BERKELEY, George. Recherches sur les vertus de l'eau de goudron. 1745.
BERKELEY, George.
Recherches sur les vertus de l'eau de goudron.
Amsterdam, Pierre Mortier, 1745.
12mo (163x101 mm), xxiv-343 pages. binding : Contemporary full mottled calf, spine gilt in six compartments, title in gilt on lettering-piece, red edges. Corners slightly chipped.
First edition in French.
One of the last important books published by George Berkeley (1685-1753), an Irish Anglican philosopher and bishop.
Tar water was a medicine widely used in the Middle Ages, with a very bad taste and made from water and pine or birch tar.
references: Neville [I, p.127-128 :" The first edition of 'Siris' (Dublin, 1744) wasquickly followed by several London editions, with translations into French (1745), Dutch (1747), German (1747, and Swedish (1744). The history of the beneficial uses of tar water is given, with references to Helmont, Boyle, Evelyn, Newton, et al., and lists of the substances isolated from mineral and vegetable tars by solvent extraction, distillation, expression, etc. Despite its chemical interest, no edition is cited in the usual early chemical bibliographies."].
Price : 150 €
