BERTHELOT, Leçons sur les méthodes de synthèse en chimie organique, 1864

First edition.
Marcellin Berthelot (1827-1907) was a prominent French chemist and politician, considered one of the founders of modern organic chemistry. His Leçons sur les méthodes générales de synthèse en chimie organique (Lessons on General Synthesis Methods in Organic Chemistry), stemming from his lectures at the Collège de France in 1864, is an essential work that marks an important step in the development of organic chemistry. Berthelot demonstrates the possibility of synthesizing organic compounds from inorganic elements, thereby challenging the theory of vitalism and paving the way for industrial chemical synthesis. The work highlights the importance of synthesis methods in understanding and creating new organic substances.