Essai sur le Phlogistique, et Sur la Constitution des Acides, Traduit de l'Anglois de M. Kirwan; Avec des Notes de MM. de Morveau, Lavoisier, de la Place, Monge, Berthollet, & de Fourcroy
Paris: Rue et Hôtel Serpente, 1788. First Edition. Hardcover. xii, 344, [4] p.; 20 cm. Signatures: [pi]2 a4 A-X8 Y6 (8vo). Contemporary full tree calf with five spine compartments between gilt-tooled decoration. Red morocco label in second compartment with gilt-tooled title: Essais sur le Phlogist. Gilt-tooled decorative border on each board. Blind-tooled decoration on board edges. Marbled endpapers with a horizontal combed pattern. Woodcut title vignette, and head and tail pieces. Includes errata. Blank leaf following front free endpaper bears inscription, dated 30 Fructidor an treize [16 Sept. 1805], indicating that this was a prize book awarded to Louis Cornelissen, a student at Ecole de Medecine a' Gand, Departement de l'Escaut, by Professor of Chemistry P. Beyts. A translation into French by Madame Lavoisier of Richard Kirwan's Essay on Phlogiston, and the Constitution of Acids. Kirwan defended the theory of phlogiston (a now disproved scientific theory that had posited the existence of an element called "phlogiston," which was released during combustion). References: Duveen & Klickstein, no. 243; Cole, 721; Ferguson, p. 472. In Very Good Condition: edges rubbed, in particular front joint; front board scraped; slight loss of leather at ends of spine; light foxing on first and last leaves; otherwise clean and bright. Very Good. Item #001515
Price: $925.00