Essais sur l'Hygromètrie by SAUSSURE, Horace Benedict de - 1783

Neuchatel: Samuel Fauche pere et fils, 1783. 1st Edition. Soft cover. Near Fine. 1st Edition. Soft cover. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. 8vo (220 x 148 mm). xii, 524 (i.e. 506) pp., 2 folding engraved plates and 11 tables (8 folding, 4 within pagination), some mispaginations (pp. 129-130, 155, 164-172 omitted). Signatures: a4 A-2H8 2I5. Contemporary brown wrappers, spine with ink-lettered paper label (heavy chipping and wear to spine, some fraying and dust-soiling of outer page margins, rear wrapper chipped), protected in custom-made slip case. scattered marginal spotting, occasional toning. All pages uncut. Text and plates quite crisp and clean, only very minor occasional spotting or soiling, two leaves (Aa2, Gg7) with closed tears without loss of text (one repaired). Provenance: Lagarde (cancelled ink inscription dated 1799 on title-page); Giancarlo Beltrame Library; pencil notes to half-title. A very good unsophisticated copy, collated complete. ----

Norman 1894; Sparrow, Milestones of Science Books 174; Roller-G. II, 398. - FIRST (OCTAVO) EDITION of a collection of 4 essays dealing with the hair hygrometer invented by Saussure, general principles of hygrometry and evaporation, and related meteorological experiments. Content: I. Description d'un nouvel hygometre comparable. II. Theorie de l'hygrometrie. III. Theorie de l'evaporation. IV. Application des theories precedentes a quelques phenomenes de la meteorologie.
"Saussure, the Alpine explorer, founded hygrometry, the branch of physics that deals with the measurement of the humidity of air and gases. He invented the hair hygrometer - the only type of absorption hygrometer widely used in meteorology - and he was the first to prove that air expands and decreases in specific weight as its moisture content increases. This work describes Saussure's pioneering experiments with his new instrument as well as its application to meteorology." (Norman). In 1783 this work appeared simultaneously in octavo and quarto format, but by tradition the quarto format edition has been considered first. - Visit our website for additional images and information.