INGEN-HOUSZ (INGENHOUSZ), JOHN. - EXPLOSIVE AIRS.

Account of a new Kind of inflammable Air or Gass, which can be made in a Moment without Apparatus, and is fit for Explosion as other inflammable Gasses in use for that Purpose; together with a new Theory of Gun-Powder. Read March 25, 1779.

(London, J. Nichols, 1779). 4to. Extract from "Philosophical Transactions, of the Royal Society of London." Vol. 69, Year 1779 - Part II. Pp. 376-418 and 1 folded engraved plate, showing apparatus (air pistols etc.).

First printing of Ingenhouz's memoir in which he shows a new way to make inflammable air. - Ingenhouz is most widely known for his discovery of photosynthesis which he published in the same year as the offered paper (1779).

"An interesting paper written from the point of view of a phlogistonist and dealing with the forces of explosions of air or oxygen and ether vapour. Contains frequent references to Priestly and also to Lavoisier, Cavendish, Fontana."(Duveen, p. 305).

"In 1779, Jan Ingenhouz, also reported new ways of making inflammable airs. He had learnt the first method from John Cuthberson and Hendrik Aeneae on a visit to Amsterdam in 1777...When he returned to London, he tried to find simpler ways of generating the air so that it could be used as a substitute for inflammable air from metals in Volta's inflammable air pistol. He devised a way of volatising ether (Diethyl ether) for this purpose, but he thought that these to airs were the same."(Leslie Tomary).

Order-nr.: 44420