Dictionnaire de Chymie, contenant la théorie et la pratique de cette Science, son application à la physique, à l histoire naturelle, à la medicine, & aux arts dépendens de la chymie. Seconde edition, revue et considéralement augmentée
Chez P. Fr. Didot jeune (Paris), 1777. 2nd Edition. Hardcover. FIRST MODERN CHEMICAL DICTIONARY. THIS BEAUTIFUL SET DISCLOSES WATER'S COMPOSITION. Pierre-Joseph Macquer (1718-1784) was a leading 18th-century French chemist known for his contributions to both theoretical and practical chemistry. His Dictionnaire de Chymie was first published in 1766 and became a foundational reference work for chemists, physicians, naturalists, and artisans. The second edition (1778), significantly revised and expanded, reflects the rapid advancements in chemistry during the latter half of the 18th century, making it one of the most comprehensive and authoritative chemical dictionaries of the pre-Lavoisier era. In Volume II, pp 70-71 discloses the discovery by Macquer and Sigaud de la Fond that combustion of hydrogen in oxygen yields water - this set the groundwork for the work by Cavendish and others on water's composition. The dictionary is organized alphabetically, covering an extensive range of topics in theoretical and practical chemistry, as well as applications to physics, natural history, medicine, and the arts. Macquer was a proponent of phlogiston theory, which dominated chemical thought before Lavoisier's oxygen theory revolutionized the field. The dictionary reflects this framework, describing combustion, calcination, and metal reduction in terms of phlogiston transfer. Despite being rooted in an outdated paradigm, Macquer's descriptions are systematic and precise, providing insights into how chemical processes were understood at the time. His dictionary helped standardize chemical terminology, offering definitions that shaped the language of chemistry before Lavoisier's Méthode de nomenclature chimique (1787) introduced a more modern systematic approach. The 26-page introduction traces the progress of chemistry from its origins to the time of Stahl and Boerhaave. The book was an immediate success and it was several times reprinted and translated; it produced many imitators. The second edition's substantial expansions reflect the growing complexity of chemical knowledge, making it an essential historical document for understanding pre-revolution period chemistry. DETAILS AND CONDITION: 8vo 3 volumes, contemporary leather binding, raised bands on gilt-tooled spine leather labels; (This is the pirated edition and actually published in 1778: See Duveen, p. 377). I: xxxii, 747 (1) pp; II: 660 pp; III: 510 pp. With Mr. Macquer on title pages; half-titles not called for. Overall VG-E PROVENANCE: From the Arthur C. Greenberg Chemistry History Library. REFERENCES: Cole 867; DSB, VIII, pp. 618-624. Neville p. 113. Parkinson, Breakthroughs, 1766. Near Fine / No Jacket. Item #EBS100354
Price: $800.00