18 INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS: 



In 1880 tlie use of the Microscope was introduced at Le Creusot 

 Works, and important investigations by Professors F. Osmond and 

 J. Werth were started, and from that date were carried out on the 

 lines first indicated by Dr. Sorby. 



In his Book on " How to Work with the Microscope," 1880 edition, 

 Dr. Lionel S. Beale, F.R.S., a former President of the Microscopical 

 Society, gave an interesting statement as to the methods of preparing 

 specimens when examining the Microstructure of Iron and Steel. 



Roberts- Austen in his book already quoted does just credit to the 

 important work carried out in this Country by Professor J. 0. Arnold, 

 F.R.S., who had the great advantage of being in touch and collaborating 

 with the late Dr. H. C. Sorby — in fact the mantle of Sorby descended 

 upon him. Arnold commenced his work about 1890, and the World 

 is under a debt of gratitude for the important results obtained by his 

 valuable labours in this field of research. 



Professor Arnold tells me that his first association with Sorby was 

 about 1885 at the Natural Science Section of the Literary and Philoso- 

 phical Society in Sheffield, where I also met him. When Arnold was 

 appointed to the Chair of Metallurgy in the University of Sheffield in 

 1889 he persuaded Sorby to resume his micrographic work on Steel in 

 conjunction with his (Arnold's) work on Chemical Analysis, Recales- 

 cence and Mechanical Testing, feeling sure that micro work was a 

 vital factor, necessary to render more complete our knowledge of 

 steel. However, Sorby stated he had so much on hand, and his 

 eyesight was failing, that he was not able to take up the work 

 again, but how glad he was to find that his pioneer work was con- 

 sidered to be helpful to Metallurgy. Sorby lent Arnold all his pioneer 

 sections during his lifetime and in his Will left them to the Metallur- 

 gical Department of the University of Sheffield. Sorby also gave 

 Arnold his various data and, on several occasions, went through 

 his different sections, which, singular to say, were afterwards destined 

 to be Arnold's for eleven years. Through the kindness of Professor 

 Ripper these specimens are exhibited this evening. 



It may be added that Sorby discovered at least five constituents 

 of Steel, Stead three, and the Sheffield University — largely the work 

 of Arnold himself — was responsible for many of the others now known 

 to the World. It was also Arnold who determined the quantitative 

 composition of Sorby 's Pearlite and Harden ite. 



Dr. J. E. Stead, F.R.S., also at an early date saw the great im- 

 portance of this branch of investigation, and by his lucid papers and 

 research work has greatly aided the progress of Metallography. 



Osmond's unrivalled research work further established modern 

 Metallography in 1895. He discovered successively the constituents 

 of Quenched Steel and accurately determined the critical points of 

 Iron. Moreover he had, along with Werth, previously described 

 the cellular structure of metal. As vSauveur says, if Sorby was the 

 pioneer of Metallography and Tchernoff its father, Osmond has been 

 its torch-bearer. 



The work of the Nomenclature Committee on Metallography is 

 useful to those interested in this subject, and will be found in Vol. I 



