LAVOISIER, Antoine-Laurent (1743-1794). Opuscules physiques et chymiques... tome premier (all published). Paris: Durand, Didot, Esprit, 1774. A genuine copy, uncut and partially unopened, of the first edition (and only published volume) of Lavoisier's Opuscules physiques et chymiques, a pioneering work that laid the foundations of modern chemistry. The volume opens with a historical survey of major physical and chemical investigations, before introducing the author's own experiments on gases and the revolutionary conclusions he drew. Through these experiments, Lavoisier refuted the phlogiston theory, demonstrating that combustion is the result of a substance combining with oxygen. In one of the book's most famous passages, he notes that tin, when burned in a sealed container, gains weight as it absorbs oxygen from the air. His theory of oxidation was the first to offer a unified scientific explanation of combustion, respiration, and alcoholic fermentation; a milestone in the history of science. Large 8vo (215 x 140mm). 3 folding plates, woodcut vignette to title-page, uncut and partially unopened (some occasional foxing, one gathering lightly browned). Contemporary marbled wrappers (spine exposed, some wear). (1)