BERGMAN, Torbern.

A Paris: Chez Buisson,… .1788

8vo, pp. (viii), 444, 1 leaf (approbation by Fourcroy and privilege), 1 leaf (blank), 3 large folding letterpress tables and 4 folding engraved plates. Short tears in lower margin of A8, heading at top of plate 3 shaved but legible. Contemporary pale mottled calf, spine gilt in compartments, marbled edges and endpapers, a fine copy. Small paper label of Fabroni on title-page, probably the Italian chemist Giovanni Fabroni (1752–1822).

FIRST EDITION IN FRENCH of Bergman’s book on elective affinity, one of his most important contributions to chemistry. He was the first to draw up tables of chemical affinity between two substances, one for wet and another for dry reactions. “Bergman was the first to recognise the effect of heat on chemical affinities and in his work he gives tables of affinities which are still recognized as being substantially correct and complete. He was also the first to introduce the idea of double affinity” (Duveen). The French edition contains a supplement and very extensive notes by the translator, François Joseph Bonjour (1754–1811), who was Berthollet’s assistant. The notes are antiphlogistic in nature and include unpublished material by Berthollet. Cole 98. Duveen p. 67. Neville I, p. 127. Partington III, p. 184, J(c).

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