Englisch : die universelle Wissenschaftssprache des 20. Jahrhunderts : Alphonse de Candolle's Prognose von 1873 / Huldrych M. Koelbing.
Abstract:
'With his "Histoire des sciences et des savants depuis deux siècles", the Genova botanist Alphonse de Candolle published, in 1873, the first social history of science. He added to it, among other things, an essay on the necessity of one dominant language suitable to be used by scientists all over the world, and he predicted that, in the 20th century, English would be this language.' From the summary
Gesnerus 54 (1997), p. 188-193