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.

Order-nr.: 46023