1851 Consolations in Travel Or, The Last Days of a Philosopher

Description

Decorative Binding, Illustrated, Leather Binding, Very Scarce

The fifth edition of the work, with the first edition of the work having been published posthumously in 1830. 

In full straight grain morocco leather binding with floral gilt decorations to the spine. 

With a frontispiece illustration titled 'The Cave of Adelsberg' and seven monochrome vignette illustrations. Collated complete. 

Very scarce. 

Sir Humphry Davy was an accomplished chemist and inventor who is credited with having isolated several elements for the first time using electricity, for having created the Davy lamp, and for having recognised that nitrous oxide has the propensity to make us laugh, and might (as it indeed did) prove to be a useful anaesthetic. He also advocated for making scientific pursuits more accessible to women, despite the effect this had of making him the target of gossip, jokes, and satirical cartoons. Consolations in Travel Or, The Last Days of a Philosopher is Davy's remarkable work of Romantic natural philosophy. Comprised of a series of dialogues, it reflects on the progression of different societies through history and Davy's belief in both the personal and universal value of science.