532 Reviews. | July, 
decarburizing action in these processes, Steel may be obtained instead of 
Malleable Iron.” 
The ‘“ Finery” process as practised over Europe is very satisfac- 
torily described, and, as far as we are acquainted with it, the same 
may be said of the descriptions given of the production of Steel by 
puddling. The “Section on Decarburization by blowing atmospheric 
air through molten pig-iron,” admitted by Dr. Percy to be a process 
“destined to play an important part in the world,” does not strike us 
as being so complete as is desired. This is the Bessemer process, 
which consists essentially in placing molten pig-iron in a vessel called 
a “converter ”—an ellipsoidal vessel, made of wrought-iron,—and then 
forcing, by blowing engines, a blast of air through it. Dr. Percy says 
of this process :— 
“T never witnessed any metallurgical process more startling or impres- 
sive. After the blast was turned on, all proceeded quietly for a time, 
when a volcano-like eruption of flames and sparks suddenly occurred, and 
bright red-hot scoriz or cinders were forcibly ejected, which would have 
inflicted serious injury on any unhappy bystanders whom they might 
perchance have struck. After a few minutes all was again tranquil, and 
the molten malleable iron was tapped off.” 
By the action of the atmospheric air on the molten pig-iron, a 
temperature is obtained, higher than any ever before attained in 
metallurgical operations. This process is now Im active operation in 
some of the largest works in this country, and others are engaged in 
adapting their works to receive the required machinery. In Sweden, 
Prussia, and France, the Bessemer process is superseding every other, 
and it promises indeed, as Dr. Percy says, “to play an important part 
in the world.” 
This invention was clearly arrived at by persevering industry, and 
an irrepressible hope which led the inventor to pass by failures as 
things of course, and steadily to work to the end which he has 
achieved, and for which he is now receiving a substantial reward. 
We hope, in the second edition of this work, that Dr. Perey will 
give us the benefit of such a close examination of every stage of the 
Bessemer process as its high, admitted, importance demands, and which 
he has given to some of the other processes described by him. 
We cannot refrain from expressing our regret that one feature, so 
strongly marked as to become a peculiarity, runs through this work. 
We allude to the desire, almost always shown, to trace back each 
man’s thought to some often undeveloped thought of earlier and yet 
earlier date. The analytical character of Dr. Percy’s mind has, to a 
great extent, led to this. The kindly spirit with which he reviews the 
history of the discoveries made by Henry Cort is a most pleasing 
exception to his rule. What the poet Coleridge said of those critics 
who were always endeavouring to find yet earlier footsteps in the 
snows of Helicon, in which the last adventurers on the hill of Fame 
had trodden, applies with equal force to the historian of science or of 
manufacture. We do not for one moment intend to dispute the cor- 
rectness of any one of the statements made regarding early or foreign 
processes, nor do we intend to say that they are not in many respects 
