Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/63

* PINTO. 43 turning to Portugal in 1558, Pinto lived at Court several }'eais ami died near Lisbon, July 8, 1583. His jiustliuiMous work, I'ereyrinaciio, appeared at Lisbon in 1014 and was at first sujiposeil to be a s<jrt of Kobinson Crusoe ronianee, but in the main, and apart from personal items, its state- ments liave been eonfirmeil by modern research. An English rendering by C'ogan appeared in Lon- don in l(i(i.3, ]!t2, and 18i»l (Adventures and Voi/aycs of FcriUmind Mcndez Pinto). PINTSCH SYSTEM. A process for the pro- duction of compressed gas, used cliieliy for light- ing railway cars. When ordinary coal gas is burned at tlic pressure of street mains it gives an illumination of about 4 candles to each cubic foot, while oil gas at the .same pressure yields about 10 candles to the cubic foot. Compres- sion and storage of gas produce a diminution in illuminating power in consequence of the deposi- tion of the rich oily hydrocarbons. This loss, howcvei', is much less in oil gas than in coal gas. At 125 pimnds ju'cssure to the square inch, one foot of oil gas is equal in illuminating power to alxnit five feet of coal gas. The use of oil gas for the purpose of illuminating railway cars is, there- fore, much more economical, and the Pintsch system finds e.tensive use on many of the lead- ing railway lines in the United States. The out- fit consists of storage tanks, a pressure regula- tor, and a system of piping to the lamps, which are of special design, each having from four to six burners arranged beneath a porcelain re- flector, the whole being incased in a glass bell-jar. PINTURICCHIO, pfn'to&re'k*-6 (It., little painter) (1454-1511?). The name commonly ap- plied to Bernardino di Retto, an Italian paint- er of the Umbrian school (early Renaissance). He was born at Perugia, where he studied binder Fiorenzo di Lorenzo, later reflecting many of the mannerisms of his contempo- rary Perugino. The latitude of his sub- jects and the distinctly illustrative and historical character of many of them have rendered him fa- mous as the historical painter of the L^mbrian school. Thongli using the Umbrian forms, which catered to mediaeval tradition. Pinturicchio's works retlect the humanistic spirit of the times. They are mainly frescoes, highly decorative in style, and not without charm of color. As com- pared with Perugino, Pintnricchio lacks char- acter and dramatic vigor; but he is less conscious and docs not fatigue by monotony. In 1484 the artist was engaged as assistant to Perugino in fresco work in the Sistine Chapel. The '"Adora- tion of the Shepherds" in Santa Maria del Popolo and decorations in the Palazzo Belvedere and Palazzo di San A|>ostolo, Pome, were executed before 1491. Between 1401 and 1501 he pro- duced frescoes in the Cathedral of Orvicto; in the Vatican, Rome; the series illustrating the life of San Bernardino, in the Biifalini Chapel, Araco-li. Rome; and the "Madonna" in the Peru- gia Academy. At Spcllo. near Foligno, he left numerous works by himself and his jiupils. In 1502 Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini intrusted to liim the decoration of the cathedral library at Siena. These frescoes, depicting the life of .Fneas Sylviiis Piccolomini (Pope Pius II.), called upon the artist for the display of his talent in ceremo- nial composition. The commission was completed in 1508. with the aid of many assistants, among whom was Raphael, who came to Siena in 1503. Vol. XVI. —4. PINZON. The late works of Pinturicchio show a haste and carelessness that would tend to substantiate the accusation that his love of gain got the better of his love of art. He dieil in Siena, December U, 1513. Consult: Morelli, Italian Masters in German Galleries, translated (London, 1883) ; Vermi- glioli, Memorie ili Berruirdino Pinturicchio (Pe- rugia, 1837) ; Schmarsou, Uuffael and I'inluric- chiu in Niena (Stuttgart, 1880) ; id., Bernardino Pinturicchio in Home (ib., 1882) ; Ehrle and Stevenson, Gli affreschi del Pinturicchio nclV appiirlaincnto lioryia (Home, 1897) ; Steinmann, Pinturicchio (Leipzig, 1898); Ricci, Pinturic- chio: His Life, Work, and Time (London, 1902). PINUS. A genus of trees. See Pine; Coni- FEK.E; GYlINOSrEHM, PINWORM. One of the nematode worms {Oxyurus rcrinicularis) parasitic in the large intestine and rectum of man, especially in children. It is a small white worm, half an inch long or less, and very slendcF. The females are larger than the males. Unlike man_y nematodes, the pinworms reproduce directly in their host and have no alternation of hosts or of genera- tions. The eggs are very minute and must be taken into the body with the food or at least through the mouth, but the exact manner of in- fection is not really known. The presence of these worms is often a matter of discomfort, but they are rarely so numerous that their i)re.sence is a source of danger to the person afflicted. PINZON, pen-thOn', Francisco ^Marti.v. A Spanish navigator, brother of Martin Alonso and Vicente Yanez Pinzon (qq.v. ). He was pilot of the Pinta, on the first voyage of Columbus. PINZON, JIartin Alonso (c.1440-93). A Spanish navigator, companion and patron of Columbus. He was born at Palos and attained distinction as a bold and skillful sailor, making distant and profitable voyages as far as the Guinea Coast. Through Fray Juan Perez de Marchena, prior of the Convent of La Rflbida, he came to know Columbus, and his enthusiasm was aroused by the scheme of the great navigator. With .his brothers, Vicente Yaiiez and Francisco ^Martin, he exerted his influence in the seafaring town of Palos to enlist men for the voyage across the Atlantic. The brothers also lent Columbus the money which he was to contribute as his share of the cost of the expedition. On the first voyage of discovery Martin Alonso commanded the Pinta. As the fleet was coasting along Cuba after the landfall on Guanahani Island, he sepa- rated from the other two ships in disregard of the Admiral's orders (November 21, 1402). He was the first to discover the island of Haiti, on the coast of which he rejoined Columbus January C, 1403. He was met with severe reproaches by Columbus, who charged him with treasonable intentions; and indeed there is little doubt that Pinzon was envious of the glory which had fallen to the Genoese and was desirous of linking his own name with some great discovery. On the re- turn voyage Martin Alonso, in the Pinta, parted company with the l^'ii'm during a storm, and reaching Bayona in Galicia, sought to obtain an interview with the Spanish monarchs, who, however, refused to receive in person anyone but the Admiral. Pinzon thereupon set sail for Palos. which he reached on the same day ns Columbus (March 15th). As the result prob-