Encyclopédie méthodique : chymie, pharmacie et métallurgie

Diderot’s success with the Encyclopédie sparked the publishing of supplementary texts, new editions, and imitations attempting to capitalize on and compete with the original. Even before the publication of the final volume of plates, it became clear to Diderot and the publishers of the Encyclopédie that a great deal of revision and expansion was necessary. Charles Joseph Panckoucke, a Paris-based publisher, purchased the publication rights to the Encyclopédie and began work on a revised edition of Diderot’s work known as the Encyclopédie Méthodique. This work entailed dividing the articles in Diderot’s Encyclopédie into 26 subjects. This new version ultimately occupied over 160 volumes, dwarfing the original in size and complexity. Lehigh’s volumes are limited to the subjects of chemistry, pharmacy, and metallurgy, providing an opportunity for comparison with the chemistry plates from the original Encyclopédie also on display.

Encyclopédie méthodique: chymie, pharmacie et métallurgie.