Wrote Letter L-067 of 1678-01-14 to Robert Hooke about human blood, blood transfusions, flea larvae, and little animals in pepper water

Date: 
January 14, 1678
Standard reference information
L-number: 
L-067
Leeuwenhoek's number: 
23
Collected Letters number: 
37
Collected Letters volume: 
2

Text of the letter in the original Dutch and in English translation from Alle de Brieven. The Collected Letters at the DBNL - De Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren

The original manuscript on five folio pages, written and signed by Leeuwenhoek, is preserved at the Royal Society (MS. 1881. L 1. 52). On the ooutside, Leeuwenhoek wrote, "To Mr. Robert Hooke / Secretary of the Royal / Society at Gresham College. In London." Someone in London added, "Mr. Leeuwenhouks Letter to RH. / Jan: 14. 1677/8. Sn."

Leeuwenhoek wrote this letter to Robert Hooke about blood, milk, fleas, de Graaf's transfusions, and microorganisms in pepper infusions. Hooke published the letter in Microscopium in early 1678, followed by a short discussion of Hooke's own efforts at lensmaking.