Annals of Philosophy 1814 Vol III 1st Edition Dalton Berzelius Chemistry Journal
 
Annals of Philosophy; or Magazine of Chemistry, Mineralogy, Mechanics, Natural History, Agriculture, and the Arts
Edited by Thomas Thomson, Member of the Geological Society, the Wernerian Society, and the Imperial Medico-Chirurgical Academy of Petersburg.
Volume III – January to June 1814
London: Printed in 1814 by C. Baldwin, New Bridge Street For Robert Baldwin, Paternoster Row. Also sold by W. Blackwood, Edinburgh and J. Cumming, Dublin
 
This is an original first edition volume (1814) of Annals of Philosophy, an influential early nineteenth-century scientific journal founded and edited by Thomas Thomson.
The journal began publication in 1813 and quickly became one of the most important scientific periodicals in Britain, publishing original research and translations of significant European scientific papers.
 
Historical Context
Published during a transformative period in science, this journal communicated major advances in chemistry, physics, geology, and natural philosophy to the British scientific community and frequently published original work or summaries of research from major European scientific centres.
Volume III includes papers and discussions relating to atomic theory, mineralogy, optics, meteorology, geology, industrial processes, and scientific instrumentation.
 
Important Scientific Contributors
This volume contains material associated with several major figures in the development of modern science.
John Dalton
Discussion of the Daltonian theory of definite proportions, one of the foundations of modern atomic chemistry.
Jöns Jacob Berzelius
Multiple papers including Essay on the Cause of Chemical Proportions, research which helped establish modern chemical notation and atomic weights.
Joseph-Louis Lagrange
A biographical account of the great mathematician whose work shaped celestial mechanics and mathematical physics.
Étienne-Louis Malus
Material relating to Malus’s discoveries concerning the polarisation of light.
David Brewster
Research relating to optical phenomena and the behaviour of light.
The presence of these figures makes early volumes of Annals of Philosophy particularly attractive to collectors of the history of science.
 
Illustrations and Plates
The volume contains several engraved plates and diagrams, all present according to the plate list:
Plate XV – Nautical Experiments by Col. Beaufoy (facing page 45)
Plate XVI – Further Nautical Experiments by Col. Beaufoy
Plate XVII – Fold-out geological map of the Ochil Hills engraved by J. Shury
Plate XIX – Fold-out barometer and thermometer table for January 1814
Plate XVIII – Geological sketch of the country near New Galloway
Additional diagrams within the text illustrate scientific subjects including ventilation of coal mines.
 
Contents
The volume contains numerous scientific papers and reports covering subjects including:
chemical proportions and atomic theory
optical phenomena and light experiments
mineralogy and geological studies
meteorological observations
astronomical and magnetical observations
ventilation of coal mines
industrial processes and patents
population studies and geography
botanical observations and natural history
Proceedings from several important scientific societies are also recorded, including:
Royal Society
Linnaean Society
Geological Society
Wernerian Society
Imperial Institute of France
 
Binding & Exterior Condition
Half bound with leather to the spine, corners, and inner board edges with paper covered boards. The spine features gilt lettering and decorative gilt tooling.
The binding remains intact but shows significant age-related wear, including:
rubbing and cracking to the leather
areas of leather loss
bumping and rubbing to the corners
partial splits visible in the spine
The lower rear corner of the board has an area where the leather is missing.
The binding remains structurally intact but fragile, consistent with a scientific working volume of this age.
 
Interior Condition
The pages are lightly toned with occasional foxing, typical of early nineteenth-century paper.
There are no inscriptions or pen markings.
The pages remain generally neat and largely uncreased, with only occasional small marks.
A very small tear appears at the edge of one plate which does not affect the illustration.
All plates and fold-out illustrations listed for the volume are present.
A crack is visible in the gutter beside the preface, and a small number of preliminary pages, including the title page, are partially 
detached along part of the inner margin but remain attached within the book.
The decorative trim on the rear pastedown is loose.
Despite these minor structural issues, the text block remains complete and secure.
 
Physical Details
Pagination: viii + 480 pages
Dimensions: 21.8 × 14 × 3.8 cm
Weight: 664 g
 
Rarity
Early volumes of Annals of Philosophy appear only occasionally on the antiquarian book market, with many surviving examples now held in institutional collections.
Copies retaining all engraved plates and fold-out illustrations are particularly desirable.