Edited sentence: Holwell's use of the word "animalculae" suggests that he may have been aware of the observations of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek made in about 1683.Other parts of Holwell's account, especially his use of the idea of "immediate" and "mediate" causation, and the concept of "fermentation," suggest that these notions may not necessarily be entirely of Indian origin but may also be influenced by contemporary developments in microbiology