Wrote Letter L-547 of 1717-03-02 to Abraham van Bleyswyck about the structure of nerves and the associated fat in the spinal cords of cows and sheep

Date: 
March 2, 1717
Standard reference information
L-number: 
L-547
Leeuwenhoek's number: 
XXXII
Collected Letters volume: 
18

Text of the letter in the original Dutch and in English translation in Alle de Brieven / The Collected Letters is not yet available at the DBNL - De Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren.

The original manuscript is lost.

Over the years, Leeuwenhoek had often examined the optic nerve in various animals, but he had not been able to examine other nerves in any detail. In this letter, Leeuwenhoek reported that he was finally able to examine nerves; he described the vessels and cavities in the nerves of the spinal cords of cows and sheep. He also observed the particles of fat between the nerves and membranes around the nerves.