Schuh’s Annotated Bio-Bibliography

DéMESTE, Jean.

(1743 – 1783)

(Born: 1743; Died: Liége, Belgium, 20 August 1783) Belgian physician, geologist & mineralogist.

Démeste was a medical doctor, principally a surgeon to the Army troops of the Bishop-Prince of Liège. His intensive study of chemistry gained him membership in many learned societies.

Biographical references: ABF: I 300, 211-212. • BAB: I 182, 254-263 / 461, 292. • Biographie Universelle: 11, 28. • Laissus, Cabinets d'Histoire Naturelle, 1964. • Nouvelle Biographie Générale (Hoefer): 13, 527. • Poggendorff: 1, col. 548. • Stouffs, Inventaire des Papiers du Didot, 1963. • WBI.

1. French, 1779 [First edition].
Lettres | Du | Docteur Démeste, | [...5 lines of titles and memberships...] | Sur la Chymie, la Docimasie, la Cristalographie, | la Lithologie, la Minéralogie & la Physique | en Général. | [rule] | [Quote, signed Aeneid] | [rule] | Tome Premier [-Second]. | [ornament] | A Paris | [To left:] Chez { [to right:] Didot, Imprimeur de Monsieur, | Quai des Augustins. | Ruault, Libraire, rue de la Harpe. | Clouisier, Imprimeur & Libraire, | rue Saint-Jacques. | [double rule] | M.DCC.LXXIX. | Avec Approbation, & Privilége du Roi.

2 vols. [Vol 1] 12°: a⁶ A-Bb¹² Cc⁶; 312l.; [1]-11, [1], [1]-611, [1] p. [Vol 2] 12°: a⁶ A-Dd¹² Ee¹¹; 341l.; [i]-xij, [1]-665, [3] p.

Contents: [Vol 1] [1-2], Half title page, "Lettres | du | Docteur Démeste, | au | Docteur Bernard. | [rule] | Tome Premier. | [rule]," verso blank.; [3-4], Title page, verso blank.; [5]-6, "Avertissement de l'Éditeur."; [7]-11, "Table des Lettres contenues dans ce Volume."; [1 pg], "Errata du Tome Premier."; [1]-610, Text.; 611, "Approbation."; [1 pg], Blank.

[Vol 2] [Vol 1] [i-ii], Half title page, "Lettres | du | Docteur Démeste, | au | Docteur Bernard. | [rule] | Tome Second. | [rule]," verso blank.; [iii-iv], Title page, verso blank.; [v]-xij, "Table des Lettres Contenues dans ce Volume."; [1]-562, Text.; 563-665, "Table des Matieres contenues dans les deux Volumes."; [2 pgs], "Addition a l'Errata du Tome Premier."; [1 pg], "Privilige du Roi."

Rare. These 48 letters cover a variety of subjects in chemistry, husbandry, crystallography, lithology, mineralogy and phyics. They contain many references to other works and personal communications with Romé de l'Isle. Treated as a whole, the letters work as an elementary course in chemistry and mineralogy. The mineral forms of a variety of metals, including arsenic, mercury, zinc, iron, copper, lead, are treated in volume two. The work concludes with an extremely detailed index.

Bibliographical references: Agassiz, Bibliographia Geologiæ, 1848-54: II 213. • BL [no copy listed]. • BMC. • CBN [R.33382-383]. • Cole, Chemical Literature, 1988: no. 366. • Duveen, Bibliotheca Alchemica et Chemica, 1965: p. 167. • Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 1, 288. • Hoover Collection: no. 262. • LKG: VI 75. • Monthly Review: 60 (1779), 536-9 [review of volume one]. • Neu, Chemical, Medical & Pharmaceutical Books, 1965: no. 1117. • NLM 18th Century Books (Blake): p. 114. • NUC [ND 0158160]. • Observations sur la Physique, sur l'Histoire Naturelle et sur les Arts: 13 (1779), 324-5 & 17 (1781), 216-27 [review]. • Sinkankas, Gemology Bibliography, 1993: no. 1639.

8°: [1]-439 p.

Very rare. German translation by ( ) Bernard [see note below] of Lettres du Docteur Démeste (Paris, 1779). Apparently, this is a German rendering of the first volume only.

LKG records that the translation was performed by Benedickt Franz Johann Hermann [1755-1806].

( ) Bernard. (Born: ; Died: ) German(?) physician. Berndard was a professor of medicine on the faculty of the University of Douay, as well as a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. - From title page.

Bibliographical references: Allgemeine Deutsche Bibliothek: Anhang to Bands 52-86, 2, 712 [review]. • BL [no copy listed]. • Bolton, Bibliography of Chemistry. Suppl. 1, 1899. • Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 1, 288. • LKG: VI 76a. (Bernard)