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Scientific Instruments, Specimens, Books and Collectables

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  • Chemical Essays Complete in Five Volumes – Richard Watson – 1793-1796

    Chemical Essays Complete in Five Volumes – Richard Watson – 1793-1796

    As beautiful a set of late 18thC bindings as you are likely to come across. Five small octavo volumes bound in full polished contemporary tree calf, spines gilt rules and each volume with red lettering pieces and ornate numbering pieces, marbled endpaper. A little age as you can expect from circa 225 years but really a delight in the hand and to the eye.

    Published by T Evans, London. Various dates 1793-96.

    All up 349, 368, 376, 354 and 375 pages after preliminaries and some afterward. Based on a series of lectures delivered by the author in the 1770’s.

    Richard Watson (1737-1816) was a Professor of Chemistry at Trinity, Cambridge (his alma mater) in 1764 and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1769. In his writings he displays a keen interest in applying science to manufacturing processes. He worked on the efficiency of gunpowder and discovered the principle of “black bodies” but without a full understanding. He references the used of lime in lead smelting with a clear interest in metallurgy.

    Remember these are early days for the science of chemistry well before the Periodic Table and its precursors. The science presented is written in a “popular fashion” which was the author’s intention.

    He later became a Bishop …

    Five late 18thC uniquely bound volumes of “Chemical Essays”

    SO SORRY ON HOLD – ENQUIRE IF YOU WISH

    $480.00

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  • Orokaiva Society Papua New Guinea – F.A. Williams – First Edition 1930

    Williams was the then Government appointed Anthropologist. Published by the Oxford University Press, with an introduction by Sir Hubert Murray.

    Octavo, 355 pages, illustrated with images from period photographs.

    The Orokaiva are the rather fierce proud people of Oro Province in New Guinea, the Owen Stanley Range bordering the southern reaches of their territory. They are divided into three groups … River, Salt Water and Inland. There tribal practices are complex and rather strange, partly resulting from their belief that they are descendants of Giants. As with most New Guinea tribes the initiation customs are rather complex and scary.

    Francis Edgar Williams (1893-1943) was an Australian Rhodes Scholar who studied anthropology at Balliol, Oxford. He met the great Hubert Murray back in Australia who persuaded him to come to New Guinea. He spent over twenty years there much of it in the field strongly supported by Hubert Murray. He died in a light plane crash near Kokoda.

    Tough growing up in Oro.

    $120.00

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  • Three 19thC Prepared Microscope Slides of Australian Diatomaceae by J.D. Moller

    Three 19thC Prepared Microscope Slides of Australian Diatomaceae by J.D. Moller

    Three fascinating early microscope slides by preparer Johann Diedrich Moller (1844-1907). The most talented and famous preparer of diatom slides of all time.

    Three slides carrying a relatively early version of his distinctive slide labels.

    His makers label announcing – Gold Medal St Petersburg & Altona 1869 J.D. Moller Wedel in Holstein [Germany].

    The slide subjects being Diatomaceae and further labelled.

    Fossils – South Australia
    Fossils – South Yarra
    Aqua Marina – Carpentaria Gulf Australia.

    Fine examples of historical significance, likely harvested during one of the scientific and surveying voyages of the second half of the 19thC.

    Price $190.00 the group – if you would like an individual one they will be $80.00 each. Send us a message through our enquiry page.

    Postage costs likely to be reduced on final billing.

    A trifecta of rather unique 19thC slides top maker and Australian subjects.

    $180.00

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  • Manuscript Pharmacy Dispensing Journal – Hobart 1929-1931

    Manuscript Pharmacy Dispensing Journal – Hobart 1929-1931

    Large cloth backed ledger recording the precise details of prescriptions diligently recorded against each patients name and cross referenced to a list of individuals at the front. 502 pages of prescriptions and the many receivers listed in an alphabetical construction as the front. Nice condition- entries in a strong legible hand.

    42cm tall by 18cm and 5cm thick a fair weight so not suitable for Overseas. Red leather title label.. some scribbled names which do not seem to correlate with the J.R.R. and M.B and A.E.G. of the dispensing chemists.

    The date range 1929 etc is right on the bell for the discovering of penicillin … antibiotics in the broader structure coming much later. So here we still have a host of syrups and powders and the Elixir Simplex … and chloroform (for personal use?) and a grand mixture of lead and opioid products.

    Interesting Pharmaceutical Record approaching 100 years.

    $170.00

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  • Charles Darwin and Thomas Huxley – Autobiographies – edited by Gavin De Beer.

    Charles Darwin and Thomas Huxley – Autobiographies – edited by Gavin De Beer.

    A first edition published by the Oxford University Press in 1974. Octavo, 199 pages, plus useful index, illustrated. Very nice condition.

    Darwin and his bulldog together in condensed highly readable form. What better pairing – like peaches and cream.

    The editor was one of the many Darwin admirers, wrote a good biography and several other Darwin related works. So it was appropriate that he took the editorial pen to Darwin’s lengthy account of himself … adding Huxley from a far more obscure personal rendition was a masterstroke of compare and contrast

    Charles Darwin and Thomas Huxley – gold plated “Two for One”

    $30.00

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  • The Elements of Dowsing – Henry de France

    The Elements of Dowsing – Henry de France

    Anyone interested in the extraordinary skill of dowsing, to discover water of valuable minerals, should read this efficient go to book by Le Vicomte Henry de France. This English edition translated by A.H. Bell and published by G Bell, London in 1967.

    We learn that the author was a leading expert in the field who unfortunately packed his clogs before it was published.

    Octavo, 84 pages with the occasional appropriate sketch or diagram. Ownership name marked out on free end paper … otherwise a fine copy in a very good dust jacket.

    Set out in nine chapters we start with the “History of the Art of Dowsing” and then the instruments – the Pendulum and the Rod. This leads to the Technique and Dowsing for Water and Minerals and Metals – enough to get any budding geologist interested. More advanced applications and an introduction to Radiesthesia … in cooking, medical applications and agriculture (some serious money saving ideas for the farmer with time to study and experiment).

    Ever since we saw Jimmy on Opal Hunters get his dowsing rod out we have been hooked.

    Understand and learn the science of dowsing – better than any University degree.

    $40.00

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