WATSON, R[ichard].
Chemical Essays.
London, for J. Dodsley; T. Cadell; T. Evans; J. Merrell, Cambridge; and J. and J. Flecher, Oxford, 1782-1788.
Richard Watson (1737-1816), bishop of Llandaff, was born into humble means but later educated at Cambridge, where he was an intelligent, hard-working student. Appointed professor of chemistry at Cambridge in 1764, despite having no working knowledge in the field, he proceeded to learn as much as he could and gave a course of lectures although none were required.
His 'Chemical Essays', published in five volumes from 1781-7, represent a lucid distillation of the subject by an intelligent layman, but with little original research. They do reveal, however, Watson's particular interest in applying science to manufacturing processes in an effort to realise Britain's industrial potential. Largely a self-made man, Watson believed in learning by doing, saying 'a man must blacken his own hands with charcoal, he must sweat over the furnace, and inhale many a noxious vapour, before he can become a chemist'.
Mixed set comprising the second edition of volumes 1-3, the third edition of volume 4, and the second edition of volume 5; 5 volumes 8vo (16.5 x 10 cm); folding table in volume 1, bookplates, ownership signature to each title page, some spotting to a few leaves of volume 5 but overall contents clean; contemporary speckled calf, volumes 4 and 5 not exactly matching the first three volumes, spines gilt in compartments, red morocco labels, single gilt fillet to boards, edges dyed yellow, some rubbing and scuffs to the bindings, a very good set.
Stock code 114309
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Chemical Essays.
MANN, W.B.
The Cyclotron.
1940
First edition of the first conventionally published book on the Berkeleye cyclotron, by Wilfrid B. Mann, a student of Ernest O. Lawrence.
$1,712.00
[SANDAGE, Allan] HARRISON, Stephen.
Emanational Physics.
1988.
The second edition of Emanational Physics, a rare and unusual self-published text by Stephen Harrison proposing to correct the field of physics by reframing it metaphysically.
$1,712.00
OPPENHEIMER, Robert; SERBER, Robert; SNYDER, Hartland.
'The Production of Soft Secondaries by Mesotrons'
January 15, 1940.
First edition of production of Soft Secondaries by Mesotrons by Robert Oppenheimer, a significant early work in particle physics and the path to the discovery of the pion and muon.
$685.00
