| Date | 1674 |
| Author | Leeuwenhoek |
| Contribution | Observed and reported animalcules in lake water, and what were probably coccidian oocysts and trematode ova in mammalian bile. |
| Reference | Foster |
| Notes | Foster gives key information, but the present notes for all of the Leeuwenhoek entries are based mostly on Dobell 1932, with additional notes from Bardell, 1982. All of the Leeuwenhoek entries in the Germ Theory Timeline are placed in the 'microscopy' Category, because his achievements in microscopy were in no way incidental to his biological discoveries, but were the very basis of those discoveries. The discoveries were made with a hand-held single-lens microscope of his own design and manufacture. This item was reported in Dutch in letter of September, and partially published (in English translation) in November. Complete English translation in Dobell,1932. Dobell believed the organisms included the flagellate protozoon later named Euglaena viridis. The oocysts were described as "oval corpuscles" and were probably oocysts of Eimeria stediae. |
| Category | Microscopy |
| Pathogen Class | General |
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