118 THE GREAT WORK OF SORBY 



and I left the Geological Survey, in 1871, Microscopic Petro^ 

 was always ridiculed by ' the powers that were.' They always sai( 

 ' You can't study mountains through Microscopes.' " 



The following appreciation of Sorby's work is made by M. Ch. 

 Fremont, the well-known French Engineer and Metallurgist : — 



" It was Sorby's discovery of the method whereby the structure 

 of a metal was laid bare to microscopic examination that gave him 

 the right to the title. The method he used to prepare his rock sections 

 failed him with metals, because the latter, even in very thin sections, 

 are not transparent. Sorby, however, discovered that by suitably 

 etching a perfectly polished surface of metal the structure was revealed 

 to microscopic examination." The great merit of Sorby consisted 

 in having applied to Metallurgy the Micrographic method he had dis- 

 covered and introduced in the study of Mineralogy. 



Our Meeting this evening is a living evidence of '' Great is the 

 Truth and it will Prevail." From the humblest of beginnings this 

 method of research has grown into a giant. It will still further 

 help to add to the sum total of human knowledge from which all 

 may benefit. All honour to this Great Englishman for the magnificent 

 work he accomplished. 



