Page:Edinburgh Review Volume 59.djvu/328

316 extremely simple and obvious, that the most unpractised person, having once acquired an acquaintance with the signs, cannot fail to comprehend their use.

A remarkable instance of the power and utility of this notation occurred in a certain stage of the invention of the calculating machinery. A question arose as to the best method of producing and arranging a certain series of motions necessary to print and calculate a number. The inventor, assisted by a practical engineer of considerable experience and skill, had so arranged these motions, that the whole might be performed by twelve revolutions of the principal moving axis. It seemed, however, desirable, if possible, to execute these motions by a less number of revolutions. To accomplish this, the engineer sat down to study the complicated details of a part of the machinery which had been put together; the inventor at the same time applied himself to the consideration of the arrangement and connexion of the symbols in his scheme of notation. After a short time, by some transposition of symbols, he caused the received motions to be completed by eight turns of the axis. This he accomplished by transferring the symbols which occupied the last four divisions of his scheme, into such blank spaces as he could discover in the first eight divisions; due care being taken that no symbols should express actions at once simultaneous and incompatible. Pushing his enquiry, however, still further, he proceeded to ascertain whether his scheme of symbols did not admit of a still more compact arrangement, and whether eight revolutions were not more than enough to accomplish what was required. Here the powers of the practical engineer completely broke down. By no effort could he bring before his mind such a view of the complicated mechanism as would enable him to decide upon any improved arrangement. The inventor, however, without any extraordinary mental exertion, and merely by sliding a bit of ruled pasteboard up and down his plan, in search of a vacancy where the different motions might be placed, at length contrived to pack all the motions, which had previously occupied eight turns of the handle, into five turns. The symbolic instrument with which he conducted the investigation, now informed him of the impossibility of reducing the action of the machine to a more condensed form. This appeared by the fulness of every space along the lines of compatible action. It was, however, still possible, by going back to the actual machinery, to ascertain whether movements, which, under existing arrangements, were incompatible, might not be brought into harmony. This he accordingly did, and succeeded in diminishing the number of incompatible conditions, and thereby rendered it possible to make