BERZELIUS, JÖNS JACOB. - ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTENT WORKS IN THE HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY- GERMAN VERSION.

Versuch, die bestimmten und einfachen Verhältnisse anzufinden, nach welchen die Bestandtheile der unorganischen Natur mit einander verbunden sind. Erste Hälfte. (+) Zweite Hälfte. (+) Erste Fortsetzung des Versuchs, die bestimmten...(+) Zweite Fortsetzung des Versuchs...(+) Dritte Fortsetzung des Versuchs...(5 Papers).

Halle, Rengerschen Buchhandlung, 1811, 1811, 1812. Without wrappers as published in "Annalen der Physik. Herausgegeben von Ludwig Wilhelm Gilbert", Bd. 37, Drittes u. Viertes Stück + Bd. 38, Sechtes Stück + Bd. 40, Zweites u. Drittes Stück. The entire issues offered (5 issues). With titlepage to vol. 37, 38 a. 40. Pp. 233-480 a. 3 engraved plates., pp. 121-236 a. 2 engraved plates., pp. 117-348 a. 1 engraved plate. Berzelius's papers: pp. 249-337 a. 415-472.- Pp. 161-226. - Pp. 162-208 a. 235-330..

The papers represents one of the first announcements of Berzelius' discovery of the fixed chemical proportions, determining the weights and valencies of the various constituent elements in inorganic compounds. The papers were published at the same time in German (both here in Annalen and in Schweiger's Journal), and in French. By running many hundreds of analysis of chemical compounds he gave so many examples of the law of definite proportions that the world of chemistry could no longer doubt its validity, and in so doing he gave experimental evidence to the atomic theory. He hereby laid a solid fundation for the further development of chemistry.

According to Söderbaum (Jac. Berzelius, 2, p.12) "It was a giant work, one of the most importent in the history of chemistry, which was here presented. One is even more impressed when one remembers that it was a pioneer undertaking in every sense of the term. Analytic and synthetic methods existed before Berzelius' time, to be sure, but there were no precise methods of the sort which he required. They all had to be elaborated at the cost of time and labour."(J. Erik Jorpes "Jac. Berzelius", p.45).

"In general Berzelius's efforts were directed toward the consolidation and extension of the atomic theory. He improved chemical analysis and determined the composition of a large number of compounds, thus verifying the laws of constant and multiple proportions and furnishing the most accurate equivalent weights then available. By ingenious methods he arrived at the correct atomic composition of most common substances, and thus was enabled to draw up (in 1826) a table of atomic weights very nearly identical with the modern one."(Leicester & Klicktein "A Source Book in Chemistry", p. 258).

Parkinson "Breakthroughs", 1810-20 C.

Order-nr.: 43628