LIEBIG, (JUSTUS) et (JOSEPH) GAY-LUSSAC - "ISOMERISM"

Analyse du Fulminate d'argent.

Paris, Chez Crochard, 1824. Later full cloth. Gilt lettering to spine. In: Annales de Chimie et de Physique, Par MM. Gay-Lussac et Arago.", Tome 25. 448 pp. and 5 folded engraved plates. (Entire volume offered). Liebig & Gay-Lussac's paper: pp. 285-311. Titlepage with browning and marginal repairs. Stamp to verso of titlepage. A few scattered brownspots, mostly to plates. The paper clean.

First printing of a classical paper in chemistry, helping to establish "Isomerism", stating that some chemical substances have the same composition, but different properties.

"One of Wöhler's earliest researches was made on the cyanates, the same group of compounds which led to the syntheis of urea. The silver salt of cyanic acid was carefully analyzed and reported in the litterature - 77.23 per cent silver oxide, 22.77 per cent cyanic acid. At about the same time Justus von Liebig, working in Gay-Lussac's laboratory, completed analyzing silver fulminate - 77.53 per cent silver oxide, 22.47 per cent cyanic acid. The analyses indicated an identity, but the compounds clearly differed in properties. Liebig, certain that Wöhler analyses was wron, apparently confirmed this by preparing and analzing silver cyanate, it contained 71 per cent of silver oxide... The two chemists were faced with the dilemma of having two compounds, but drastically different properties... brzelius took notice of the fact that the composition of cyanates and fulminates was apparently identical, but was unable to arrive at an explanation. Gay-Lussac, convinced of the correctness of the analyses, attributed the difference in properties to variation in the way the elements were combined." (Ihre "The development of Modern Chemistry", p. 171).

The volume contains other notable papers by Humphrey Davy, Poisson, Felix Savart, Humboldt, Wollaston etc.

Order-nr.: 49142