P. M. N. BENOIT   1851

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Philippe Martin Narcisse Benoit published in 1851 this huge book of 574 pages (plus the introduction...). Such a quantity of information makes it practically illegible : it gives, for example, 7 methods to perform the product of two numbers! However, the historical introduction is very interesting (pages I to X).
Mannheim’s opinion of the book is as follows: "Mr P.-M.-N. Benoît, civil engineer, has just published on the theory and uses of this rule an in-12 volume of 574 pages. At this count, how many thousands of pages will be needed to describe Mr. Babbage’s calculating machine?"