Hélène Metzger's La Chimie: A Popular Treatise

Metzger Hélène , La chimie , in Cavaignac M. E. (ed.), Histoire du monde, xiii: La civilisation européenne moderne, 4ème partie (Paris, 1930), 169.

Metzger H. , Les doctrines chimiques en France du début du XVIIe à la fin du XVIIIe siècle (Première partie, Paris, 1923; reprinted Paris, 1969), 344.

ibid.

Metzger , La chimie, 5.

A major campaign aimed at popularizing the theory of relativity got under way when Einstein visited Paris in 1922. The theory of relativity was expounded in numerous publications and lectures by physicists; for at least a few days it was also expounded in the Paris press. Cf. Biezunski M. , La diffusion de la théorie de la relativité en France (Thèse de doctorat d'Université, Paris VII, 1981); “Einstein à Paris”, La recherche, no. 135 (1982), 502.

Nordmann C. , Einstein et l'univers: Une lueur dans le mystère des choses (Paris, 1922). See especially the Introduction (pp. 5–8) and chap. 2, pp. 27–31.

Meyerson E. , La déduction relativiste (Paris, 1925). Meyerson warns his reader “qu'il ne trouvera chez nous aucune tentative en vue d'exposer la relativité en langage du sens commun, de la rendre accessible à la généralité des hommes instruits mais ignorants de mathématiques. Nous osons croire que c'est là une entreprise condamnée par avance” (Préface, p. xii).

Comte Auguste , Cours de philosophie positiviste (1830–1842), 24ème leçon (Hermann, Paris, 1972; i, 546). For Comte on chemical nomenclature, see 35ème leçon (ibid., 584–5).

See especially Dagognet F. , Tableaux et langages de la chimie (Paris, 1969).

Metzger , La chimie, 109.

Metzger , “Introduction à l'étude du rôle de Lavoisier dans l'histoire de la chimie”, Archeion, xiv (1932), 31–50, p. 32.

Metzger , La chimie, 5.

ibid., 7ff.

ibid., 76.

ibid., 18.

ibid., 39.

It should, however, be pointed out that there is a slight shift between Les doctrines chimiques en France and her Newton, Stahl, Boerhaave et la doctrine chimique (Paris, 1930). In her introduction, Metzger states her intention of historicizing her account by paying more attention to the geographical and social context of the doctrines she is discussing. This is probably a reaction to G. Sarton's criticisms of Les doctrines in Isis, vi (1924), 67–74, but as J. R. R. Christie points out, it remains a pious wish as Hélène Metzger never fails to give pride of place to the history of doctrines and ideas.

Metzger , La chimie, 109.

ibid., 24.

Metzger is in fact exploiting one of Comte's less well-known theses. He too stresses that the Academies helped certain sciences to reach the positive stage. It is, however, true that he is also very scathing about the later role of the Academies. See especially his Discours sur l'esprit positif (1844; Vrin, Paris, 1974), 226.

Metzger , Les doctrines chimiques en France, 343.

Metzger , La chimie, 11.

ibid., 7.

See Bensaude-Vincent Bernadette , “A founder myth in the history of science?”, in Graham L. Lepenies W. and Weingart P. (eds), Functions and uses of disciplinary histories, vii (1983), 53–78.

Metzger Hélène , op. cit. (ref. 11). The article is followed by a short contribution by Aldo Mieli on “Le rôle de Lavoisier dans l'histoire des sciences”, pp. 50–56.

Metzger Hélène , La philosophie de la matière chez Lavoisier (Paris, 1935).

Dumas J. B. , Leçons sur la philosophie chimique (facsimile edition, Bruxelles, 1972). The lectures were given at the Collège de France in 1836 and were published by Bineau A. in 1937.

Metzger , La chimie, 79.

ibid., 82–86.

ibid., 88–89.

ibid., 91.

ibid., 93.

ibid., 95.

ibid., 99. This is a debatable point. The link between linguistic and theoretical reform becomes apparent if we also take into consideration Condillac's La logique, which provides the philosophical basis for Lavoisier's work. Metzger overlooks this aspect of Lavoisier's work, even in her subsequent La philosophie de la matière.

ibid., 100.

ibid., 109.

ibid., 149.

ibid., 150.

Metzger Hélène , letter of 26 January 1944 to Suzanne Delorme (sent from Lyons). Information supplied by Suzanne Delorme.