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MOSES, Alfred Joseph.

(1859 – 1920)

(Born: Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A., 25 July 1859; Died: New York City, New York, U.S.A., 27 February 1920) American mineralogist.

Moses passed his entire career as student, assistant and professor at the School of Mines of Columbia University, where in 1897, he succeeded T. Egleston as professor of mineralogy. He edited for many years the School of Mines Quarterly, to which he contributed many papers.

Biographical references: ABA: I 1154, 215-221; II 430, 41. American Mineralogist: 5 (1920), no. 6, 109-12 [by L.M. Luquer]. Barr, Index to Biographical Fragments, 1973: 184. Elliott, Biographical Index, 1990: 164. Herringshaw's National Library of American Biography. Mineralogical Magazine: 19 (1921), no. 95, 252-3 [by L.J. Spencer]. Mining and Metallurgy: June 1920, 4p., portait [by G.F. Kunz]. Poggendorff: 4, 1034 & 5, 879. Sarjeant, Geologists, 1980: 3, 1757. WBI.

1. English, 1895 [First edition].
Elements of mineralogy, crystallography and blowpipe analysis, from a practical standpoint including a description of all common or useful minerals, the tests necessary for their identification, the recognition and measurement of their crystals, and a concise statement of their uses in the arts. New York, D. Van Nostrand Co., 1895.

8°: vii, 342 p., 336 illus. Page size: 232 x 150 mm.

Very scarce. First in a series of popular books designed to present the facts that the student and professional might require to recognize and determine all the important minerals. As stated on the title page this fine reference is written from a practical standpoint and includes descriptions of all the common and useful minerals, together with tests necessary to their identification, recognition and measurement of their crystals and a short statement on their uses in the arts and industry. Like many important textbooks the contents were periodically put through major revisions. The Elements of Mineralogy had major revisions of the text in 1900, 1904 and 1909.

Although the preface to the 1909 edition indicates that the first edition of this book appeared in 1865 (when Moses was 6 years old), this is a mistake. The 1895 appearance is the first edition.

Reissued: New York, 1897.

Bibliographical references: American Journal of Science: 3rd series, 49 (1895), p. 480. NUC. USGS Library Catalog.

Elements, 1900

2. English, 1900 [2nd edition].
Elements | Of | Mineralogy, Crystallography | And | Blowpipe Analysis | From A Practical Standpoint | Including | A Description Of All Common Or Useful Minerals, The | Tests Necessary For Their Identification, The | Recognition And Measurement Of Their | Crystals, And A Concise Statement | Of Their Uses In The Arts | By | Alfred J. Moses, E.M., Ph.D. | Professor of Mineralogy, Columbia University, New York City | And | Charles Lathrop Parsons, B.S. | Professor of General and Analytical Chemistry, New Hampshire College, Durham, N.H. | New Enlarged Edition | Parts I and IV Rewritten. Parts II and III Extensively Revised | WIth 664 Figures and 413 Pages of Text | New York | D. Van Nostrand Company | 1900.

8°: [i]-vii, [1]-414, [6] p., 664 illus., tables. Page size: 232 x 148 mm.

Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso "Entered according to the Act of Congress in the year 1900, ..."; [iii], "Preface."; [iv], Blank.; [v]-vii, "Table Of Contents."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-398, Text.; [3 folding tables].; [399], "International Atomic Weights."; [400], Blank.; [401]-414, "General Index."; [6 pgs], Advertisements.

Scarce. Co-authored with Charles Lathrop Parsons [see note below], this is an enlarged and improved book. "In this edition of our text-book we have adhered to the design of the edition of 1895, to present the facts leading to a useful knowledge of mineralogy in such a manner that the student in the technical school and the professional man in the field may readily learn to recognize or, when necessary, to determine all important minerals."-Preface.

Major sectons: Part I. Crystallography (pp. 1-81). Part II. Blowpipe Analysis (pp. 83-135). Part III. Descriptive Mineralogy (pp. 137-395). Part IV. Determinative Mineralogy (pp. 397-399).

Charles Lathrop Parsons. (Born: New Marlboro, Mass., U.S.A., 23 March 1867; Died: Pocasset, Mass., U.S.A., 13 February 1954) American chemist. Parsons was professor of chemistry at New Hampshire College, in Durham, New Hampshire. This is now the University of New Hampshire. The university's Parsons Hall chemistry building is named for this renowned chemist. Parsons was business manager of the American Chemical Society for more than 30 years. Today, the Charles Lathrop Parsons Award is awarded to recognize public service by a member of the American Chemical Society.

Bibliographical references: American Journal of Science: 4th series, 10 (1900), p. 403. NUC. (Parsons) ABA: I 1236, 450-454; II 462, 140-142. American Men of Science, 1st edition (1906). Herringshaw's National Library of American Biography. Poggendorff: 5, 943, 6, 1953 & 7b, 3870. WBI. Who Was Who in America: 3, ??.

3. English, 1904 [3rd edition].
Elements | of | Mineralogy, Crystallography | and | Blowpipe Analysis | From a Practical Standpoint Including | A Description of all common or useful minerals, the | tests necessary for their identification, the recognition and measurement of their | crystals, and a concise statement | of their uses in the arts | By | Alfred J. Moses, E.M., PhD. | Professor of Mineralogy, Columbia University, New York City | and | Charles Lathrop Parsons, B.S. | Professor of General and Analytical Chemistry, New Hampshire College, Durham, N.H. | Third Enlarged Edition | Part 1 Rewritten. Parts 2, 3 and 4 Extensively Revised | With 583 Figures and 448 Pages of Text | New York | D. Van Nostrand Company | 1904.

8°: 448 p., 583 illus. Enlarged and revised edition. Page size: 232 x 150 mm. Scarce.

Bibliographical references: NUC. USGS Library Catalog.

4. English, 1909 [4th edition].
Elements | Of | Mineralogy, Crystallography | And | Blowpipe Analysis | From A Practical Standpoint | Including | A Description Of All Common Or Useful Minerals, The | Tests Necessary For Their Identification, The | Recognition And Measurement Of Their | Crystals, And A Concise Statement | Of Their Uses In The Arts | By | Alfred J. Moses, E.M., Ph.D. | Professor of Mineralogy, Columbia University, New York City | And | Charles Lathrop Parsons, B.S. | Professor of General and Analytical Chemistry, New Hampshire College, Durham, N.H. | Fourth Edition | With 583 Figures and 448 Pages of Text | New York | D. Van Nostrand Company | 1909.

8°: [i]-vii, [1], [1]-444 p., 583 illus. Page size: 232 x 150 mm.

Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso "Entered according to the Act of Congress..."; [iii], "Preface."; [iv], Blank.; [v]-vii, "Table Of Contents."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-426, Text.; [3 folding tables].; [427], "International Atomic Weights."; [428]-444, "General Index."

Scarce. After a quarter of a century of use, the book is structured to present its subjects in what is considered the best way for students. 1. An elementary course in crystallography. 2. A practical and thorough course in qualitative blowpipe analysis. 3. Characters of minerals. 4. A short discussion of the occurrence and origin of minerals. 5. Convieniently arranged concise descriptions of all common or economically important minerals. 6. Short tables used for the determination of the described species. 7. Recent statistics as to production and uses.

Major sectons: Part I. Crystallography (pp. 1-74). Part II. Blowpipe Analysis (pp. 75-127). Part III. Descriptive Mineralogy (pp. 128-424). Part IV. Determinative Mineralogy (pp. 425-427).

Bibliographical references: NUC. USGS Library Catalog.

5. English, 1916 [5th edition].
Elements Of | Mineralogy, Crystallography | And Blowpipe Analysis | From A Practical Standpoint | Including | A Description Of All Common Or Useful Minerals, Their | Formation And Occurance, The Tests Necessary For | Their Identification, The Recognition And Meas- | urement Of Their Crystals, And Their | Economic Importance And Uses | In The Arts | By | Alfred J. Moses, E.M., Ph.D. | Professor of Mineralogy, Columbia University, New York City | And | Charles Lathrop Parsons, D.Sc., D.Chem. | Chief Chemist United States Bureau of Mines | Fifth Edition | Enlarged And In Large Part Rewritten | New York | D. Van Nostrand Company | 25 Park Place | 1916.

8°: 631 p., 575 illus., tables. Page size: 232 x 150 mm. Scarce.

Bibliographical references: Dana's 7th (Bibliography): 77. NUC. USGS Library Catalog.

Characters of Crystals, 1899

6. English, 1899.
The | Characters of Crystals | An Introduction | to | Physical Crystallography | by | Alfred J. Moses, E.M., Ph.D. | Professor of Mineralogy | Columbia University, New York City | New York | D. Van Nostrand Company | 1899.

8°: [i]-viii, [1]-211, [1] Blank p., 321 text illus., index. Errata slip inserted between pages iv & v. Page size: 234 x 150 mm.

Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso "Copyright 1899 | By | Alfred J. Moses | ..."; [iii], "Preface."-dated March, 1899.; [iv], Blank.; [Between iv & v], "Errata."; [v]-viii, "Contents."; [1]-84, "Part I. Geometrical Characters."; [85]-162, "Part II. The Optical Characters."; [163]-198, "The Thermal, Magnetic and Electri- | cal Characters, and the Characters | Dependent upon Elasticity | and Cohesion."; [199]-206, "Appendix. | Suggested Outline of a Course in Physical Crystallography."; [207]-211, "Index."; [1 pg], Blank.

Scarce. In this work on physical crystallography, Moses writes: "I have attempted, in this book, to describe, simply and concisely, the methods and apparatus used in studying the physical characters of crystals, and to record and explain the observed phenomena without complex mathematical discussions. In the last chapter the graduate course in Physical Cyrstallography given in Columbia University has been outlined."-Preface.

Under geometrical characters the volume covers geometric properties of crystals, spherical projection, the thirty-two classes of crystals, measurement of crystal angles, and crystal projection or drawing. In part II. optically isotropic, uniaxial, and biaxial crystals are discussed, as well as the determination of the optical characters of biaxial crystals. The final part describes the thermal, magnetic and electrical properties of crystals and concludes with a section on elastic and permanent deformation of crystals which includes the hardness of minerals.

Bibliographical references: American Journal of Science: 4th Series, 7 (1899), 84. BL. NUC.

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