BERTHELOT, Traité élémentaire de chimie organique, 1872

First edition.
Marcellin Berthelot (1827-1907), professor at the Collège de France and the School of Pharmacy, is an emblematic figure of French chemistry. His Traité élémentaire de chimie organique (Elementary Treatise on Organic Chemistry) is a key work for teaching and disseminating knowledge in organic chemistry in the 19th century. It is part of the movement that saw organic chemistry structure itself into an autonomous scientific discipline, moving away from vitalistic conceptions. This work was essential for the training of chemists of the time, detailing the fundamental principles and reactions of organic compounds.