Lavoisier's Laboratory Note-books

Abstract

IN the review of the first part of the Correspondance of Lavoisier in Nature of November 17, p. 1081, it is said that “M. Fric has also traced the missing volume of Lavoisier's note-books”. This is based on a statement in the book reviewed. The second volume of Lavoisier's laboratory note-books is still sometimes said to be missing, although its location was pointed out in 1902 by Brocard in the Comptes Rendus 1. It is MS. 61, ancien 59, in the library of Perpignan and was presented by Arago, who has written on the cover : “offert respectieusement à la Bibliothèque publique de la ville de Perpignan, par F. Arago”. Arago, the distinguished physicist, was born in Perpignan. The document consists of 122 leaves, covering the period September 9, 1773, to March 5, 1774, and a note by Arago says : “Ce cahier renferme les célèbres experiences sur la calcination des métaux en vases clos, et les premières tentatives de Lavoisier sur le combustion du diamant”. In the same note, Brocard gives a list of libraries in France containing documents by Lavoisier. Brocard's note seems to have been overlooked, but my attention was directed to it many years ago by the late Dr. Max Speter, who had an unrivalled knowledge of Lavoisier. M. Fric promises to publish the document in full “some day” ; a summary only of its contents was given by Berthelot2.