Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Johann Jakob Scheuchzer to Hans Sloane – December 19, 1724
Item info
Date: December 19, 1724
Author: Johann Jakob Scheuchzer
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4047
Folio: f. 298
Original Page
Transcription
Johann Jakob Scheuchzer (1672-1733) was a Swiss scholar and physician. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1703 and his work was published in the Philosophical Transactions. In 1708 his Itinera aplina tira was published in London. It was dedicated to the Royal Society. His largest project was the Itinera per Helvetiae alpines regions facta annis 1702-1711, dedicated to his travels and published in four volumes in 1723 at Leiden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Jakob_Scheuchzer).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Ezechiel de Spanheim to Hans Sloane – April 25, 1704
Item info
Date: April 25, 1704
Author: Ezechiel de Spanheim
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4039
Folio: ff. 295-296
Original Page
Transcription
De Spanheim asks Sloane for the two volumes of a botanical book.
Ezechiel de Spanheim (1629-1710) was born in Geneva and studied at the University of Leyden. He became Professor of Rhetoric in Geneva in 1650. He tutored Charles I Louis, Elector of Palatine’s son and became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1679. As a diplomat he represented German states in Paris and London (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezekiel,_Freiherr_von_Spanheim).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Philip Henry Zollman to Hans Sloane – November, 1725
Item info
Date: November, 1725
Author: Philip Henry Zollman
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: f. 93
Original Page
Transcription
This letter contains an abstract and outline of Oloff Erichson Willman’s book, ‘Voyage to the E. Indies, with brief account of the Kingdom of Japan in 1648-54’. Willman was the Captain of the Royal Navy of Sweden. Zollman will translate the book from Swedish into English if Sloane thinks it worthwhile.
Philip Henry Zollman (c. 1680-1748) was the Royal Society’s first Assistant Secretary for Foreign Correspondence, a post he assumed in 1723. He first landed in England in 1714, was trained in several foreign languages, and regularly corresponded with Leibniz (Derek Massarell, ‘Philip Henry Zollman, the Royal Society’s First Assistant Secretary for Foreign Correspondence’, Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London 46, no. 2 (1992), 219-234).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Étienne François Geoffroy to Jacques Cassini – September 7, 1700
Item info
Date: September 7, 1700
Author: Étienne François Geoffroy
Recipient: Jacques Cassini
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 63-64
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Language
French
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Library
British Library, London
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Categories
Collections, Library, Royal Society, Scientific, Travel
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Subjects
Botany, Geography, Meridian, Printing, Shells, Weather
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Date (as written)
September 7, 1700
-
Standardised date
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Origin (as written)
Paris
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Others mentioned
Edmond Halley Joseph Pitton de Tournefort Pierre Bonnet Bourdelot Abbe Louvois
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Patients mentioned
Original Page
Transcription
Geoffroy consulted Bourdelot to answer Sloane’s questions. He believes Sloane’s catalogue should be annotated and bound with a copy of Vanderlinden’s Scriptis Medicis. Geoffroy will ask Dr Lefevre to do this for him. He was surprised by Halley’s meteorological reportage from the south. MM. Cassini, mathematicians Jean-Dominique Cassini and his son Jaccques Cassini, have left to measure the meridian from Paris to the Pyrenees. They send their best wishes. The shells that Sloane sent from England are surprising. This and other evidence suggest the earth was once covered in water. Geoffroy contemplates what would be covered should water levels rise again. He is preparing to leave for Italy with the Abbe de Louvois. He offers his services to Sloane and the Royal Society. Geoffroy promises to inform Sloane of any interesting observations. They have recently heard from Tournefort, who has sent drawings and descriptions of plants which Geoffroy will try to send before leaving.
Etienne Francois Geoffroy (1672-1731) was an apothecary and physician who studied at Montpellier, like Sloane, and worked at the Jardin du Roi and College Royal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etienne_Francois_Geoffroy).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Eric Benzelius to Hans Sloane – October 6, 1725
Item info
Date: October 6, 1725
Author: Eric Benzelius
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: f. 69
Original Page
Transcription
Eric Benzelius the younger (1675-1743) was a Swedish priest, theologian, and librarian. He was Archbishop of Uppsala, Professor of Theology at the University of Uppsala, Librarian of the University of Uppsala, and the founder of Sweden’s first scientific periodical, the ‘Acta literaria Suecia’, which was published between 1720 and 1739 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Benzelius_the_younger).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Richard Poley to Hans Sloane – September 11, 1725
Item info
Date: September 11, 1725
Author: Richard Poley
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: f. 59
Original Page
Transcription
Poley thanks Sloane for recommending him to Sir Richard Walpole and for a copy of the second volume of his Natural History of Jamaica. Sloane can reach Poley through Mrs Hearsen of Great Russell Street. He requests that Sloane send a copy of his Natural History to Dr Benzelius.
Richard Poley (d. 1770) graduated B.A. from Queen’s College Cambridge in 1704. He was a Fellow of Queen’s College from 1717 to 1716. Poley was the Secretary to the British Envoy in Sweden from 1725 (http://royalsociety.org/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Persons&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=%28%28text%29%3D%27poley%27%29).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Antoine Fagon to Hans Sloane – August 31, 1725
Item info
Date: August 31, 1725
Author: Antoine Fagon
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: f. 54
Original Page
Transcription
Fagon thanks Sloane for sending the ‘Dendrachute’ specimen. He asks for its price.
Antoine Fagon (1665-1742) was a French clergyman (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Fagon).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Étienne François Geoffroy to Hans Sloane – 19 April 1701
Item info
Date: 19 April 1701
Author: Étienne François Geoffroy
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4038
Folio: ff. 160-161
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Language
French
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Library
British Library, London
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Categories
Collections, Scholarship, Scientific, Travel
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Subjects
Books, Botany, Italy, Museums, Plants, Shells, Specimens
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Date (as written)
19 April 1701
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Standardised date
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Origin (as written)
A Rome
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Others mentioned
James Petiver Filippo Buonani Strozzi Gjuro Baglivi (Georgius Baglivus) Trionfetti
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Patients mentioned
Original Page
Transcription
Geoffroy thanks Sloane for his last two letters and the books he passed to Dr Lefevre. He is curious to read about Halley’s observations. Geoffroy writes that Italy is rich in things to observe, but the study of physics and natural history has been neglected. An exception to this is Mr Trionfetti, professor of botany, who has an impressive garden containing many rare plants. Geoffroy will bring back copies of Trionfetti’s latest publication. Another exception is Father Buonanni, whose treatise on shells is impressive although less thorough than Lister’s. Buonanni is working to reestablish the neglected Musaeum Kircherianum. Most collections in Rome are of little interest, but that of Monsignor Strozzi is very rich, containing Buonanni’s shells, many rocks and precious stones which Geoffroy describes in some detail. Geoffroy will send Sloane a detailed report of his travels within Italy and a number of books upon his return to France. Among these will be Baglivi’s new work, in which the author supports Jean Mery’s ideas on the circulation of blood. Geoffroy asks that Sloane inform Petiver that MM Trionfetti and Marchini wish to exchange seeds with him. Regarding the difficult situation Edward Lhwyd found himself in in France, Geoffroy wrote letters of support but wishes he could have done more. He reminds Sloane that Mr. Bourdelot is impatient to receive the catalogue Sloane promised to send.
Etienne Francois Geoffroy (1672-1731) was an apothecary and physician who studied at Montpellier, like Sloane, and worked at the Jardin du Roi and College Royal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etienne_Francois_Geoffroy).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Eric Benzelius to Hans Sloane – August 10, 1725
Item info
Date: August 10, 1725
Author: Eric Benzelius
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: ff. 33-34
Original Page
Transcription
Eric Benzelius the younger (1675-1743) was a Swedish priest, theologian, and librarian. He was Archbishop of Uppsala, Professor of Theology at the University of Uppsala, Librarian of the University of Uppsala, and the founder of Sweden’s first scientific periodical, the ‘Acta literaria Suecia’, which was published between 1720 and 1739 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Benzelius_the_younger).
Posted on August 2, 2016 by -
Oloff Erichson Willman to Hans Sloane – November, 1725
Item info
Date: November, 1725
Author: Oloff Erichson Willman
Recipient: Hans Sloane
Library: British Library, London
Manuscript: Sloane MS 4048
Folio: f. 93
Original Page
Transcription
This letter contains an abstract and outline of Oloff Erichson Willman’s book, ‘Voyage to the E. Indies, with brief account of the Kingdom of Japan in 1648-54’. Willman was the Captain of the Royal Navy of Sweden. Zollman will translate the book from Swedish into English if Sloane thinks it worthwhile.
Philip Henry Zollman (c. 1680-1748) was the Royal Society’s first Assistant Secretary for Foreign Correspondence, a post he assumed in 1723. He first landed in England in 1714, was trained in several foreign languages, and regularly corresponded with Leibniz (Derek Massarell, ‘Philip Henry Zollman, the Royal Society’s First Assistant Secretary for Foreign Correspondence’, Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London 46, no. 2 (1992), 219-234).