Auction Name: 2026 February 26 Historical Manuscripts & Texana Signature® Auction

Lot Number: 47279

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/6328*47279

[Franz von Leydig]. Period Fair Manuscript Copy of On Phreroryctes menkeanus. 72 numbered pages, 9 x 7 1/4 inches, no place; [circa 1865]. A French translation of Leydig's article on a species of annelid worm, originally published in German by the Archiv für Mikroskopische Anatomie und Entwicklungsgeschichte (Archive for Microscopic Anatomy and Developmental History) in 1865. Includes original paper envelope reading: "Fr. Leydig / Phreroryctes Menkeanus / 1865."

Leydig, a German histologist and zoologist, is best remembered for his discovery of "Leydig cells" in the testes, crucial for testosterone production. However, his scientific contributions reached further than this one discovery. Over the course of his career, he published more than 200 scientific articles and several books, with his 1857 Handbook of the Histology of Man and Animals establishing him as a pioneer of comparative histology. During his life, he received international recognition, including honors from the Royal Society of London.

Condition: Lightly toned throughout with light, scattered staining. Two separations at the left edge of the front cover measuring approximately 4 1/2 inches each, touching text. Some edgewear including creasing, small chips, or short tears.

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