[DISTILLATION] MÉMOIRE de M. BAUMÉ, Du Collége de Pharmacie de Paris, bound with de l' Académie de Madrid & MÉMOIRE de M. L'ABBE MOLINE,; Couronné par la Société libre d'Emulation, établie à Paris pour l'encouragement des Arts & des Inventions utiles, & qui a obtenu le Prix de 1200 livres sur cette question : Quelle est la meilleure manière de construire les Fourneaux & les Alambics propres

Paris: CLOUSIER, 1778. Hardcover. 39 & 32 pages. 26 x 18 cm. Both titles contain two plates each. Titles: Memoir by Mr. Baumé, of the College of Pharmacy of Paris and the Academy of Madrid, awarded a prize by the Free Society of Emulation, established in Paris for the encouragement of the arts and useful inventions, and which won the prize of 1200 livres on this question: What is the best way to construct furnaces and stills suitable for the distillation of wines, in order to extract brandies from them? - Memoir by M. Abbe Moline, Prior-Commander of the Commandery of Saint-Antoine, Order of Malta, in Paris, awarded a prize by the Free Society of Emulation, established in Paris for the encouragement of the arts and useful inventions, and which won the prize of 600 livres on this question: What is the best way to construct furnaces and stills suitable for the distillation of wines, in order to extract brandies from them?

Antoine Baumé (1728-1804), was a Paris apothecary and chemist, and a member of the Collège de Pharmacie and later the Académie de Madrid. Baumé was one of the central Enlightenment figures in applied chemistry, known for his hydrometer and practical manuals. Baumé's essay has a strong emphasis on temperature control using the thermometer (Baumé) scale) to avoid overheating wine and poiling aroma. His consideration of fuel economy in furnace design included: how to arrange the fire, flues, and draft to the heat us used efficiently without scorching the charge. Baumé discussed material choices for durability, safety, and purity of eau-de-vie.

Moline's essay proposed modifying furnace masonry, chimney placement, and the "enveloping" of the cucurbit to achieve more uniform heat. Moline tried to focus attention on constructional details that would be accessible to rural distillers and proprietors instead of urban manufacturers.

Engraved plates show plan and elevation of furnaces, profiles of still bodies and heads, and layouts of serpentine condensers, giving a near blue-print level of instruction for a builder. Baumé's essay has light water staining around the edges, otherwise clean. Moline's essay is clean, one 2 cm. closed tear to last plate. Housed in newer marbled covered boards. Near fine. Item #4854

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