How did Nicolas de Saussure explain the increase in plant weight during photosynthesis?

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Botany Theophrastus, statue in the Botanic Garden, Palermo, Italy.

Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure explained the increase in plant weight by proving that plants absorb water and carbon dioxide in the presence of sunlight.1

In his seminal work, Recherches chimiques sur la végétation (1804), he provided quantitative evidence for this process, building upon the earlier theories of Stephen Hales. By demonstrating that the mass gained by a plant is derived from these environmental inputs, Saussure established a fundamental principle of plant physiology and became a major founder in the study of photosynthesis.1