Pierre Joseph Macquer’s Elemens de Chymie Theorique (1749)

communicating chemistry for a large public

Abstract

Pierre Joseph Macquer’s Elemens de Chymie Theorique (1749): introducing chemistry to a broad public. This paper aims at analyzing Pierre Joseph Macquer’s approach to introduce chemistry to a broad public by means of his book Elemens de Chymie Theorique (1749). Macquer believed that his book gathered fundamental concepts, and suggested that it would serve as a basis for further works. The preface of Elemens de Chymie Theorique also defines Macquer’s philosophical choices for the acquisition of chemical knowledge, and addresses the selection of chemical contents discussed in that time. Moreover, the preface reveals the author’s concern in producing a text accessible to beginners in chemistry. Unlike other best-selling treatises of the period - such as the Cours de Chymie, by Nicolas Lémery - Macquer’s book focuses on descriptive and explanatory aspects of materials and their transformations, instead of focusing on the description of practical procedures, such as the preparation of medicines.