Kjöbenhavn (Copenhagen), 1852. 4to. Uncut and unopened in the original blue boards (""hollanderet""). A very fine, fresh, and clean copy - near mint, with only a bit of minor sunning to boards. 51 pp.
First edition, off-print, of the seminal paper that contains the first enunciation of the thermochemical affinity principle and the introduction of the term ""varmetoning"". The present paper represents Thomsen's main work as well as the ""(to use Oswald's words) scientific creed of the chemist for the next half-century. It constituted the only method by which chemists could predict the course of chemical reactions, and Thomsen himself employed the theory in various ways to carry out calculations of this kind."" (Brøndsted in: Meisen edt., Prominent Danish Scientists Through the Ages, p. 143). This breakthrough work, which contains the first statement of a thermochemical nomenclatura and the first definition and presentation of the thermochemical affinity principle, inaugurated a several decades long period of thermochemical studies, during which Thomsen personally carried out more than 3,500 calorimetric measurements in a room kept at 18 degrees celcius. His fundamental thought was that the evolution of heat accompanying a chemical reaction (""varmetoning"") is an exact expression of the chemical affinity of the reaction. Bethelot reached many of the same conclusions a bit later and advanced a theory that in essence was the same as Thomsen's. This led to heated discussions that continued for several years between the two scientists. Thomsen's principle is now usually known as the Thomsen-Berthelot-Principle. In 1883, the Davy Medal was awarded in duplicate, to ""M. Marcellin Berthelot, Member of the Institute of France, and Foreign Member of the Royal Society, and Prof. Julius Thomsen, of Copenhagen"", although Berthelot was obviously preceded by Thomsen. ""The importance of Thomsen's scientific work was rapidly recognized in both Denmark and abroad. In 1860 he was elected member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. Nine years later he was nominated as professor of physical chemistry at the University of Leipzig, but he refused the offer. Many foreign scientists asked to work under his guidance, but he was afraid that the comparability of the results obtained would be endangered when more than one person performed such measurements and therefore refused all such requests. Thus no school was formed around him. Thomsen was a foreign member of various academies and honorary member of learned societies, and held honorary doctorates from several universities (but not in France, because of the conflict with Berthelot)."" (D.S.B. XIII:359).""Julius Thomsen's international reputation is due largely to his thermochemical studies. He began to work on thermochemical problems in 1850, and in 1852 he published in the ""Videnskabernes Selskabs Skrifter"" a paper entitled ""Bidrag til et thermochemisk System"" [""Contributions to a thermochemical System""], in which he outlined the scheme of his subsequent thorough investigations in this field. This paper contains the first enunciation of the thermochemical affinity principle, which states that chemical affinity, or the attraction between substances, can be measured by the heat evolved when they combine.Ideas as to the nature and laws of chemical affinity were by no means lacking at this period, but the prevalent views were vague, hypothetical and mutually irreconcilable. The great importance of Julius Thomsen's principle when compared with earlier speculations lies not only in its fundamental theoretical ideas, which associate chemical and mechanical phenomena, but also in the fact that the conception of affinity is related to a measurable quantity, the ""Varmetoning"" - a term which Julius Thomsen introduced to include both evolution and absorption of heat - and thus is easily accessible to experimental investigation."" (Brøndsted in: Meisen edt., Prominent Danish Scientists Through the Ages, p. 143).
(København, 1861). 4to. No wrappers. Uncut and unopened. Nice and clean. (3) pp. + pp. 156-175.
First printing of Thomsen's influential paper in which he ""fund that the electromotive force can be used to calculate the mechanical work necessary for separating a compound into its elementary particles. In many instances, by measuring the electromotive force Thomsen obtained the same value for the affinity as in previous calorimetric experiments, but in other instances a difference was found. It is now known that the electrochemical measurements are theoretically correct, not the calorimetric ones."" (DSB, XIII, 359 p.)
København, Videnskabernes Selskabs Forlag, 1905. Orig. full cloth. XII,472 pp. Clean and fine.
First edition by one of the founders of thermochemistry. Thomsen's collection of thermochemical data were collected in his famous ""Thermochemische Untersuchungen"" and were summarized in the offered work, which was translated into both German and English.
(Copenhagen, 1852). 4to. Bound in fine recent marbled boards with leather-title on frontcover with gilt lettering. pp. (115)-165 (as issued in: Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskabs Skrifter volume 5:III, 1852).
First edition of Thomsen's main contribution in the field of Thermochemistry, undoubtly the main contribution by a Dane in chemistry in the 19th Century. The paper from 1852 is famous as it is the first statement of a new thermochemical nomenclatura, and the paper contains the first enunciation of the thermochemical affinity principle, which states that chemical affinity, or the attraction between substances, can be measured by the heat evolved when bodies combine. His fundamental thought was that the evolution of heat accompanying a chemical reaction (which he calls 'varmetoning', equivalent to enthalpy change) is an exact expression of the chemical affinity of the reaction.
Kjøbenhavn, 1869-73. 4to. Bound i one cont. hcalf. Back a little rubbed. Around 300 pp. and 3 folded plates. Together with the authors: Bidrag til et thermochemisk System. Kbhvn., (1852). 4to. (48) pp. All issued in Videnskabernes Selskabs Skrifter.
First edition of Thomsens main contributions in thermochemistry, undoubtly the most importent contribution from a Dane in chemistry in the 19th century. - The paper from 1852 ""Contribution to a Thermochemical System"" is famous as it is the first statement of a new nomenclatura and the paper contains the first enunciation of the thermochemical affinity principle, which states that chemical affinity, or the attraction between substances, can be measured by the heat evolved when body combine. His fundamental thought was that the evolution of heat accompanying a chemical reaction (which he called varmetoning, equivalent to enthalpy change) is an exact expression of the chemical affinity of the reaction.
Stuttgart, Ferdinand Enke, 1906. Lex8vo. Orig. full cloth, gilt. Back faded. A small tear at foot of spine. XVI,382 pp.
First German edition.
Kjøbenhavn, Bianco Luno, 1869-73. 4to. Bound in one contemp. hcloth. Around 300 pp., plates. Some brownspots.
First edition of Thomsens main contributions in thermochemistry, undoubtly the most importent contribution from a Dane in chemistry in the 19th century. - The construction of a complete and quantitative system of thermochemistry required an extensive and accurate collection of thermochemical data over and above the observations upon which the principle was based. The amount of data which he amassed was so great that it enabled him the calculation of heats of reaction for practically speaking every fairly common inorganic reaction. The results, which are based between three and four thousand measurements, were later collected in his famous work ""Thermochemische Untersuchungen"" (The Danish original oferred here).
Kbhvn., 1856. Samt. hldrbd. med rygforgyldning. (6),288 pp. Lettere brunplettet.
København, Reitzel, 1856. Samt. hldrbd. med ophøjede bind på ryg. (4),287 pp.
Den berømte kemikers naturvidenskabelige essays i originaludgave.
København, Reitzel, 1856. Samt. hldrbd. med ophøjede bind på ryg. Lidt kantslid. (4),287 pp. Stempel på titelblad og dets bagside. Spredte brunpletter.
Den berømte kemikers naturvidenskabelige essays i originaludgave.