BROWN, ROBERT. - THE DISCOVERY OF "BROWNIAN MOTION"

Mikroskopische Beobachtungen über die im Pollen der Pflanzen enthaltenen Partikeln, und über das allgemeine Vorkommen activer Molecüle in organischen und unorganischen Körpern; (Unterdem Titel: "A brief Account of Microscopical Observations made in the Months of June, July, and August 1827, on the Particles contained in the Pollen of the Plants; and on the general Existence of active Molecules in Organic and Inorganic Bodies" als besondere Abhandlung von den berühmten Verfasse bekannt).

Leipzig, Johann Ambrosius Barth, 1828. Without wrappers as issued in "Annalen der Physik und Chemie. Hrsg.von Poggendorff", Bd. 14, Zweites Stück. (=Jahrgang 1828, zehntes Stück). Pp. 191-306 a. 3 engraved plates. (the entire issue offered (Heft 2) together with the titlepage to 14. Band). Brown's paper: pp. 294-313. Clean and fine. Small stamp on verso of titlepage.

First appearance in German of this monumental paper in atomic theory and kinematics, as it was the first evidence for atomism that was an observation rather than a deduction from abstract principles.

"In 1827 as he was viewing a suspension of pollen in Water under the microscope, he noted that the individual grains were moving about irregularly. This, he thought, was the result of the life hidden within the pollen grains. However, when he studied dye particles (indubitably nin-livin) suspended in water, he found the same erratic motion. This has been called "Brownian motion" ever since and Brown could merely report on the observation. He had no explanation for it. Nor had anyone else until the development of the kinetic theory of gases by men such as Maxwell a generation later. It seemed plain. after Maxwell and especially after the work of Einstein and Perrin a half century after Maxwell, that the Brownian Motion was actually a visible effect of the fact that water was composed of particles. It was the first evidence for atomism that was an observation rather than a deduction." (Asimov).

The issue contains other importent papers by C.. Naumann, G. Magnus, Th. Saussure "Kohlensäuregas in der Atmosphäre" andothers.

PMM: 290 (the English paper from 1828) - Sparrow, Milestones of Science No 31. - Magie "A Source Book in Physics p. 251-255. - Dibner, Heralds of Science No 156.

Order-nr.: 43318