Requests copy of Smith's "De Generatione". Does Smith know in what [Peter Simon] Pallas published about discovering the hearing organs of crayfish. Has translated [John] Hunter's "Memoir on the Digestion" [(1728-1793), surgeon], as well received as Hunter's "Animal economy" and work on venereal diseases. Plans to publish third, fourth, and fifth volumes of his own "Annotations Anatomiques" this year.

Still awaiting the works Smith sent, in addition requests transcription of [Johan Christian] Fabricius' 1783 memoir on the hearing of insects and tracings of the plates for his own work. Congratulations on establishment of Linnean Society, gratified by invitation to join. Highlights errors in [Lazzaro] Spallanzani's [(1729-1799), Italian physiologist] work on digestion by comparing it with [John] Hunter's [(1728-1793), surgeon] memoir on same. Chair of Chemistry and Botany at University of Pavia still vacant since death of [Giovanni Antonio] Scopoli.

[On separate folio] List of plant names, possibly in a different hand, no reference to this in the rest of the letter.

Thanks for the tracings from [Johan Christian] Fabricius' 1783 memoir on the hearing of insects; notes that Fabricus does not seem to have looked into the internal structure of the hearing organs of crayfish. Notes a dissertation by Mr Minasi titled "Dissertazione dei Timpanetti dell'udito scoperti nel Granchio Paguro" (1775) that may predate Fabricius' work. [Giovanni Antonio] Scopoli's successor at University of Pavia is Brusatti, previously Professor of Chemistry at the Theresian College in Vienna.

Introduces Mr Scassi, a young doctor and bearer of the letter, who is travelling to further his studies. [Gregory] Boraston of Oxford visited two months ago, gave him a copy of his work on hearing organs for Smith. Forced to be both author and bookseller on account of inefficient printing works.

Thanks for election as FMLS, praises Smith's "Introductory Discourse" although expected to see a mention of General Compte [Luigi Ferdinando] de Marsigli [(1658-1730)], founder of the Academy of Bologna. Has commissioned his friend Scassi to acquire all the new medical publications whilst he is London. [L'Abbé Gregoire] Fontana is translating Smith's "Discourse" into Italian.

Smith's additional remarks on his "Introductory Discourse" came too late to be included in [L'Abbé Gregoire] Fontana's translation of it. Introduces Dr Valli in advance, who is walking from Pavia to London. Description of [Luigi] Galvani's discoveries in animal electricity [(1737-1798), Italian physician]. Appreciation of Smith's biography of [Giovanni Antonio] Scopoli and its exposure of the slander surrounding Scopoli.

Introduces Dr Rasori, the bearer of this letter, who is in London to compliment his medical studies and brings copies of the Italian translation of Smith's "Introductory Discourse". Rasori has translated into Italian the work of the late Brown [John Brown (1735-1788), Scottish physician ?], it is a valuable work but resisted by older doctors. Requests introductions to Mr Simmons, Hunter, and Crookshank for Rasori.

Introduces Dr [John] Lanigan [(1758-1828), Irish biblical scholar and historian], bearer of this letter and professor of theology at University of Pavia, who is visiting his family and avoiding the invasion of Milan by the French. Pleased by the comments on Pavia in Smith's "Tour on the Continent" and Smith's defence of [Antonio Giovanni] Scopoli, which has been reprinted in many languages. The box of copies of his "Tavole sui nervi dei Precordi" ["Tabulae neurologicae" (1794)?] he sent for the Royal Society and others in England has been seized by the French.