VIII 

 ANTHONY VAN LEEUWENHOECK 



1632-1723 



Born in Delft, Holland, October 24, 16^2, Anthony Van Leeuwen- 

 hoeck, a lens-maker for microscopes, made several important biolog- 

 ical discoveries. In 16/^ he noticed the red globules in the blood; in 

 i6y^ he discovered animulcidcu in water; in 16// he described the 

 spermatozoa; in i6po he traced the passage of blood from the arteries 

 into the veins. Among his other achievements were his investigations 

 of the tubules of teeth, the solidity of hair, the structure of the 

 epidermis, and his descriptions of insect anatomies. He announced 

 most of his findings to the Royal Society of London. Against the 

 generally accepted idea of spontaneous generation, he held that all 

 things generated their kind. He died at Delft, August 26, 172^. 



OBSERVATIONS ON ANIMALCULE * 



In the year 1675, I discovered very small living creatures in rain 

 water, which had stood but few days in a new earthen pot glazed blue 

 within. This invited me to view this water with great attention, 

 especially those little animals appearing to me ten thousand times 

 less than those represented by M. Swammerdam, and by him called 

 water-fleas, or water-lice, which may be perceived in the water with 

 the naked eye. 



The first sort I several times observed to consist of 5, 6, 7, or 8 

 clear globules without being able to discern any film that held them to- 

 gether, or contained them. When these animalcula or living atoms 

 moved, they put forth two little horns, continually moving. The 



* From the Transactions of the Royal Society of London. 



62 



