ruins. The Arabian traveler, Abd-al-latif, visited it in the 12th century. The ruins were discovered and excavated by Mariette, between 1850 and 1854. The position of Memphis was such as to command the whole inland trade of Egypt, ascending or descending the Nile; it was the chief seat of learning and religion in Egypt. It ceased to be the metropolis of Egypt on the foundation of Alexandria, 332 B. C. It soon after fell into such obscurity and decay, that, till lately, even its site was disputed.
MEMPHIS, a city and county-seat of Shelby co., Tenn.; on the Mississippi river and many important railroads. It contains a custom house, cotton exchange, merchants' exchange, the Cossitt Public Library, University School, Christian Brothers' College, the Memphis Hospital Medical College, St, Mary's School, Memphis Institute, Leath High School, Higbee School, the Le Moyne School, and the Hannibal Medical College. There are electric street railroads, gas and electric lights, waterworks, a steel railroad bridge across the Mississippi, built at a cost of $3,000,000, and opened in 1892, several ferries. National, State, and savings banks, and many daily, weekly, and other periodicals. The city is one of the largest trade centers for cotton in the United States. The total value of the receipts of cotton in 1919 was $77,509,347, and the value of the export of cotton and cotton-seed products was $42,000,000. It has also large manufacturing interests, including cotton-seed oil, flour, grist, and planing mills, foundries and machine shops, carriage and wagon works, brick and tile plants, tobacco factories, etc. The assessed value of real estate in 1919 was $96,921,590, of personal property $13,195,297. The tax rate was $17.50 per $1,000. The cost of maintaining the government was $4,211,617. There were 22,261 pupils in the public schools, and the expenditures for education were $738,960. In 1862 a naval battle was fought here, resulting in victory for the Union vessels, and the city was occupied by the National authorities till the close of the war. Pop. (1910) 131,105; (1920) 162,351.
MENAHEM (men′-), the 16th King of Israel, previously general of the army of Zachariah. He reigned in Samaria 10 years, 771-760 B. C., and was a tyrannical and cruel idolater.
MENAM (mā-näm′), the chief river of Siam, rising in the Laos country, and flowing generally S. to enter the Gulf of Siam below Bangkok; length, about 900 miles.
MENANDER (-nan′dur), one of the most celebrated of the Greek comic poets; born in Athens in 342 B. C. He composed 108 comedies; but there are only a few fragments remaining of them. Menander was the disciple of Theophrastus, and, like him, excelled in the delineation of character. He was also the friend of Epicurus, whose philosophy he adopted. He is said to have drowned himself 291 B. C. on account of the success of his rival Philemon.
MENASHA, a city of Winnebago co., Wis., 14 miles N. E. of Oshkosh, on Lake Winnebago, Chicago and Northwestern and other railroads. Is much frequented by visitors in summer. Has woolen mills, foundry, paper, woodenware, blinds, and cigar factories. City governed by mayor and council. Pop. (1910) 6,081; (1920) 7,214.
MENCIUS (men′shi-us). Latinized from MENGTSE (meng-tse′), a Chinese philosopher; born in Tsow-hien, in 372 B. C. He was a follower of Confucius, whose influence he revived. Twenty-nine years he spent in traveling about China preaching, but with small success; his last 15 years were passed with his disciples in retirement. His sayings are contained in the last of the Chinese "Four Books." He died about 289 B. C.
MENDELEEF, DMITRI IVANOVITCH (men-del-ē′ef), a Russian chemist; born in Tobolsk, Siberia, Feb. 7, 1834. He studied at St. Petersburg, and, after having taught at Simferopol, Odessa, and St. Petersburg, became Professor of Chemistry in the University of St. Petersburg in 1866. He enriched every section of chemical science, but is especially distinguished for his contributions to physical chemistry and chemical philosophy. He died in 1907.
MENDELISM, a theory of heredity discovered and announced in 1865 by Gregor Mendel. His conclusions were the result of experimentation with plants, and the theory relates, in general, to the effects caused by successive crossing of hybrids. The general conclusion is that when two characters are mutually exclusive, one of them is always "dominant" over the other, which is said to be "recessive."
MENDELSSOHN, MOSES (men′dels-zōn), a German-Jewish philosopher; born in Dessau, Germany, Sept. 6, 1729. He was bred to merchandise, but devoted himself to literature, in which he acquired a distinguished reputation. In 1742 he settled at Berlin, In 1755, he published his first piece, entitled "Pope a
