(Philadelphia: Bradford and Inskeep, 1812).

A SEMINAL BOOK ON PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. Davy is best remembered for isolating, using electricity, a series of elements for the first time: potassium and sodium in 1807 and calcium, strontium, barium, magnesium and boron the following year. He also discovered the elemental nature of chlorine and iodine. His technique in studying the forces involved in separating these elements invented the new field of 'electrochemistry'.
Davy's laboratory assistant, Michael Faraday, went on to enhance Davy's work. Davy often joked that his assistant was his greatest discovery.
This with the following pencil note on the front blank, "To Dr. S.A. Canaday Compliments of Mrs. Robert R. Livington with an assist from Seven Gables Bookshop" Item #27720

First American Edition, same year as the London printing. With 12 plates demonstrating the use of various scientific instruments. 8vo, printer's original paper backed boards, uncut with original paper spine label. xii, 296pp. A very good copy and rare in the original boards, some general wear, particularly to the paper spine, the text with a bit of tanning and foxing, as is typical with this book.