ALS in French, signed “L. Pasteur,” one page, 5.25 x 8, Instruction Publique letterhead, May 17, 1857. Letter to [Francois Joseph] Nickles, Professor of Chemistry at the School of Sciences. In full (translated): “I beg your forgiveness for not having immediately answered your letter of February 5 in which you ask me to send you incrustations on mineshaft boilers [calcareous, saline, mineral, fossil, turf etc. deposits on mineshaft boilers] from pit mines in Lille and the Deule area. Two days ago Madame Pasteur saw your name in a scientific journal and asked me if I had answered your letter…forwarded to me in Paris where I was at the time. In fact, I had no knowledge of its existence…I’ve since found it among my papers. I will have a small crate sent to the railroad today. It contains the incrustations you ask for. The specimens whose origin is definite are in powder form because it is customary to add diverse ingredients, for example sodium carbonate, to prevent clumping.” Reverse of the second integral page bears an address panel in another hand. In fine condition, with a couple trivial holes to two corner tips. At the time of sending these samples, Pasteur was serving as the First Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Lille. A particularly early example from the eminent scientist with uncommon mineralogy content. Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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