221 - [PONCELET, Polycarpe]. The Chemistry of Taste and Smell.

[PONCELET, Polycarpe]. The Chemistry of Taste and Smell. Paris, printed by P.G. Le Mercier, 1755. In-12 (18 x 11.5 cm), marbled calfskin, ribbed spine decorated with floral and gilded panels. Red edges. XXVI-390 pp. 1 unnumbered leaf. (privileged edition) Scuffs on the binding; top cap missing. Water stains on the margins of the title page, frontispiece, and first few pages of the book (up to plate II, p. 50). Handwritten bookplate on the title page. Very rare first edition. A work on distillation (flowers, liqueurs, wines, infusions, syrups, perfumes) by Father Poncelet, a Recollect monk and renowned agronomist from Verdun. His treatise on liqueurs is very comprehensive, featuring articles on wine, brandies, coffee, condiments, fruits used, plants for making elixirs, fruit wines, as well as perfumes and essential oils. It contains a very large number of practical recipes. A preliminary essay comparing “musical sound” to “culinary delight.” Includes a supplement in the form of a dictionary of technical terms (p. 309). A complete copy featuring the frontispiece engraved by Audran and the six separate plates engraved in intaglio depicting stills, filtration, and fermentation.