THE DISCOVERY OF SELENIUM

BERZELIUS, JAC.

Recherches sur un nouveau corps minéral trouvé dans le soufre fabrique à Fahlun (+) Suite Des Recherches sur un nouveau corps mineral trouvé dans le soufre fabrique à Fahlun (+) Suite Des Recherches...(3 papers).

(Paris, Crochard, 1818). Without wrappers as extracted from "Annales de Chimie et de Physique. Par Guay-Lussac et Arago", Tome 9, pp. 160-80, pp. 225--267 and pp. 337-365.

First printing of these 3 papers which represents Berzelius's discovery of Selenium. Berzelius "became a partner together with his friends Gahn and Palmstedt in the ownership of a factory near Gripsholm castle, manufacturing sulforic acid, vinegar, soap and white lead.During the summer of 1817 Berzelius spent an entire month supervising the manufacture. This lead to the discovery of a new elemen, Selenium, which he found in the form of a golden-brown sediment in the mud from the bottom of the lead chamber. This was an era when new elements could still be "scrabed of the walls....what had previously been known as "Swedish tellurium ore" was now found to be selenide of copper and silver with a 26 per cent selenium content." (Jorpes in "Jac. Berzelius. His Life and Works.p. 61-62)..

Order-nr.: 40474