SAUSSURE, (NICOLAS) THÉOD. de.

Recherches chimiques sur la Végétation;

A Paris, Ve Nyon, An XII=1804. Uncut in orig. blue blank wrappers. With the original printed titlelabel on spine. Backstrip with a few tears. VIII,327,(1),(8) pp., 1 large folded engraved plate and 16 tables. A few leaves browned, some scattered brownspots.

First edition of a work which laid the foundation of a new science as it is the first work to demonstrate the photosynthetic assimilation of carbon by green plants.
"The decisive work of Saussure was published in 1804 under the title "Recherches Chimiques sur la Végétation", and consisted of a number of classic research papers which laid the foundation of plant nutrition and of the methodology of plant physiology." (A.G. Morton: History of Botanical Science). -
"The book contains the theory on the formation of vegetable mould and the conversion of carbon dioxide into organic compounds under the influence of water and light." (Duveen p. 531).

Order-nr.: 29194