Traducción y censura: el manual de química de Jean-Antoine Chaptal (1756-1832).

Abstract

The Elémens de chimie by Jean-Antoine Chaptal (1756-
1832) was one of the most popular late-nineteenth-century textbooks. The author was professor of chemistry at the University of Montpellier
(France), director of many chemical industries and supporter of the new
French chemistry. His textbook was an important vehicle of the new ideas
and the new chemical terminology. Chaptal’s textbook went through several
editions and was translated into several European languages, including
English, German and Spanish. The Spanish version was published
between 1793 and 1794 and was authored by Higinio Antonio Lorente, a
physician who translated into Spanish many French books on chemistry
and medicine. He was appointed professor of chemistry at the Madrid
Royal Laboratory and started a very successful career after the publication
of his translation. By analysing this book, we aim to provide a general
view of the practices of translation of scientific textbooks in late eighteenth-
century Spain. Apart from the mentioned books, our main sources
are the censorship files which are preserved at the Archivo Histórico Nacional
in Madrid.