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First English language edition of Werner's highly important "Von den Entstehung der Gänge" (first published in 1791). This work by Werner, who is considered the father of historical geology, describes his "theory of ore deposits which would be consistent with his general theory of the origin of the earth's crust. Many of its elements were of lasting value. Werner formulated basic questions about the origin and history of veins and their contents, extablished criteria for determining the relative age of veins and vein materials, and presented a comparative study of the structure of veins and rock masses... Perhaps the most important contribution of Von den Entstehung der Gänge, howver, was that it made the study of vein formation an integral part of historical geology" - D.S.B., XIV, pp. 262-63. Complete with the half-title. With the bookplate of John Sinkankas. Formerly in the Seattle Public Library, with old rubberstamp on title-page and its verso. Hoover 879.