LIEBIG, JUSTUS.

Sur la Constitution des Acides Organiques: Traduit par Horace Demarcay.

Paris, Crochard, 1838. No wrappers. In: "Annales de Chimie et de Physique, Par MM. Gay-Lussac et Arago.", 2e Series, Tome 68, Cahier 1. Pp. 1-112. With titlepage to vol. 68. Liebig's paper: pp. 1-42. Clean and fine. A few later leaves with some brownspots.

This milestone paper on organic acids, in which Liebig set forth the now accepted view, that hydrogen is the essential element in acids and that acid are salts of hydrogen. The paper appeared simultaneously in German ("Über die Constitution der organischen Sauren") and French. The offered paper is the French version.

"The paper on organic acids was one of Liebig’s finest achievements, reflecting the best of the attributes that had marked his previous work. He based his position on precise analyses of numerous compounds. Some concerned substances he had discovered, but many were refinements of analyses done by others. He had not originated the theories he defended, but had greatly extended approaches drawn from Davy, Graham, Pelouze, and others. Through his extensive knowledge of compounds and reactions, he was able to amass impressive evidence for his inferences. He displayed a realistic sense of the value and limits of theoretical conceptions. He utilized flexibly such currently accepted foundations of reasoning as the radical theory. He was able to weld these elements into a comprehensive, unifying whole. He took a major step in one of the most important revisions in general chemical theory since the acceptance of Lavoisier’s system of chemistry: a revision completed a few years later in the more universal statement of the hydrogen theory of acids by Liebig’s former student, Gerhardt."(DSB).

Order-nr.: 44996