Medicina Hydrostatica: or Hydrostatics, applied to the Materia Medica. Showing how by the Weight that divers bodies, used in Physick, have in Water; one may discover Whether they be Genuine or Adulterate. To Which is Sujoin'd aPrevious Hydrostatical Way of Estimating Ores.
London. Printed for Samuel Smith at the Sign of the Princes Arms,. 1690. 1st Edition. Hardcover. 12mo. 16.5cm,the first edition, [xix,errata],217,[vii]p., [inc. 6p. table], plus[2],12 (of14)p. ("Catalogue of the Phisophical Books. Robert Boyle. 1690"., (includes printed title page for the catalogue of books), engraved frontis (weights and measure equipment with key),rebound full dark brown calf, blind ruled raised bands, blind stamped double borders in the panels, double crushed crimson morocco labels, fine copy thus. (cgc) The first tract in English on the determination of specific gravity, written by Boyle the year before his death. The principle of weighing bodies in the air and in water was known to Archimedes or probably earlier, but it was Robert Boyle who first directed the attention of hydrologists and chemists to the importance of specific gravity. This copy lacks the half-title, "Experiment and Observations relating to the Materia Medica, Tome I". Leaf at A2, which should follow the title may have been removed as volume 2 was never written. The publisher's "Catalogue" at the end, not found in most copies, lacks the last leaf, pp13-14. Fine. Item #36557
Price: $9,000.00 save 25% $6,750.00