Joseph Elzéar MORENAS (1776-1830), botanist, made important - Lot 48

Lot 48
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Joseph Elzéar MORENAS (1776-1830), botanist, made important - Lot 48
Joseph Elzéar MORENAS (1776-1830), botanist, made important voyages to India and Senegal, and was an anti-slavery activist. Autograph letter signed to botanist André Thouin. 2 pp. in-4. Paris, March 24, 1816. Address on back with postmarks. On lacquer from beehives. "I recommend myself to your good memory for the analysis of lacquer that you promised to obtain from the care of Monsieur Vauquelin. Lacquer is a substance derived from the hives that small insects usually build at the ends of various trees. Sometimes large trees are completely covered with it, and they soon perish". He quotes some authors who have taken an interest in the subject, and continues. "The Hindus have given the name of laksha to these hives because of the innumerable small insects they contain. Lak means a hundred thousand. Only recently have attempts been made to extract the coloring part of the lacquer. But until now, this has been done only in a very imperfect manner. It would be advantageous to know the most suitable means of stripping the coloring substance of the foreign matter it contains".
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