Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/239

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VITERBO. 191 VITOEIA. grimage Cliurch of Santa Maria della Querela. The iiiauufaetureil articles of Viterbo include leather, paper, cloth, soap, matches, and jjlaying cards. There are warm medicinal springs in the neighliorliood, and mines of alum and sulphur. Population (commune), in lUOl, 21,292. Viterbo was the capital of the 'patrimony of Peter' — the extensive grant to the Pope by the Tuscan Countess Matilda (d. 1115). It wasoften a Papal resideneCj and has been the scene of five Papal elections. VITET, ve'ta', LuDOVic (1802-73). A French author and political leader, born in Paris. He was educated at the Ecole Normale, but after spending some time in travel gave up the pro- fession of teaching for that of letters. In 1824 he began contributing literary and artistic criti- cisms to the Olobe. In his first books, Lcs barricades (1S2G), Left etats de Blois (1827), and La mort d' Henri III. a St. Cloud ( 1829; the trilogy united in 18-14 under the title of La Ligue) , Vitet opened a romantic vein new to French literature, by presenting historical oc- currences in vivid dramatic form. After the Revolution of 1830 Guizot created for the young writer the post of inspector of historic monu- ments. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1834 to 1848, of the Legislative Assembly in 1849, and of the Constituent As- sembly in 1871. In 1845 he became a member of the Academy. He was the author of Histoire des ancicnius cilles de Fraiiee ( 1833) ; Histoire de Dieppe (1833) : Fragments et melanges (1846) ; Histoire financitre da gouvernement de Juillet (1848) ; Les ('tats d'Orli-ans (1849) ; Le Louvre (1852) J Essais kistoriques et litternires (1862) ; Etudes sur I'histoire de I'art (1863-G4); La science et la foi (1865); Lettres sur le siego de Paris (1870-71) ; the posthumous Etudes phi- losophiques et tittcraires (1874) ; and Le Cointe Duchi'ilel (1875). VITEX (Lat., chaste tree, Abraham's balm). A genus of trees or shrubs of the natural order Verbenaceae. Vitex Agnuscastus, the chaste tree, a native of the Mediterranean region, is downy, with digitate leaves, white on the back, and has an acrid fruit. It derives its name from the practice of Grecian matrons of strewing their couches with its leaves, especially during the sacred rites of Ceres, in order to banish impure thoughts, for which purpose a syrup made of its fruit was also used in convents in Southern Europe. Titex Negiindo, an Indian species, has aromatic leaves, which are hniised and applied to the temples for relief of headache. In Australia Titex aruiiiinata and Titex Lignum-vitw yield close-grained, hard wood used in cabinet-making. VITI (DELXA VITA), ve'te (del'la ve'ta), TiMOTEO (14(17-l.i23). An Italian painter of the Umbrian school. He was born at Ferrara, and was the principal pupil of Francia, with whom he studied at Bologna, 1490-95. He then settled at Urbino. where he stood in high favor with the reigning Duke and became chief magis- trate of the town, residing there until his death in 1523. The position of Timoteo in the develop- ment of Italian painting is one of the most interesting problems of modern research in art history. It was formerly supposed, on the au- thority of Vasari, that after his tutelage with Francia Timoteo came under the influence of Raphael at Urbino, but Morelli hag shown that Timoteo, who was nuich older than Raphael, was the teacher. His works show all those qualitie.s which we call Raphaelesque: subtle grace of line, the harmonious balance of all elements, a rare poetic charm. Timoteo's earliest eti'orts show the influence of Francia and Costa; as, for example, the ".Madonna with Two Saints" (1495, Brera, Milan), formerly ascribed to Raphael; the beautiful figures of Saints Margaret (Bergamo) and Apol Ionia (Urbino) ; a "Madonna," with Saints John the Baptist and Sebastian (Brera) ; and the fine altar-piece of the Cathedral of I'rbino (1504). Gradually the Umbrian influence re- placed that of Francia; and to this later period belong the "Magdalen" (1518, Pinacoteca, Bolog7ia), a signed altar-piece at Cagli, and an- other in the Cathedral of Gubbio, representing the "Legend of Jlagdalen" (1.521). It is as- serted by Vasari that Timoteo labored as Raphael's assistant in Santa Maria della Pace, but this statement is now generally discredited. On the other hand, Morelli's attribution of the designs for seventeen majolica plates from Castel Durante in the Correr Museum (Venice) seems more likely. Considt Morelli, Italian Painters: Critical Studies of Their Works, vol. ii. (London, 1892-93). VITI (ve'to) ISLANDS. See Fiji Isl. d.s. VITILIGO. Acquired albinism ; leukodermia. A disease characterized by the disappearance of pigment from the skin. Vitiligo is common in tropical countries, rare in Europe and America. In most cases, the pigment disappears so that white patches are formed around whose edges the pigment is darker. These patches grow larger with time, coalesce, and finally the white area spreads so as to cover the whole body. The com- plete process involves many years. Xo disturb- ance of dermal secretion or .sensation occurs, ex- cept an occasional previtus. Either sex may suffer from it ; and, though seen at as early an age as four years, it is rare before ten or after thirty years of age. It is more common in the dark races. The oases of negroes who gradually become white are eases of vitiligo. It is practi- cally admitted to be an angio-neurosis or a tropho-neurosis, and it in many in.stances has been preceded by wasting illness! such as scarlet fever, typhoid fever, or severe intermittent fever. It generally progresses synunetrically, and thus differs from congenital white patches, as well as from the maculo-anfesthetic leprosy of India, with which it has been confounded. Spontaneous arrest may occur, but the prognosis is not hope- ful for recovery. In its treatment, Brito has more ingeniously than usefully suggested the production of an argyria. (See'Sn-VEK, Medicai, Uses of.) The use of general tonics and hygienic measures may stay the progress of the decolorization. while nevei" restoring the pigment. For illustrated re- port of a case consult Magruder and Stiles in Medical Record. New York^ March 10. 1894 p 294. VITORIA, ve t<yr6-a. or VITTORIA. The capital of the Province of Akva. Spain. 30 miles south of Bilbao, on the left bank of the Zadorra River (Map: Spain, D 1). The upper, or old town, with some ancient ruins still visible, is narrow, gloomy, and dirty, while the new town.