The contents of the letters published here, again show the great range of subjects that occupied Van Leeuwenhoek: from sugar candy, the shape and crystal structure of diamonds, the dissolution of silver crystals in aqua fortis to gold dust from Guinea dissolved in aqua regia and the dissolution and separation of gold, silver, and copper.

Every volume in the Series contains the texts in the original Dutch and an English translation. The great range of subjects studied by Van Leeuwenhoek is reflected in these letters: instruments to measure water, pulmonary diseases; experiments relating to the solution of gold and silver; salt crystals and grains of sand; botanical work, such as duckweed and germination of orange pips; description on protozoa. blood, spermatozoa and health and hygiene, for example and harmfulness of tea and coffee and the benefits of cleaning teeth.

About the Author

Lodewijk Palm was, until his retirement, assistant professor and senior researcher at the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands. He is editor of previous volumes of the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek letters, as well as a range of other books and publications about science and scientists in the Netherlands.

Huib Zuidervaart is senior researcher at the Huygens Institute of Netherlands History, KNAW, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He has specialized in the history of scientific instruments in the Early Modern Period. Together with Douglas Anderson he has published on Leeuwenhoek’s microscopes and other scientific instruments.

Douglas Anderson is professor of English and digital literacies in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at Medaille College, Buffalo, NY, USA and guest researcher at the Huygens Institute of Netherlands History, KNAW, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Elisabeth Entjes has worked as assistant of the Leeuwenhoek Commission at the Huygens Institute of Netherlands History, KNAW, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

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