Lot 507
  • 507

PETIT, DISSERTATIONS ACADÉMIQUES, PARIS, 1671

Estimate
2,500 - 3,500 GBP
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Description

  • Dissertations académiques sur la nature du froid et du chaud. Par le Sr Petit, conseiller du roy intendant des fortifications. Avec un discours sur la construction & l'usage d'un cylindre arithmétique par le mesme autheur. Paris: Olivier de Varennes, 1671
FIRST EDITION, 2 parts in one volume, 8vo (144 x 90mm.), engraved plate (publication line “A Paris Chez A. de Fer dans l’Isle du Palais a la Sphere Roy”), contemporary calf, one or two headlines cut close, binding somewhat worn

Provenance

bought from Jonathan Hill, New York, 1984

Literature

Tomash & Williams P53, P54

Condition

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Petit’s cylinder arithmetique is a modification of Napier’s bones in which the numbers 0 to 9 are placed on bands mounted on a cylinder; the bands can be rotated to form any twelve-digit number. Petit had previously commented on Pascal's calculating machine, opining that as it was so complicated to operate, it would end up as an object of curiosity and not an object of practical use. Rare at auction: only the Macclesfield copy has appeared in recent times, and that copy lacked the second part.