Milestones of Science Books

ALENCE, Joachim d'.

Trattato curioso di matematica nel quale col mezzo di tre instrumenti cioe' del barometro, termometro ed igrometro . . . Trad. dal Francese.

Venice: Gio. Battista Recurti, 1753.

1st Edition. Soft cover. Very Good. Item #003039

8vo (185 x 130 mm). [2] 3-7 [1], 338 (i.e. 298), [6] pp. Signatures: *⁴ A-T⁸. With allegorical engraved additional title, woodcut printer's device to letterpress title, woodcut initials, and 12 folding engraved plates depicting numerous instruments. All pages uncut. Bound in contemporary carta rustica (chipping to spine ends, spotting and soiling of covers). Internally quite crisp and clean, a few paper flaws in blank margins. Provenance: Giancarlo Beltrame Library. ----

Riccardi I/2, 556; DSB III, p.534. FIRST ITALIAN EDITION of this rare work by d'Alence on barometers, thermometers and hygrometers, first published in French under the title "Traitez des barometres, thermometres et notiometres ou hygrometres" (Amsterdam, 1688). It also includes contributions by Rene?-Antoine Ferchault de Re?aumur, Gabriel Philippe de La Hire and other contemporary scientists. Joachim d'Alencé (ca. 1640-1707), French astronomer and physician, was acquainted with Oldenburg, Huygens and Leibniz. "His detailed description of the principal meteorological instruments of the period is enriched with several new ideas, such as the calibration of the thermometric scale on the basis of two points of change of state: the point at which water freezes and - a much more contestable point - that at which butter melts." (DSB). There are several mis-paginations present: In the register R4 is wrongly printed Q4. Pp. 257-296 are omitted from the pagination. Pp. 314, 315, 318, 319, 322, 323, 326 and 327 are wrongly numbered 324, 325, 328, 329, 332, 333, 336 and 337 respectively. - Visit our website for additional images and information.

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