‎SPALLANZANI, Lazzaro (1729-1799).‎
‎Expriences pour servir a l'Histoire de la Gnration des Animaux et des Plantes; ... Avec une bauche de l'Histoire des Etres Organiss avant leur Fcondation par Jean SENEBIER [1742-1809].‎

‎Genve, Barthelemi Chirol, 1785. [iv], xcvi, 413,[i] pp. 8vo (135 x 210 mm.). Half calf with marbled boards (19th century), marbled edges (rubbed; top and bottom of spine damaged; hinges worn). With 3 folded engraved plates by Cagnoni.‎

Reference : 1552

‎ First Edition in French of the second part of Spallanzani's "Dissertazioni di fisica animale e vegetabile", one of his most important works, which first appeared in two volumes in 1780 (G-M, 981). The "Expriences"contains Spallanzani's experimental researches on reproduction in animals and plants, in which he demonstrated the role of seminal fluid in generation, as well as his investigations into artificial fertilization, in which he recorded the first case of artificial insemination in a viviparous animal. The annotated French translation of Spallanzani's "Dissertazioni" and "Opuscoli de fisica" (1776, French edition 1777) were very much responsible for the spread of Spallanzani's works abroad. They were prepared by Jean Senebier, the distinguished librarian of Geneva and an important scientist in his own right; see the DSB for an account of Senebier's valuable work on photosynthesis and the experimental method. Senebier translated most of Spallazani's works into French. The first 90 pages comprises: "R‎