Klein U
Forschungsschwerpunkt Wissenschaftsgeschichte und Wissenschaftstheorie der Förderungsgesellschaft Wissenschaftliche Neuvorhaben, Berlin.
NTM. 1995;3(3):167-91.
E. F. Geoffroy's table of different relations ("rapports") between different chemical substances is mainly based on empirical knowledge accumulated in 16th and 17th century metallurgy and pharmacy. The substances listed in the left half of the table were basic for the formation of salts which were produced for medical ends in the chemical-pharmaceutical practice of the 17th century. The right half of the table refers to substances and operations of metallurgy which had already been described in the metallurgical writings of the 16th century. Even Geoffroy's ordering of the substances within the columns of his table has its origin in metallurgical and pharmaceutical practice. The key concept of the conceptual framework underlying the table and its commentary is the concept of chemical compound which emerged at the end of the 17th century. Geoffroy extends the range of application of this concept, which was first limited to chemical artefacts, to include natural bodies. Eliminating the peripatetical distinction between natural bodies and chemical artefacts he formulates a new research program, consisting in the determination of the "laws" of the relations ("rapports") between different chemical substances.
E. F. 若弗鲁瓦关于不同化学物质之间各种关系的表格,主要基于16和17世纪冶金学和制药学积累的经验知识。表格左半部分列出的物质是17世纪化学制药实践中用于医疗目的盐类形成的基础。表格右半部分涉及16世纪冶金学著作中已描述的冶金物质和操作。甚至若弗鲁瓦在表格各列中对物质的排序也源于冶金和制药实践。该表格及其注释所依据的概念框架的关键概念是17世纪末出现的化合物概念。若弗鲁瓦将这个最初仅限于化学制品的概念的应用范围扩大到包括自然物体。他消除了自然物体和化学制品之间的亚里士多德式区分,制定了一个新的研究计划,即确定不同化学物质之间关系的“规律”。