of the exports was the greatest known the quantity was slightly under that of 1898 and 1897. The exports included crude petroleum, naphtha, illuminating oil, lubricating oil, paraffine, and residuum, and were sent to Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceanica, West Indies, South America, and Central America. Perhaps the most noteworthy development of the year has been the discovery and development of the new Texas oil field at Beaumont. The oil was discovered in the beginning of 1901, and on January 10 of that year, a great well known as the Lucas gusher was suddenly struck 41⁄2 miles south of the above-mentioned place. It produced more petroleum in a given time than any other well thus far developed in the United States. Only a few of the Russian wells at Baku, which have larger tubes, have yielded more petroleum in the same time. The well flowed continuously in a column six inches in diameter to an average height of 160 feet until capped on January 19, 1901. For the nine days its output was 75,000 barrels per day. Since its discovery so many wells have been bored around it that there is a perfect forest of oil derricks. The wells are nearly all of them located on an elliptical mound known as Spindle Top, which is about 3,500 by 1,500 feet and rises to a height of 16 feet above the prairie. The oil was struck at a depth of 960-1,050 feet and before reaching it a number of sands and clays are passed through. The Texas oil differs from the Pennsylvania material in certain important respects. Thus, when Pennsylvania or Ohio oil is distilled there is deposited from the last distillates on cooling, a mass of crystals of paraffine wax, and the residuum in the still shows particular properties; on the other hand, the distillation of Texas or even California oil, the heavier distillates yield no paraffine wax and the residuum, which is composed essentially of asphaltum, is usually quite large. The University of Texas Mineral Survey has been prompt in issuing a bulletin on the Beaumont oil field. Another development in 1901 is the opening up in Jasper County of a field of heavy oil entirely distinct from most other kinds found in the United States. It is of a dark color, having a gravity of 18° to 20° Beaumé, and is low in illuminants but excellently adapted for lubricating purposes. The base is asphalt similar to that of the Texas and California oils, and the material has been found to make a good flux with Trinidad asphalt. A new oil field is said to have been discovered in Persia near Talish-Doulab, on the Caspian Sea. In spite of the great supplies of petroleum known to occur in different parts of the world the extraction of oil from bituminous shales by distillation appears to be profitable in some localities. An instance of this is the Scotch shale oil industry, which still continues to thrive. It takes one ton of shale to make 42 American gallons of petroleum distillate. A plant for the extraction of shale oil is also in operation at Orepuki, New Zealand. Shale is treated in retorts and the products of distillation are caught and separated. They include sulphate of ammonia and crude oil, while the residue is coke. The United States Geological Survey has recently issued a bulletin on the Kansas, Indian Territory, and Texas oil and gas fields, by G. I. Adams.

PETROLEUM DRINKING. The alarming spread of petroleum drinking was announced by the Medical Society of Paris in March, 1901, and the desire to adopt some means to prevent its progress was expressed. The origin of the habit seems to be due to the increased taxation of alcohol. The victims of this habit are said to become morose.

PETTENKOFER, MAX VON, German scientist, died at Munich, February 10, 1901. He was born near Neuberg, Germany, December 3, 1818, and was educated at the University of Munich. In 1847 he became professor of medical chemistry at the university, and held that post for three years. His work in experimental hygiene attracted the attention of the university authorities, who founded a chair of that science at Munich in 1865 and made him first professor. He was a co-editor of the Zeitschrift für Biologie from 1864, and in 1883 founded the Archiv für Hygiene, of which he was the first editor. Professor Pettenkofer was notable as a chemist, but his importance to scientific progress consists in his foundation of hygiene as a particular study. As president of the cholera commission in 1873, he proved by his researches that the existence of the disease is due to a specific germ; that it may be spread through ground-water, depending upon climatic conditions, and that infection depends largely upon individual predisposition. In connection with his study of hygiene he pursued elaborate chemical research, one of his achievements being the discovery of a method for determining the amount of carbonic acid gas in the atmosphere. He also made important contributions to the knowledge of house ventilation and of respiration, and published many scientific monographs and books, among which may be mentioned: Was Man gegen die Cholera thun kann (1873); Populäre Vorträge über Kanalisation und Abfur (1880); and Die Cholera von 1892 in Hamburg (1893).

PHELPS, THOMAS STOWELL, rear-admiral U. S. N. (retired), died in New York City, January 10, 1901. He was born at Buckfield, Me., November 2, 1822, and

graduated at the Naval Academy in 1846. He was promoted to lieutenant, 1855, lieutenant-commander, 1862, commander, 1865, captain, 1871, commodore, 1879, and rear-admiral, 1882. Previous to the Civil War he was connected with the United States Coast Survey and also saw service in the Mexican War, the Indian War in Washington Territory, 1855-56, and in the Paraguay Expedition, 1858-59. After the attack on Fort Sumter he was engineering expert of the expedition sent to its relief, and served with distinction throughout the war, principally in engineering and surveying work, although he commanded vessels at Yorktown, West Point, and Fort Fisher. He was retired in 1884. Rear-Admiral Phelps wrote: Reminiscences of Washington Territory, Sailing Directions for the Straits of Magellan, and many historical articles.

PHILIPPINES, a group of islands lying east of Indo-China, were acquired from Spain by the United States in virtue of the Treaty of Paris, which was signed December 10, 1898, and ratified by the United States Senate February 6, 1899. The total area is perhaps 140,000 square miles, and the population about 8,000,000. Revenues and Expenditures.-The following table shows the revenue and expenditure in the Philippines from the date of the American occupation, August 20, 1898, to June 30, 1901:

Agriculture.-The Philippine Islands constitute fundamentally an unutilized agricultural country. The great extent of fertile land, the wide variations of elevation, and consequently of temperature, may be made available for large and diverse crops. Sugar, tobacco, coffee, rice, and cotton are at present all raised, but in far smaller quantity than an efficient system of agriculture would produce. The agricultural methods employed by the natives are stated to be of the crudest, modern farming implements being practically unknown, and artificial fertilization unheard of. So naïve is the attitude of the natives in this matter that lands which are not annually overflowed, and which therefore become exhausted in course of time, unless artificial means of re-fertilizing them are employed, are considered not worth cultivating. Not only would a modern system greatly increase present crops, but many new grains and fruits could undoubtedly be raised. A Bureau of Agriculture, similar to that in the United States, was established by the commission on October 8, 1901, for the purpose of conducting investigations and disseminating information in the islands with reference to the best methods of cultivation and the practicability of introducing new agricultural products.

Mining. The extent of the mining resources of the Philippines is stated by the Philippine Commission to be unknown, though it is certain that there are large and widely distributed deposits of gold, copper, and coal, and to a lesser degree of lead, iron, sulphur, granite, marble, and petroleum. Many prospectors, the great majority of whom are Americans, went through the archipelago during 1901, and they have clamored for legal recognition and protection of their discoveries. "Some of them, after locating property which they believed to be valuable, and staying by it until their last dollar was gone, have been forced to abandon the attempt to secure recognition of their claims. Others are still holding on." Neither to American miners nor to those who made discoveries under the Spanish régime has the commission been able to grant any rights. Action in their behalf, however, is earnestly asked of Congress by the Philippine Commission through the extension to the islands of the American mining laws or some modification of them. While it is not believed that the mines are likely to prove to be Klondikes, it is considered that there are immense mineral resources to be developed, and that the exploitation of the coal of the islands will be of especial value to the United States navy. Forest and Timber Products.-The total amount of land in the Philippine Islands is approximately 73.345.415 acres, of which 4,940,000 acres are owned by private individuals, leaving public lands to the amount of 68,405,415 acres. Of this great