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1790
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Snelders (1980), p.13
indicates that the activities of the
Gezelschap der Hollandsche Scheikundigen
comprised a period of only over ten years: the circle of friends was
founded at the end of 1790 or the beginning of 1791, and carried out its
most important chemical experiments up to the beginning of the 19th
century.
The founders were the merchant Adriaan Paets van Troostwijk
(1752-1837) and the physician Jan Rudolph Deiman (1743-1808), with
Pieter Nieuwland (1764-1794) and Nicolaas Bondt (1765-1796).
After the departure of Nieuwland for Leiden and his sudden death,
Anthoni Lauwerenburg (1758-1820) took his place, and after the
passing away of Bondt, Gerardus Vrolik (1775-1859) joined.
Snelders (1980), p.11 points out that
the members of this Society were among the earliest supporters of the new
chemical system of Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794).
Snelders (1980), later (on p.55),
emphasizes the role of two of its members by saying that
the Society was founded in Amsterdam by
Adriaan Paets van Troostwijk (1752-1837) and
Jan Rudolph Deiman (1743-1808)
probably around the end of 1790 or the beginning of 1791.
He adds that after about 1802 it died a natural death.
Snelders (1980), p.55,
points out, however, that this was not a true society, but a circle of
friends that met irregularly; nor did they have rules and regulations.
But scholars outside the country, and especially in France, thought of
it as a real society, and bestowed the members of this society with
the name Les Chymistes Hollandoises, not realizing that the fruit
of their labours came from so few people.
The results of their first researches were laid down in their own publication
(in the French language) Recherches Physico-Chimiques,
three issues of which appeared between 1792 and 1794.
According to
Snelders (1980), p.69,
in 1799 the Society went on to publish a new journal (this one in the
Dutch language) entitled
Natuur-Scheikundige Verhandelingen, which published four
stukken (issues) from 1799 to 1808.
The titles and dates of the articles in this new journal (and its French
language predecessor) are given on pp.71-72 of
Snelders (1980).
An examination of the latter enumeration indicates that 1799 saw 12
articles published, 1800 saw one, 1801 saw one, 1802 saw one, and 1808 saw
one.
It should also be noted that the
numbering and publication dates of the stukken as follows:
1 (1799), 2 (1799), 3 (1800-1802) and 4
(1808).
The decline in publishing from 1800 to 1802 and the six year gap in
publishing between 1802 and 1808 partially explains the remark on
Snelders (1980), p.55 that after about 1802
the Society died a natural death.
On p.101, Snelders (1980) refers to the single
article in the 4th stuk (1808) as reporting on an unimportant
investigation.
Then on p.102, it is noted that in the foreward to that 4th stuk, Paets
van
Troostwijk, Lauwerenburg, and Vrolik indicate that this stuk (after a
six-year gap) was intended to revive the Society to honour their dead
friend, Deiman.
But Snelders (1980), p.102 remarks that their
attempt to revive the Society clearly failed, so that 1802 should be taken
as the date of cessation.
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