De l'Emploi du Chalumeau dans les Analyses chimiques et les Déterminations minéralogiques…Traduit du Suédois par F. Fresnel.

Four folding engraved plates. 2 p.l., vi, 396, [2] pp., one leaf of errata. 8vo, orig. wrappers (some fraying & some wear to spine), uncut. Paris: Méquignon-Marvis, 1821.

First edition in French (1st ed., in Swedish: 1820) of this very scarce and famous work in which Berzelius describes the use of the blowpipe in chemistry and mineralogy. “The scientific apparatus and reagents available in Sweden when Berzelius began his work were very inadequate…The new forms of apparatus that he built were described in the various editions of his textbook and became standard pieces of equipment in laboratories all over the world. He was especially skillful in the use of the blowpipe, which had been developed in the Scandinavian countries. He utilized it in many of his analytical procedures, and the book that he wrote concerning it popularized its use abroad.”–D.S.B., II, p. 93.

The apparatus which Berzelius developed allowed him to greatly improve the accuracy of qualitative and quantitative analysis, and he introduced many new methods.

The translation by Fulgence Fresnel (1795-1855), is known to be excellent.

Very good uncut copy. The plates depict cross-sections of the blowpipe and other chemical apparatus.

❧ Cole 137. Neville, I, p. 143. Partington, IV, pp. 146-49.

Price: $950.00

Item ID: 2353

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