Dr. Boerhaave’s Elements Of Chymistry, Faithfully Abridg’d From The Late Genuine Edition, Publish’d And Sign’d By Himself At Leyden..
Bound in later mottled calf, with blind stamped decorative panels on boards, spine divided into compartments by raised bands, with maroon morocco label, gilt. Faded red edges, darkened on top. Small tear at foot of d6, not affecting text. Bookplate of Franz Sondheimer, the distinguished organic chemist. A very fine crisp copy.
£850.00
Details
KEY C18th CHEMISTRY TEXT
Publisher
Printed for C. Rivington in St Paul's Church-Yard, London,
Date
1737
Synopsis
With all the cuts and explanations, contain'd in the original. to which are added, curious and useful notes. rectifying several opinions, etc of the learned author. by edward strother, m.d. the second edition.
Item Description
8vo. 5 x 8 inches. Portrait frontis. + vi + 210 pp. + viii + 208 pp. + [10] pp. indexes + 17 pp. explanation of plates + [1] pp. errata. The Abridgement of Tome II has separate half-title, register and pagination. Illustrated by portrait frontispiece, drawn by G. King, 1733, by 17 plates at end and by decorated initials and head and tailpiece vignettes.
Notes
Boerhaaave's 'Elements of Chemistry' was a translation of 'His Elementa chemiae' (Leyden, 1732), his greatest work...easily the best book on the subject all through the 18th century' (Garrison). What Boerhaave termed a 'surreptitious edition' had already appeared in Paris in 1724 and was translated into English as 'A New Method of Chemistry', 1727, being perhaps derived from attendance at his lectures. This abridged version was translated from the 1732 Leiden edition and was first published in 1732 as the work of 'a physician,' with a similarly anonymous second edition appearing in 1734. By the time this new version of the second was published in 1737, the editor and translator was revealed to be Dr Edward Strother. A third edition followed in 1749 but a full translation by Peter Shaw of the authentic 1732 Leiden edition did not appear until 1753. In his preface Dr Strother complains of 'The Original of these Sheets being very voluminous, and containing many superfluous Circumlocutions,' yet also claims that 'this Abridgment...I can assure you...contains the whole, except the Author's Dedication.' Dr Edward Strother (1675-1737) left Christ's College, Cambridge, without a degree but received his MD from the University of Utrecht in 1720 and became a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians in 1721. His publications, from 1716, included works on fever treatment and smallpox and 'The Practical Physician for Travellers' and 'The Family Companion for Health' (both 1729). The famous Dutch physician, Herman Boerhaave (1688-1738) became Professor of Botany and Medicine at the University of Leiden in 1709 and is regarded as the founder of modern clinical instruction: 'He was 'the greatest consultant of his time, but is now principally remembered as a great teacher and especially as an experimental chemist' (Garrison). Several other writings were also translated from Latin into English, his reputation abroad being so high that unauthorised editions were common. A handsome copy of this scarce volume, ESTC recording only three copies of this version of the second edition, complete with a portrait of the author.
[Stock No. 20543]
Subjects
18th Century • Chemistry • Natural History • Natural History/Science