‎Chemistry‎

‎DAVY, HUMPHRY - THE DISCOVERY OF POTASSIUM AND SODIUM.‎

‎The Bakerian Lecture, on some new Phenomena of chemical Changes produced by Electricity,particularly the Decomposition of the fixed Alkalies, and the Exhibition of the new substances which constitute their bases" and on the general Nature of alkaline ...‎

‎(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1808). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1808 - Part I. Pp. 1-44. Clean and fine, wide-margined.‎

‎First printing of this importent historical paper in chemistry, in which Davy shows that electricity is capable of decomposing some alkalies, isolating two new substances and discovering potassium and sodium. Neville in his Historical Chemical Library vol. I, p.340, writes about this paper ""ONE OF THE GREAT CLASSIC RESEARCHES IN CHEMISTRY, in which Davy announced in this, his second Bakterian lecture, the isloation of metallic potassium and sodium by the electrolytic decomposition of their fused oxides.""""He (Davy) began his own electrical experiments...The results were spectacular. On October 6, 1807, the current passing through molten potash liberated a metal, which Davy called potassium. The little globules of shining metal tore the water molecule apart as it eagerly recombined with oxygen and the liberated hydrogen burst into lavender flame. Davy danced about in a delirium of joy. A week later he isolated sodium from soda.""(Asimow). The paper offered here describes these discoveries.""Humphry Davy was one of the most brilliant chemists of the early nineteenth century. His early study of nitrous oxide brought him his first reputation, but his later and most importent investigations were devoted to electrochemistry. Following Galvani's experiments and the discovery of the voltaic pile, interest in galvanic electricity had become widespread. The first electrolysis by means of the pile was carried out in 1800 by Nicholson and Carisle, who obtained oxygen and hydrogen from water. Davy began to examine the chemical effects of electricity in 1800, and his numerous discoveries were presented in his Bakerian lecture to the Royal Society on November 20, 1806.(A Source Book in Chemistry p. 243). - Wheeler Gift: 2514.‎

Bookseller reference : 45884

‎"BARON, (THÉODORE). - THE COMPOSITION OF BORAX.‎

‎Examen Chymique d'un Sel apporté de Perse, sous le Nom de Borech, avec des réflexions sur une Dissertation latine concernant la même matière, dédiée à la Société Royale de Londres.‎

‎(Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1755). 4to. Extract from ""Mémoires de Mathematique et de Physique, Présentés à l'Academie des Sciences par divers Savans"", Tome II. Pp. 412-434.‎

‎First printing of one of the 2 papers in which baron finally settled the composition of Borax. He showed that Borax is formed by the combination of soda with the substance (boric acid) previously called se sédatif.‎

Bookseller reference : 45935

‎"DAVY, JOHN.‎

‎An Account of some Experiments on the Combinations of different Metals and Chlorine, &c. Communicated by Humphry Davy. Read Februar 27, 1812.‎

‎(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1812). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1812 - Part II. Pp. 169-204.‎

‎First appearance of Davy's further experiments with chlorine. John's brother was Humphrey Davy.‎

Bookseller reference : 45964

‎"LAURENT, AUGUSTE. - CLEARING THE CONCEPTS EQUIVALENTS, ATOMS AND MOLECULES.‎

‎Recherches sur les Combinaisons Azotées.‎

‎Paris, Victor Masson, 1846. 8vo. Contemp. hcalf, raised bands, gilt spine. Light wear along edges. Small stamps on verso of titlepage. In: ""Annales de Chimie et de Physique"", Troisieme Series - Tome 18. 512 pp. and 2 folded engraved plates. Laurents paper: pp. 266-298. Somewhat brownspotted.‎

‎First printing of this classic work in the history of organic chemistry in which Laurent made clear ""the distinction between equivalents, atoms and molecules, by attaching to these terms meanings similar to those given to them at the present day. Like Avogadro and Ampère, Laurent regarded the molecules of hydrogen, of oxygen, of chlorine, etc., as consisting of two atoms and of forming ""homogenous Compounds"" which could then give rise to ""heterogenous compounds"" by double decomposition -(HH) + (CICI) = (HCI) + (HCI) - as had long before been pointed out by Avogadro.""(Findley ""A Hundred Years of Chemistry"", p. 32.""A founder of modern organic chemistry, Laurent was one of the most important chemists of the nineteenth century. He considered the behavior of matter to be a manifestation of its intimate internal structure, which one cannot determine with certainty but which one has to investigate if one wants to understand. Laurent’s preoccupation was to construct a method that could guide the chemist forward along this path, from facts to their causes. He was the first chemist to intimately associate crystallo-graphic data and chemical studies. Louis Pasteur and Charles Friedel later followed the way.""(DSB).‎

Bookseller reference : 45993

‎"DAVY, HUMPHRY. - CARBON AND DIAMOND ARE CHEMICALLY IDENTICAL.‎

‎Some Experiments on the Combustion of the Diamond and other carbonaceous Substances. Read June 23, 1814.‎

‎(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1814). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1814 - Part II. Pp. 557-570.‎

‎First printing of this importent paper in which Davy ""finally put it beyond doubt that carbon and diamond were chemically identical" that neither all acids nor all alkalies contained oxygen" and that oxygen enjoyed no unique status as the supporter of combustion, but rather that heat was a consequence of any violent chemical change.""(DSB).""In Florence he (Davy) burnt a diamond in oxygen, using the burning glass of the Accademia del Cimento, and foundthat it has the same composition as pure charcoal. He found that a diamond ignited in oxygen by a burning glass continued to burn when the source of external heating is removed, and only carbonic acid gas and no moisture was formed.""(Partington IV:p. 61).‎

Bookseller reference : 46007

‎"FOURCROY, VAUQUELIN & SEGUIN. - THE SYNTHESIS OF WATER.‎

‎Mémoire sur la Combustion du Gaz Hydrogene. Lu à l'Academie Royale des Sciences, le 21 Mai 1790.‎

‎Paris, Rue et Hotel Serpente, 1791. 8vo. Contemporary half calf. Gilt spine. In: ""Annales de Chimie: ou Recueil de Mémoires Concernant la Chimie et les Arts qui en Dépendent. Par MM. de Morveau, Lavoisier, Monge, Berthollet, De Fourcroy, le Baron de Dietrich, Hassenfratz & Adet."" Tome Huitieme. (2),336 pp. The entire volume offered. The paper: pp. 230-308. A few scattered brownspots. Small stamps on verso of titlepage.‎

‎First appearance of the paper in which the authors records a series of experiments on the combustion of hydrogen, the aim of which was to confirm Lavoisier's large scale experiments on the synthesis of water. They finally proved that water only contains hydrogen and oxygen, and found the approximate ratio of their weights.""In May 1790 Séguin read to the Académie des Sciences the report on the larg-scale synthesis of water carried out in Fourcroy’s laboratory by himself, Fourcroy, and Vauquelin. The purpose of this experiment was to establish finally that water is composed only of hydrogen and oxygen and that the weight of water is fully accounted for by the weights of the two gases. They also sought to determine accurately the combining ratio of the components of water, an especially important constant in oxygen chemistry. They found that the ratio hydrogen: oxygen is 2.052:1 by volume and 14.338:85.662 by weight. (The discrepancies from the true figure probably arose from the difficulties of weighing the gases.)""(DSB).Apart from other importent chemical papers by Fourcroy, Seguin, Klaproth etc., the volume contains Joseph Black's famous letter to Lavoisier, where Black gives up his phlogistic theory and accepts the new chemistry, lead by Lavoisier. ""Copie d'une Lettre de M. Joseph Black a M. Lavoisier"", pp. 225-229.‎

Bookseller reference : 46011

‎"BERTHOLLET, CLAUDE LOUIS. - PREPARING THE WAY FOR THE ATOMIC THEORY IN CHEMISTRY.‎

‎Recherches sur les lois de l'affinité. (+) Suite des Recherches... (+) Suite des Recherches... (+) Suite des Recherches... (+) Suite des recherches.. (5 Parts).‎

‎Paris, Chez Fuchs, An IX(1801). Boundin 3 contemp. hcalf. Gilt spuines. Light wear along edges. In: ""Annales de Chimie, ou Recueil de Mémoires concernant la Chemie"" Tome 36, 37 and 38. (Entire volumes offered). 336"330,(2)"334,(2) pp. and 5 engraved plates. Berthollet's paper: pp. 302-317, pp. 151-181, 221-252, pp. 3-29, 113-134.‎

‎Together with the memoir printed at the same time in ""Mémoires de l'Institut.."" this is the first appearance of B's groundbreaking work on the nature of chemical affinity and the fact that many factors influence chemical reactions, comparing chemical affinity to the force of gravity. The paper was at the end of the year published separately.The theory set forth here ""led directly to Prout's investigations which yielded a knowledge of definite chemical proportions and thus played a very importent part in preparing the way for the development of the Atomic Theory on which the whole modern chemistry is based.""(Duveen, p. 75).""Berthollet read a memoir on the general theory of affinities while he was still in Egypt. This was the starting point of his complete new system of chemistry, first briefly sketched in Recherches sur les lois de l’affinité (1801) and later developed into the comprehensive, two volume Essai de statique chimique. Here he attempted to provide a proper basis for chemistry, so that its experimental results could be viewed in the light of theoretical first principles. Berthollet developed a theory and a model adequate for the understanding and the interpretation of the rapidly growing body of chemical knowledge in his time. He was aware that the positive work of constructing a new theory had yet to be performed after the shock of Lavoisier’s criticism of the old chemistry.(DSB).Parkinson ""Breakthroughs"", 1801 C.‎

Bookseller reference : 46023

‎"AVOGADRO, (AMEDEO).‎

‎Memoire sur les Volumes atomiques, et sur leur relation avec le rang que les corps occupent dans la série électro-chimique. Extrait par l'auteur.‎

‎(Paris, Fortin, Masson et Cie, 1845). Without wrappers. In: ""Annales de Chimie et de Physique"", 3. Series - Tome 14, Cahier Juillet 1845. Pp. 257-384 a. 1 folded engraved plate. (Entire July-issue offered). Avogadro's paper: pp. 330-368.‎

‎First French version of this importent paper which was published, in full in Italian the year after (1846) in ""Memoria della Reale Acad. della Scienze"" vol. 8 (1846). He proves here forthe first time, that atomic volume is greater for the more electropositive elements.""Toward the end of his life Avogadro devoted a total of four memoirs to the subject of atomic volumes. In the first (1843) he pointed out the connection with his classic memoir of 1811 - the mean distance between the molecules of all gases is the same under the same conditions of temperature and pressure. In 1824 he had read to the Turin Academy a memoir in which he had pointed out that the atomic volumes (i.e., the volume occupied by the molecule together with its surrounding caloric) of all substances in the liquid or solid state would be the same if it were not for certain factors and in particular the different affinities of bodies for caloric. But the latter factor was directly related to the electronegativity of the element. Comparing the densities of the elements with their atomic weights, he now concluded that the distances between the molecules of solids and liquids, and consequently their volumes, were greater, and hence their densities compared with their atomic weights were less as the body became more electropositive. Alternatively expressed, the atomic volume (atomic weight/density) is greater for the more electropositive elements, and this is now accepted.""(DSB).The issue contains also R. Piria ""Recherches sur la Salicine"", pp. 257-301.‎

Bookseller reference : 46027

‎"BERZELIUS, JÖNS JACOB. - ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTENT WORKS IN THE HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY - THE FRENCH VERSION.‎

‎Essais sur les proportions déterminées dans lesquelles se trouvent réunis les élémens de la nature inorganiques. (+) Suite des experiences sur les proportions déterminées, d'après lesquelles les élémens de la nature inorganique s'unissent... (In all...‎

‎Paris, Chez J. Klostermann fils, 1811-12. Bound in 6 contemp. hcalf. Gilt spines, slightly rubbed. Wear to top of spines. In: ""Annales de Chimie, ou Recueil de Mémoires concernant la Chemie"" Tome 78, 79, 80, 81, 82 and 83. (Entire volumes offered). The 14 parts: (Tome 78:) pp. 5-37, 105-132, 217-242. - (Tome 79:) pp. 113-142, 233-264. - (Tome 80:) pp. 5-37, 225-258. - (Tome 81:) pp. 5-36, 278-303. - (Tome 82:) pp. 5-33, 113-125, 225-72. (Tome 83:) pp. 5-35 a. pp. 117-127. With in all 3 engraved plates. Some scattered brownspots.‎

‎The papers represents one of the first announcements of Berzelius' discovery of the fixed chemical proportions, determining the weights and valencies of the various constituent elements in inorganic compounds. The papers were published at the same time in Swedish, German (both here in Annalen and in Schweiger's Journal), and in French. By running many hundreds of analysis of chemical compounds he gave so many examples of the law of definite proportions that the world of chemistry could no longer doubt its validity, and in so doing he gave experimental evidence to the atomic theory. He hereby laid a solid fundation for the further development of chemistry. A reprint is found in Ostwald's Klassiker der exakten Wissenschaften, No. 35.According to Söderbaum (Jac. Berzelius, 2, p.12) ""It was a giant work, one of the most importent in the history of chemistry, which was here presented. One is even more impressed when one remembers that it was a pioneer undertaking in every sense of the term. Analytic and synthetic methods existed before Berzelius' time, to be sure, but there were no precise methods of the sort which he required. They all had to be elaborated at the cost of time and labour.""(J. Erik Jorpes ""Jac. Berzelius"", p.45).""In general Berzelius's efforts were directed toward the consolidation and extension of the atomic theory. He improved chemical analysis and determined the composition of a large number of compounds, thus verifying the laws of constant and multiple proportions and furnishing the most accurate equivalent weights then available. By ingenious methods he arrived at the correct atomic composition of most common substances, and thus was enabled to draw up (in 1826) a table of atomic weights very nearly identical with the modern one.""(Leicester & Klicktein ""A Source Book in Chemistry"", p. 258).Parkinson ""Breakthroughs"", 1810-20 C.‎

Bookseller reference : 46030

‎"RAOULT, FRANCOIS MARIE.‎

‎Sur les Tensions de Vapeur des Dissolutions.‎

‎Paris, G. Masson, 1890. Contemp. hcalf. Light wear along edges. Two small stamps on verso of titlepage. In ""Annales de Chimie et de Physique"", 6. Series - Tome XX. 576 pp. The entire volume offered. Raoult's paper: pp. 297-371. Clean and fine.‎

‎First printing of an importent paper in which Raoult gives further applications of his own discovery, ""Raoult's Law""""Raoult soon turned to the anomalous results with salts in water, which had puzzled previous investigators. He classified the salts he used according to the valence of the radicals and found that the lowering of the freezing point could be accounted for by assigning certain numbers to these radicals. He demonstrated that the freezing point lowering obtained with these salts was consistent with the hypothesis that the salt radicals themselves acted as if they existed independently in the solution, and that certain radicals were more effective than others in lowering the freezing point of water. With the statement that ""the neutral salts of mono and di-basic salts act as if the electropositive and electronegative radicals of these salts when dissolved in water solution do not combine, but remain as simple mixtures (in the paper offered), Raoult showed that he had come to accept much of Arrhenius’ work on ionization.""(DSB).‎

Bookseller reference : 46033

‎"WÖHLER, F. (FRIEDRICH). - DISCLOSING ISOMERISM.‎

‎Recherches analytiques sur l'Acide cyanique‎

‎(Paris, Crochard, 1824). 8vo. Without wrappers. Extracted from 'Annales de Chimie et de Physique', Series 2 - Volume 27. Titlepage to vol. 27 and pp. 196-200. Some faint brownspots.‎

‎First appearance of an importent historical paper in chemistry.""Wöhler's analysis of cyanates appeared in 1824, (the paper offered), shortly after Liebig's analysis of fulminates. Gay-Lussac, then editor of the 'Annales de Chimie', noted that the analysis of cyanic and fulminic acid were identical - the first case of isomerism. This incident brought Wöhler and Liebig together, and there followed many years of collaboration in which the two studied the chemistry of benzaldehyde and numerous other compounds.""(Klickstein ""A Source in Chemistry.."", p. 309.Parkinson ""Breakthroughs"", 1823 C.‎

Bookseller reference : 46036

‎"FARADAY, M. (MICHAEL).‎

‎On fluid Chlorine. Communicated by H. Davy. Read March 13, 1823. (With Davy's Note on the Condensation of Muriatic Acid Gas into the liquid form).‎

‎(London, W. Nicol, 1823). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1823 - Part I. Pp. 160-165. Clean and fine.‎

‎First appearance of this famous paper in which Faraday describes his procedure to obtain liquefaction of chlorine and some of its properties. Faraday made an analysis of chlorine hydrate..., finding the composition... He showed the results to Davy, who suggested that he should heat this compound in a sealed tube. The result was the liquefaction of chlorine, reported in a note at the end of the paper""(Partington IV:p. 105).Parkinson ""Breakthroughs"", 1823 C.The paper comes together with Humphry Davy ""On a new phenomenon of electro-magnetism"", pp. 153-159 and Charles Bell's importent works on the physiology of the eye ""On the Motion of the Eye, in illustration of the uses of the muscles and nerves of the orbit"", pp. 166-186 a. 1 engraved plate. + ""Second Part of the Paper on the nerves of the Orbit"", pp. 289-307.‎

Bookseller reference : 46104

‎"GRAHAM, THOMAS.‎

‎Inquiries respecting the Constitution of Salts. OfOxalates, Nitrates, Phosphates, Sulphates, and Chlorides. Received June 23, - Read November 24, 1836.‎

‎(London, Richard Taylor, 1837). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1837. Pp. 47-73. Clean and fine.‎

‎First appearance of an importent paper in which Graham describes his discovery of potassium ferrioxalate.‎

Bookseller reference : 46364

‎WATT, GREGORY. - THE CRYSTALLIZATION HYPOTHESIS.‎

‎Observations on Basalt, and on the Transition from the vitreous to the stony Texture, which occurs in the gradual Refrigeration of melted Basalt" with some geological Remarks. In a Letter from Gregory Watt to theRight Hon. Charles Greville. Read May 1...‎

‎(London, W. Bulmer and Co., 1804). 4to. No wrappers as extracted from ""Philosophical Transactions"" 1804 - Part II. Pp.279-314.‎

‎First appearance of the paper in which Watt set forth his ""Crystallization Hypothesis"".""The first hypothesis as to the origin of prismatic structure which which had any experimental or observational basis was that of Gregory Watt, and may be entitled ""crystallization hypothesis"". Whatt in 1804 observed (the paper offered) that a large mass of basalt which he had melted down in a reverbatory furnace crystallized radially from centers which were fairly regularly spaced in a horizontal plane"" the intersections of these radially growing fibrous bundles formed a network of hexagonal partings through the mass, leading Watt to the conclusion that this manner of crystallization, by its vertical extension upward from the base of a mass of basalt, must have been the cause of the prisms found in the Giant's Causeway, Fingal's Cave, and elsewhere."" (Robert B. Sosman in ""Types of Prismatic Structure in Igneous Rocks"", p. 215).‎

Bookseller reference : 46371

‎"WOULFE, PETER.‎

‎Experiments on some Mineral Substances. Communicated at the Desire of William Hunter. Read Nov. 19, 1778.‎

‎(London, J. Nicols, 1779). 4to. Extract from ""Philosophical Transactions, of the Royal Society of London."" Vol. 69, Year 1779 - Part I. Pp. 11-34.‎

‎First printing. In the paper Woulfe described a white tin ore and other minerals. (Partington III: p. 301).Woulfe is mainly remembered for the two-necked bottle generally known as a Woulfe’s bottle which has long been a standard item of equipment in most chemical laboratories. The apparatus has been traced back to J. R. Glauber, and its attribution to Woulfe seems to stem from his use of a vessel with two outlets in a series of distillation experiments described in 1767. His ""new method"" was designed to prevent the escape of fumes ""very hurtful to the lungs"" by passing them through a tube into water.(DSB).‎

Bookseller reference : 46459

‎"DUFAY (DU FAY), CHARLES FRANCOIS DE CISTERNAY.‎

‎Memoire sur les Barometres lumineux.‎

‎(Paris, L'Imprimerie Royale, 1725). 4to. Without wrappers. Extracted from ""Mémoires de l'Academie des Sciences. Année 1723"". Pp. 295-306.‎

‎First appearance of Dufay's first work. ""His first academic paper (1723), on the mercurial phosphorus, already displayed the characteristics which distinguished his later work: full command of earlier writings, clear prescriptions for producing the phenomena under study, general rules or regularities of their action, thorough study of possible complications or exceptions, and cautious mechanical explanations of a Cartesian flavor. This ""phosphor"" - the light sometimes visible in the Torricelli space when a barometer is jostled - much perplexed the physicists of the era, primarily because it did not always occur under apparently identical conditions. Dufay found that traces of air or water vapor occasioned the failures, which could be entirely eliminated with a technique of purification taught him by a German glassmaker. He explained the light in terms of Cartesian subtle matter squeezed from the agitated mercury"" although he knew the work of Francis Hauksbee (the elder), he suggested no connection with electricity.""(DSB).‎

Bookseller reference : 46601

‎"DAGUERRE, LOUIS. - THE HELIOGRAPHIC PROCESS.‎

‎Des procédés photogéniques considérés comme moyens de gravure. - Lettre de M. Daguerre à M. Arago. (Séance du undi 30 Septembre 1839).‎

‎(Paris, Bachelier, 1839). 4to. No wrappers. In: ""Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de L'Academie des Sciences"", Tome IX, No 14). Entire issue offered. Pp. 415-436. Daguerre's letter: pp. 423-429.‎

‎First printing of Daguerres letter to Arago in which he relates the process of heliography and describes his contract with Niépce to exploit the heliogrphis process. The Heliogravure was invented by Niépce.‎

Bookseller reference : 46848

‎"DRAPER, (JOHN) WILLIAM. - THE FIRST DAGUERREOTYPE PORTRAIT.‎

‎On the Process of Daguerreotype, and its application to taking Portraits from the Life.‎

‎London, Richard and John Taylor, 1840. Contemp. hcalf. A nic to spine at upper hinge. Hinges weakening (not loose). Gilt lettering to spine ""Philosophical Magazine"" - Vol.XVII. In: ""The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science. Conducted by David Brewster et al."". Vol. XVII. A stamp to titlepage and a few other pages. Entire volume offered. VIII,552 pp. Draper'spaper: pp. 217-225.‎

‎First printing of the famous paper in which Draper relates how he was able to made the first photographic portrait on a daguerreotype plate, giving an ennormously long exposure. The subject of the portrait, Draper's assistant, powdered his face with flour and sat in front of the camera for a half hour facing the sunlight.Draper stated that it is possible to make portraits in full sunlight, using mirrors as light reflectors. ""But in the reflected sunshine, the eye cannot support the effulgence of the rays. It is therefore necessary to pass them through some blue medium, which shall abstract from them their heat and take away their offensive brilliancy. Ihave used for this purpose blue glass, and also ammoniaco-sulphate of copper, contained in a large trough of plate glass, the interstice being about an inch thick."" (p. 217 in the paper offerd).""Draper first achieved wide celebrity for his pioneering work in photography. As early as 1837, while still in Virginia, he had followed the example of Wedgwood and Davy in making temporary copies of objects by the action of light on sensitized surfaces. When the details of Daguerre’s process for fixing camera images were published in various New York newspapers on 20 September 1839, Draper was ready for the greatest remaining challenge, to take a photographic portrait. A New York mechanic, Alexander S. Wolcott, apparently won the race by 7 October. But if Draper knew of this, he persisted in his own experiments and succeeded in taking a portrait not later than December 1839. His communication to the Philosophical Magazine, dated 31 March 1840, was the first report received in Europe of any photographer’s success in portraiture. The superb likeness of his sister Dorothy Catharine, taken not later than July 1840, with an exposure of sixty-five seconds, seems to be the oldest surviving photographic portrait.""(DSB).The volume contains also Michael Faraday's importent letter to Gay-Lussac on induction in the first English version. ""On Magneto-electric induction."", pp. 281-89 a. pp.356-366. (Originally published in French in ""Annales de Chimie et Physique"" in 1832.‎

Bookseller reference : 46912

‎"BERZELIUS, JÖNS JACOB. - THE INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE OF CHEMISTRY INTRODUCED.‎

‎Experiments on the Nature of Azote, of Hydrogen, and of Ammonia, and upon the Degrees of Oxidation of which Azote is susceptible. (+) Essay on the Cause of Chemical Proportions, and on some Circumstances relating to them: together with a short and eas...‎

‎London, Robert Baldwin, 1813 a. 1814. 8vo. 2 contemp. hcalf. Marbled boards. Spines lacks and boards detached. In: ""Annals of Philosophy"" or Magazine of Chemistry, Mineralogy, Mechanics... By Thomas Thomson"". Vol. II and Vol. III. Entire volumes offered. Berzelius' papers: pp. 276-284, 357-368 (the first paper in vol. II), pp. 443-454 (vol. II) a. pp. 51-62, 93-106, 244-257 a. 353-364. (vol. III). Internally fine and clean.‎

‎First printing of these milestone papers in the history of chemistry, where Berzelius introduced his famous chemical symbolism whereby an element is generally represented by the first letter of its Latin name, or, in the event of elements having the same first letter, by the first two letters. Even though his atomic symbols were introduced in 1813 (see the note on p. 359 in the first paper), it was quite a few years before Berzelius's symbols were adopted by the chemistry community. But once accepted, they became the new international language of chemistry.Berzelius ""contributed more to the development of the atomic theory and to the setting up of accurate values of the atomic weights than did any other worker of the time. Of his contributions, moreover, to the development of the atomic theory and the advancement of chemical science, not the least valuable was the introduction of a chemical symbolism which, with slight modification, is in use at the present day. By giving his symbols a quantitative meaning - the symbol of an element representing one atomic proportion by weight - it was possible ""to show briefly and clearly the number of elementary atoms in each compound and, after the determination of their relative weights, present the results of each analysis in a simple and easely retained manner"". This symbolism was speedily adopted on the Continent but, in England, only after some considerable time.""(Findlay ""A Hundred Years of Chemistry"", p. 14.).Parkinson ""Breakthroughs"", 1813 C. - Leicester & Klickstein ""A Source Book in Chemistry"", p. 258 ff. - Holmberg 1813:28 a. The volume contains other notable papers THOMAS THOMSON ""On the Discovery of the Atomic Theory"", pp. 329-338. and JOHN DALTON ""Remarks on the Essay of Dr. Berzelius on the Cause of Chemical Proportions"", pp. 174-180 (Vol. III).‎

Bookseller reference : 46988

‎"RAOULT, F.-M. (FRANCOIS MARIE). - DISCOVERY OF RAOULT'S LAWS.‎

‎Loi générale de congélation des dissolvants, Mémoire de... (Extrait par l'auteur). (+) Loi générale des tensions de vapeur des dissolvants. (2 Papers).‎

‎(Paris, Gauthier-Villars), 1882. 4to. No wrappers. In: ""Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de L'Academie des Sciences"", Tome 95, No 22 a. Tome 104 No 21 (entire issues offered). Pp. 1017-1076 and pp. 1387-1462. Raoult's papers: pp. 1030-33 (tome 95) and pp. 1430-1433 (tome 104).‎

‎First appearance of Raoult's two importent papers in which described a method for finding the molecular weight of an organic compound by the determination of the lowering of the freezing point of water that resulted from dissolving that compound in water and the law governing the relation between solutes and vapor pressure.""Then in 1882, F.-M. Raoult published his results on the effects of nondissociating organic solutes, from which he deduced a general law controlling the lowering of freezing points (the first paper offered). Four years later he extended this work to show the effect of solutes on vapor pressure (the second paper offered). Having established the effect of nondissociating compounds, he was in position to show that salts produced an eeffect which, though anomalous, could nevertheless be explained by the supposition that a dissolved molecule broke up into other molecules. This work was of great value in supplying a new method for determining molecular weights, since the depression of freezing point and vapor pressure (as well a the related rise in boiling point later discovered) are proportional to the moleculat concentrations ofthe solutions"" it was of equal value in supporting the ideas of van't Hoff on osmotic pressure. With the announcement of the dissociation theory of Arrhenius, the anomalies were explained and the full significance of the generalizations of Raoult was recognized. Raoult published the formulations of his laws in the ""Comptes Rendus"" for 1882 and 1887 (the papers offered)"" (Leicester a. Klickstein ""A Source Book in Chemistry"", pp. 471 ff).‎

Bookseller reference : 47024

‎"WURTZ, ADOLPHE. - ANNOUNCING THE DISCOVERY OF THE AMINES IN CHEMISTRY.‎

‎Sur une série d'alcalis organiques homologues avec l'ammoniaque.‎

‎(Paris, Bachelier), 1849. 4to. No wrappers. In: ""Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de L'Academie des Sciences"", Tome 28, No 7. Pp. 189-240 (entire issue offered). Wurtz's paper: pp. 223-226.‎

‎First appearance of the announcement of Wurtz's outstanding discovery of Liebig’s prediction, that there might be organic compounds analogous to ammonia and derivable from it by the replacement of hydrogen - the amines. The entire memoir was not published in full until 1855 in 'Annales de Chimie et de Physique'.Wurtz is most noted for his investigation of glycols and for his discovery of the amines. The latter discovery in 1849 (the paper offered) was very significant at the time, for ot suggested the possibility of a new type, the ammonia type, which helped to explain the behaviour of nitrogenous compounds. (Leicester & Klickstein ""A Source Book.."", pp. 362-63). - Parkinson ""Breakthroughs"" 1849 C.‎

Bookseller reference : 47031

‎"BERNARD, CLAUDE. - PROOVING THE DOCTRINE OF IRRETABILITY.‎

‎Analyse physiologique des propriètés des systèmes musculaire et nerveux au moyen du curare.‎

‎Paris, Mallet-Bachelier, 1856. 4to. No wrappers. In: ""Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de L'Academie des Sciences"", Tome 43, No 18. Pp. (825-) 892. (Entire issue offered). Bernard's paper: pp. 825-829.‎

‎First printin of an importent paper in toxicology in which Bernard describes how he ""paralyzed motor nerve-endings with curare and demonstrated the independent excitability of muscle"" his paper is the classical proof of Haller's doctrine of irretability"" (Garrison & Morton).""Bernard was a true innovator in the study of the effects of toxic and medicinal substances. No one before him had understood so well the role of drug metabolization. He regarded poisoning as a local phenomenon, and advocated the use of certain poisons in physiological research. Curare and carbon monoxide had served him, he said, as ""chemical bistoury,"" making it possible to destroy specific structures selectively. ""(DSB).Garrison & Morton, No 616 and 2079.‎

Bookseller reference : 47113

‎"DAGUERRE, LOUIS.‎

‎Note relative à une communication récente de MM. Belfield-Lefevre et Foucault concernant la préparation des planches photographiques. (Extrait d'une Lettre à M. Arago).‎

‎(Paris, Bachelier), 1843. 4to. No wrappers. In: ""Comptes Rendu hebdomadaires des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences"", Vol. 17, No 8. Pp. (327-) 365. (Entire issue offered). Daguerre's letter: pp. 356-361.‎

‎First printing of an interesting paper in the history of photography on the process of preparing photographic plates.‎

Bookseller reference : 47212

‎"DEVILLE, HENRI SAINTE-CLAIRE. - TECHNOLOGY OF ALUMINUM PRODUCTION.‎

‎Note sur deux procédés de préparation de l'Aluminium et sur une nouvelle forme de silicium.‎

‎(Paris, Mallet-Bachelier), 1854. 4to. No wrappers. In: ""Comptes Rendu hebdomadaires des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences"", Vol. 39, No. 7. Pp. (301-) 344. (Entire issue offered). Deville's paper: pp. 321-326.‎

‎First printing of a milestone paper in chemical technology, describing the methods by which it became possible to produce aluminium in larger industrial scale. In the paper Deville describes how to create the first crystalline silicon and he perfects the electrolytic process for obtaining metallic aluminium from sodium aluminium chloride.""Deville’s methods made both metals readily available and drastically reduced their cost, but he himself did not take much part in their later industrial development. He used the sodium obtained by his method for the preparation of such elements as silicon, boron, and titanium. His investigations of the metallurgy of platinum led to honors from the Russian government"" (DSB)..In Sparrow's ""Milestones of Science"" is listed Deville's larger work from 1859 ""De l'aluminium. Ses propriétés, sa fabrication et sed application..."", No. 173. - Parkinson ""Breakthroughs"" 1854 C.‎

Bookseller reference : 47214

‎"BALARD, (ANTOINE JÉROME) - DISCOVERY OF AMYL NITRITE.‎

‎Mémoire sur l'alcool amylique.‎

‎(Paris, Bachelier), 1844. 4to. No wrappers. In ""Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l’Académie des sciences"", Vol. 19, No 14. Pp. (621-) 686. Entire issue offered. Balard's paper: pp. 634-641.‎

‎First appearance of an importent paper in pharmacology as Balard here described his discovery of amyl nitrite and its preparation.Sir Thomas Lauder Brunton, a Scottish physician, later famously pioneered the use of amyl nitrite to treat angina pectoris. Brunton reasoned that the pain and discomfort of angina could be reduced by administering amyl nitrite to dilate the coronary arteries of patients, thus improving blood flow to the heart muscle.Garrison & Morton No 1859.‎

Bookseller reference : 47225