Holbach, baron

In spite of the fact that Senacs book had not produced the fundamental changes in chemistry that he had claimed for the principles of Newton and Stahl, the latter s reputation was somehow established and survived as the chemist with the greatest reputation in the French community. As late as 1766, the Baron d Holbach found it appropriate to translate into French two major works of Stahl, finding them after forty years sufficiently current that contemporary chemists would find them profitable. The translation of the Traite du soufre, d Holbach claimed, would allow French Chymists. .. to profit from numerous discoveries, and the luminous views with which this work is filled. This work, he wrote, is the one that has been best received by knowledgeable chymists, and where Stahl has best presented his doctrine for effective dissemination. 

From the Avertissement du Traducteur of Stahl s Traits du soujre (Paris, 1766) translated by Baron d Holbach from the German edition of 1718. In the copy I used, the translator s remarks are found shuffled into the Table of Contents at the end of the volume. It consists of two sheets, four pages, found between 386 387, and 390 391. 

An Edition in French was issued by Baron d Holbach, Paris, 1752. 

University of Wisconsin, 1974. It would go too far to argue, as Guedon does, that the chemistry of the Encyclopedie was Rouellian since the six major chemical contributors—d Alembert, Diderot, Baron d Holbach, de Jaucourt, Malouin, and Venel—read widely on their own. 

Betrachtung und zulanglicher Beweiss von den Saltzen, dass dieselbe aus einer Zarten Erde, mit Wasser innig verbunden bestehen (Halle, 1723) translated by Baron d Holbach as Traite des Sels, dans lequel on demonstre quHls sont composes d une terre subtile intimement combinee avec de Veau (Paris Vincent, 1771). For a list of Stahl s works, see J. R. Partington, A History of Chemistry (London MacMillan, 1961-1972), volume 2, 659-662. 

Cushing, Max Pearson. Baron d Holbach A Study of Eighteenth Century Rationalism in France (New York, 1914). 

Rappaport, Rhoda. Baron d Holbach s Campaign for German (and Swedish) Science. Studies on Voltaire 323, 1994, 225-246. 

Priestley in 1773 went as literary companion to Lord Shelburne, afterwards first Marquis of Lansdowne, Prime Minister in 1782, the first English statesman to hold free trade principles. Shelburne in 1771 had met Baron d Holbach and Morellet in Paris and by them, as well as Adam Smith, he was much influenced. Priestley lived in a house near Lord Shelburne s seat Bowood in Caine, Wiltshire, and in winter in a house near to Lord Shelburne s London house. He had a salary of a year, the use of a splendid library, plenty of leisure for his own work, and the promise of an annual pension of ( 150 on retirement. He says Lord Shelburne treated him as a friend. In the autunm of 1774 Priestley travelled with Lord Shelburne on the Continent and met Lavoisier in Paris Priestley had then Just discovered oxygen in Caine. 

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