French first edition, translated by Baron d'Holbach.
Contemporary full brown glazed and marbled calf binding. Smooth spine decorated. Garnet morocco title label. Headcaps, joints, edges and corners restored. Browning to margins of title page.
Bookplate, Library of Henri Tardivi.
Major work by the German chemist Stahl, who developed the famous phlogistic theory, which dominated chemistry until the end of the 18th century. Stahl himself had borrowed the notion from his master Becker. Although this theory was invalidated by Lavoisier, it was very important because for the first time in history, a principle unified all of chemistry. In his theory of salts, the author applies his theory to a new element, the axiom of phlogistic theory being the affinity of similar bodies.