and fins
January 31, 1685	The Royal Society read the former part of Letter L-152 about salts in vinegar and wine, vinegar eels, and salts found in vinegar mixed with crabs eyes and chalk
February 5, 1685	Visited by Thomas Molyneux on behalf of the Royal Society
February 7, 1685	The Royal Society read and discussed the latter part of Letter L-152 salt in various wines, mixtures of tartar, crabs eyes, or chalk with wine, and the difference between salts in wines and salts in chalk stones of gout
February 13, 1685	Thomas Molyneaux wrote Letter L-155 of 1685-02-13 to Francis Aston about his visit to Leeuwenhoek's house
April 4, 1685	The Royal Society read the former part of Letter L-154 about salts in wormwood, alum, and other substances
May 16, 1685	The Royal Society read the latter part of Letter L-154 about salts in ashes, lime, soda, and sal armoniac
May 28, 1685	The Dublin Philosophical Society asked the Royal Society for a copy of Letter L-154 about salts of wine and vinegar
June 20, 1685	The Royal Society read part of Letter L-157 about the role of eggs and male sperm in a female dog
June 27, 1685	The Royal Society read the latter part of Letter L-157 about sperm and eggs in sheep and rabbits
December 19, 1685	Francis Aston and Tancred Robinson abruptly resigned as the secretaries of the Royal Society, just a week after they had been reelected
January 23, 1686	The Royal Society read part of Letter L-166 about embryo plants in cotton seeds
February 6, 1686	The Royal Society elected Edmond Halley as clerk
March 20, 1686	The Royal Society read part of Letter L-166 about gall and the scales and slime of fish
March 27, 1686	The Royal Society ordered that the unread part of Letter L-166 be read at the next meeting
April 3, 1686	The Royal Society asked Francis Lodwick to translate Letter L-168 about cinnebar and gunpowder
April 10, 1686	The Royal Society read and discussed Letter L-168 about cinnebar and gunpowder
April 24, 1686	The Royal Society ordered that Letter L-173 be translated
May 1, 1686	The Royal Society read part of Letter L-168 about the particles composing cinnabar
May 8, 1686	The Royal Society read another part of Letter L-168 about gunpowder explosions and cannon lengths
May 22, 1686	The Royal Society read part of Letter L-173 about the structure of cotton seed, the sweat glands of the skin, and the slime of fish
May 29, 1686	The Royal Society decided to send a gift to Leeuwenhoek, De Historia Piscium by Francis Willughby
June 5, 1686	The Royal Society read part of Letter L-173 about bone and wood
June 26, 1686	The Royal Society officers declared their satisfaction with the election of Edmond Halley
July 10, 1686	The Royal Society read part of Letter L-177 about how the leaves, root, and stem are wrapped up with the seeds
July 17, 1686	The Royal Society ordered that Letter L-178 about the texture of oakwood be translated
April 16, 1687	The Royal Society ordered that Letter L-186 about teeth be translated
April 23, 1687	The Royal Society read part of Letter L-186 about the structure of teeth
May 7, 1687	The Royal Society read the latter part of Letter L-186 about the teeth of various animals
May 14, 1687	The Royal Society read and discussed part of Letter L-187 about embryo plants in seeds
June 4, 1687	The Royal Society read and discussed part of Letter L-187 about coffee
June 18, 1687	The Royal Society read part of Letter L-175 about gall nuts, over a year after receiving it
November 26, 1687	The Royal Society read part of Letter L-192 about the generation of ants
December 3, 1687	The Royal Society read and discussed the latter part of Letter L-192 about the generation of ants
December 11, 1687	The Royal Society ordered that Letter L-194 be translated
May 17, 1697	John Harwood wrote Letter L-321 of 1697-05-17 to Leeuwenhoek about enclosed issues of Philosophical Transactions

Learn more about ...
1673: Exceedingly curious and industrious
1677: To confirm his observations
1680: Member of the Royal Society
Additional magnification
Counting the Little Animals
Hooke's Three Tries
Key to the Letters pages
Leeuwenhoek's translators
October 1676

Related letters:

What Leeuwenhoek wrote ...
Wrote Letter L-011 of 1674-06-01 to Henry Oldenburg about movement of liquid in capillary tubes, structure of body parts, growth of skin, and the size of red blood cells
Wrote Letter L-100 of 1680-02-13 to Robert Hooke that being elected a member of the Royal Society would be an honour
Wrote Letter L-104 of 1680-05-13 to Members of the Royal Society expressing his surprise and gratitude at being elected a member
Wrote Letter L-116 of 1682-03-03 to Robert Hooke about muscle fibres, hair, the cell nucleus in the erythrocytes of fishes, the liver of salmons, beards of oysters, and the structure and growth of oyster shell
Wrote Letter L-166 of 1685-10-12 to members of the Royal Society about the beginning of plants in seeds; chyle, sweat, about skin, optic nerve, and bile of fish; salts in beer vinegar and lemon juice; and spirits mixed with blood and wine vinegar

Related people:

Henry Oldenburg

Martin Lister

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