Abstract

BIFANO, Claudio  and  WHITTEMBURY, Guillermo. The first publication of the New Chemistry in America in Mercurio Peruano (1792) by Joseph Coquette. INCI [online]. 2007, vol.32, n.4, pp.281-288. ISSN 0378-1844.

Joseph Coquette, first director of the non-university scholarly learning center, Lima’s Mining Tribunal in Peru, published (1792) a text on chemistry in the Peruvian journal Mercurio Peruano: "Principles of Physical Chemistry ….", which was the first text published in America on the new chemistry, as it appeared five years before Lavoisier’s book of 1789 was printed in Spanish in Mexico, in 1797. It was complemented by "About the need to perfect and reform the Nomenclature in Chemistry…." in 1793. In addition he published "Didactic dissertation on Mining…..", also in 1792. The present essay examines in extenso "Principles of Physical Chemistry ….", and comments on the others. Some scholars and institutions of advanced learning in the New Continent are also mentioned. Mercurio Peruano is looked upon in more detail, after Alexander von Humboldt deemed it so important that he donated the 12 volume collection to the Berlin Library of King Frederick William III.

Keywords : Coquette Joseph ; First Chemistry Text in America ; Humboldt Alexander v. ; Lavoisier Antoine ; Mercurio Peruano ; Peru.