Referee's report by Francis Henry Neville, on a paper 'The minute structure of metals and other plastic solids' by George Thomas Beilby

Description

Sectional committee: Physics and chemistry

Not recommended for publication. The author's statements and photographs are 'singularly unconvinving'. Thinks the author ignorant of, or having misunderstood, the work of Stead, Ewing and others. The author's view that the outer layers of a metal are transparent may be true enough, but he does not prove it. He thinks the paper unsuitable for the Transactions as there is much that is erroneous in it and because the ideas in it that may be valuable are supported by little evidence. Discusses his observation of the metal specimens he saw yesterday and explains that he cannot attribute the observations to the surface of solid metals having films. He attributes the observations to what, with better optical means, he can see to be little facets of solid crystal. Is convinced that no inference can be drawn as to the structure of solid metal from these observations. Regarding the question of the transparency of the outer surface of a polished block of metal, he could see no evidence in any of the objects shown him, but this may be due to 'mental blindness' on his part.

[Not published]

Endorsed on verso as received 6 May 1902.

Reference number

RR/15/302

Earliest possible date

May 1902

Physical description

Standardised form (type A) and note on paper

Page extent

5 pages

Format

Typescript
Manuscript