GIBBES 434 GIBBES 3 and 4, St. John, 1839-42; "Report on the Geology of Prince Edward Island," 1846; "New Brunswick, Early History, Natural His- tory, Etc.," London, 1847; "Industrial Re- sources of Nova Scotia," Halifax, 1849; "A Practical Treatise on Coal, Petroleum, and Other Distilled Oils," New York and Lon- don, 1861. Second revised edition, 1865. Dr. Gesner has been frequently referred to as the discoverer of kerosene and the originator of the name, derived from the Greek Knpos, wax. As early as 1846 Dr. Gesner had extracted oil from the "Albertite of New Brunswick, and other bituminous minerals. From 1843 to 1851 he was en- gaged in making analyses for Lord Dun- donald of the bitumen of Trinidad and other products of the West Indies. Next he sought to turn his scientific discoveries to commercial use, and, proceeding to New York, set up two large factories for the manufacture of the illuminating oil he called kerosene. The "New Oxford Dictionary," under the defini- tion of the word kerosene, says : "First manu- factured by Abraham Gesner shortly after 1846." Dr. Gesner was of vigorous frame, always busy, but of kindly social disposition, and held in great respect by his intimate ac- quaintances and scientific men of his day. Shortly after his medical graduation. Dr. Gesner married Miss Webster of Kentville, Nova Scotia, a sister of the naturalist. Dr. Webster, and had a large family. A portrait of Dr. Gesner was published in the special mining number of "The Nova Scotian" (Halifax), October, 1903. Donald A. Campbell. Gibbes, Lewis Reeve (1810-1894) Lewis Gibbes, mathematician and naturalist was born at Charleston, South Carolina, August 14, 1810, a descendant of Gov. Robert Gibbes of South Carolina, through wliom he traced descent from the ancient Gybbys fam- ily of Warwickshire, England. He graduated from the South Carolina College in 1829 and took his M. D. in 1836 from the Medical College of the state of South Carolina. Subsequently he attended lectures at Paris under Velpeau, Andral and Louis, studying at the same time at the Sor- bonne and the Jardin des Plantes. He was a member of the American Asso- ciation for the Advancement of Science and of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- delphia. He was tutor in mathematics in the South Carolina College from 1831 to 1834; acting professor of mathematics in the same insti- tution, 1834-35 ; professor in the College of Charleston from 1838 to 1892, occupying first the chair of mathematics and later that of astronomy and physics. Dr. Gibbes never practised medicine, but was devoted to scientific research and teach- ing. The extent and versatility of his knowl- edge were extraordinary. While astronomy seemed to be his chief love he likewise ex- celled in mathematics, chemistry, physics, botany and zoology; and in every field his work was characterized by thoroughness and accuracy. The elder Agassiz (q. v.) on one occasion referring to a certain investigation re- marked that as Dr. Gibbes had gone over it no further research was necessary. As a teacher he was exceptionally gifted, insisting always upon attention to the smallest detail. He married Anna Barnwell Gibbes, Sep- tember 21, 1848, and had nine children. He died in his home at Charleston, South Caro- lina, November 21, 1894, from the effects of a stroke of apoplexy received previously. His writings consisted only of brief records of his work, of which the following will serve to indicate the range of his activity: "Path of the Storm of Eighth of Septem- ber, 1854." (Charleston Evening News, November 24, 1854) ; "Monograph of Genus of Cryptopodia." Proceedings of Elliot So- ciety of Natural History, eleventh of June. 1856) ; "Discovery of New Species of Fir in Mountains of North Carolina, allied to Abies Canadensis. Proposed to call it Ab. Caro- linensis." (Proceedings Elliott Society Nat- ural History," July 1, 1858) ; "Remarkable Flight of Thousands of Butterflies of Genus Callidyas across Charleston Harbor." (In Canadian Entomologist) ; "Observations made lipon the Earthquake of Thirty-first of August." (Proceedings of Elliott Society of Natural History, twenty-eighth of July, 1887.) W. Peyre Porcher. Gibbes, Robert Wilson (1809-1866) Robert Wilson Gibbes was born in the city of Charleston, South Carolina, on the eighth of July, 1809, and died at his home in the city of Columbia, South Carolina, on the fif- teenth of October, 1866. Gibbes was descended from an English family, several branches of which settled in Barbadoes. Gibbes graduated at the South Carolina College in 1827 and the following year was elected assistant professor of chemistry, geology and mineralogy. He graduated in
