Susanne Schulz-Falster Catalogue Fifteen

in poor houses (Rumford’s soup), its use in laundries, both household and
larger scale, public baths, and in the textile and food industries. Steam was
apparently used both for distilling and brewing, and the production of fruit
vinegars, sugar and glue. The final section deals with heating and drying
processes, for example in the production of tobacco, dried fruit, and even
explosives. The main advantage of steam heating was the decreased risk of
fire, as multiple houses could be heated with just one fire. A chapter on
heating conservatories concludes the work. All aspects of steam-powered
heating and cooking are illustrated on the finely engraved plates.
Dingler (1778–1855), a pharmacist in Augsburg, began operating a
chemical factory in 1805. In 1820 he became editor of the well-known
technical periodical Polytechnisches Journal.
Engelmann 80; see Poggendorff I, c 573 ff; Hein/Schwarz I, p. 121; NDB III,
p. 730.
Monetary History
22 DIODATI, Luigi. Dello Stato presente della Moneta nel
Regno di Napoli e della Necessità di un Alzamento, Libri due.
Naples, Michele Migliaccio, 1790. £1,400
8vo, pp. xvi, 158; some marginal damp-staining to first and last signatures;
occasional light browning; contemporary half sheep over marbled
boards; spine with double gilt rules, gilt-lettered spine label; a few individual
wormholes to spine, foot of spine worn.
First edition, uncommon, of this innovative study of monetary history by
Luigi Diodati, who is also known for the biography of his fellow Neapolitan
economist Galiani. Diodati’s contributions to the history of coins and
money were recognised by the government and he was made the director
of the Neapolitan mint.
Diodati attempts to resolve the question why gold had disappeared in
1587 from the kingdom of Naples, which was not sufficiently explained
by all earlier monetary writers, such as De Sanctis, Serra, Locke, Melon,
Galiani or Beccaria. The usual explanation of this fact was an excess of imports
over exports. Diodati, however, maintains that the lack of gold was
caused by the monetary reform undertaken by the other states of Italy, each
of which had raised the nominal value of their coins. This had been a reaction
to the rise of prices and the fall in the value of money consequent to
the discoveries of silver in America, and the impulse these supplies of metal
gave to enterprise and business, whilst reducing all fixed incomes.
In the concluding chapter Diodati develops a theory of ideal money,
‘moneta immaginaria’ which is not subject to re- and de-valuations, but
sustains its value. It appears to be a form of exchange-rate mechanism, with
fixed exchange rates.
A second edition was published in 1849.
Cossa 47 (170); Einaudi 1571; Goldsmiths’–Kress 14462.33; OCLC lists copies
at Chicago, Berlin and Paris.
catalogue fifteen