Traite elementaire de chimie de Lavoisier: experiences sur la fermentation alcoolique

概要

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In his Traite elementaire de chimie, Lavoisier stated his famous law of mass conservation in the chapter on alcohol fermentation. Historians of science have wondered why it is in this very chapter that he declared his law, for fermentation is rather a complicated reaction in comparison with other, inorganic ones. Our close examinations of Lavoisier's manuscripts and laboratory notebooks reveal that he made use of his law most frequently here in order to determine the quantity of products missed during fermentation experiments or the quantity of elements constituting the materials and products of fermentation. Consequently, the quantitative results provided in the Traite are often the results of calculations, which is why the balance sheet for the materials and the products of his fermentation experiment is perfect. What was most important for Lavoisier in quantitative experiences was not, as has been generally believed, to weigh everything with an accurate balance. Lavoisier's method of quantitative experiment was to use his law of mass conservation in order to correct experimental results and find the true ones. This method reflects his originality and is one of his most important contributions to the development of experimental science.
明治大学の論文