Pierre BERTHOLON
De l'électricité. De l'électricité du corps humain. De l'électricité des végétaux. De l'électricité des météores
Chez Croulbois • Didot jeune • Bernusset|A Paris • & à Lyon 1783|12 x 20 cm|5 volumes reliés
Second enlarged and expanded edition following the success of the first in 1780 of L'électricité du corps humain. Second edition of De l'électricité des végétaux, and First edition of De l'électricité des météores which appears to have been published simultaneously with the Paris edition by Croulbois. Rare gathering of Bertholon's three works on electricity in uniform binding. Bertholon planned a fourth work on minerals which never appeared. De l'électricité du corps humain, 6 folding plates at the end of volume 2. De l'électricité des végétaux: 3 folding plates at the end and one folding plate of plant diseases. De l'électricité des météores: 6 folding plates at the end of volume 2. All plates contain multiple figures, notably on the effect of lightning on the ocean, volcanoes, experiments on the human body...
Contemporary full speckled tan sheep binding. Raised band spine with decoration. Black sheep title and volume labels. One wormhole on the last compartment of volume 1. Surface wear on the lower board of volume 2. A small lack in the tail compartment of volume 2. Scratches on the lower board of Végétaux. Title label of Végétaux with rubbing. 8 corners bumped. One worm track of 1.5cm in lower margin on the first 14 leaves of volume 1 of Météores, gradually fading; in volume 2, 2 holes from page 300 in lower margin developing into 2 thin tracks in the final leaves. In volume 1 of Corps humain, wide track of 2cm up to page 50. Fresh throughout. A good copy.
Throughout Europe, the physicist's work on electricity was acclaimed and translated. His presentations are indeed clear, enhanced with personal observations and experiments. In each of the fields addressed within the domain of electricity, each work forms a compendium of contemporary knowledge. If the physicist's name was fairly quickly forgotten compared to that of his colleague Abbé Nollet, it is simply because the latter demonstrated more entertaining pedagogy and scientific popularization while Bertholon's work is that of a scientist. Promoter of his friend Benjamin Franklin's lightning rod invention, he invented several machines using electricity, one to prevent earthquakes, and 2 for plants, the electrovégétomètre and an electrical rain system.
Contemporary full speckled tan sheep binding. Raised band spine with decoration. Black sheep title and volume labels. One wormhole on the last compartment of volume 1. Surface wear on the lower board of volume 2. A small lack in the tail compartment of volume 2. Scratches on the lower board of Végétaux. Title label of Végétaux with rubbing. 8 corners bumped. One worm track of 1.5cm in lower margin on the first 14 leaves of volume 1 of Météores, gradually fading; in volume 2, 2 holes from page 300 in lower margin developing into 2 thin tracks in the final leaves. In volume 1 of Corps humain, wide track of 2cm up to page 50. Fresh throughout. A good copy.
Throughout Europe, the physicist's work on electricity was acclaimed and translated. His presentations are indeed clear, enhanced with personal observations and experiments. In each of the fields addressed within the domain of electricity, each work forms a compendium of contemporary knowledge. If the physicist's name was fairly quickly forgotten compared to that of his colleague Abbé Nollet, it is simply because the latter demonstrated more entertaining pedagogy and scientific popularization while Bertholon's work is that of a scientist. Promoter of his friend Benjamin Franklin's lightning rod invention, he invented several machines using electricity, one to prevent earthquakes, and 2 for plants, the electrovégétomètre and an electrical rain system.
€1,800