VIRUS: See FILTER-PASSING VIRUSES; BACTERIA AND DIS EASE ; BACTERIOLOGY.
VIS, an island in the Adriatic, forming part of Dalmatia, Yugo slavia (Italian, Lissa). Pop. (1921) 5,139, divided between two villages. In Vis, the capital, which has an excellent harbour, is the old palace of the Counts Gariboldi, the monastery of the Min orites, several large churches and a hotel. The chief industries are viticulture, the distillation of rosemary oil, and sardine fishing. Komiia, the other village, has a large sardine factory. The grotto on the island of Bigevo (Italian Busi) is said to be finer than that of Capri. Iron ore is found on the island. To the west of the capital lie the ruins of the ancient city of Issa, traditionally founded by settlers from Lesbos, the Issa of the Aegean. The Parians intro duced a colony in the 4th century B.C. During the first Punic War (265-41 B.c.) the Issaeans helped the Romans, who in turn de fended them from the Illyrians. Later, when Illyria became a Roman province, Vis was incorporated in it, and many Roman re mains have been found on the island. Still later, it was ravaged by the pirates of Almissa, taken by Venice in 996, then captured by the Ragusans, but in 1278 Venice had re-established herself there.
Velo Selo, then the chief settlement, was destroyed by Ferdinand of Naples in 1483, and by the Turks in 1571. The present city rose shortly afterwards. During the Napoleonic wars the French held Vis until 1811, and by the cheap sale of captured merchandise, brought prosperity to the islanders, and the trebling of its popula tion. In 1811 the French were defeated by the British and thence forward the island smuggled British goods into Dalmatia. In the British established an administrative system under native officials, in Vis and the adjoining islands of KorCula and Lagosta. They built a line of forts along the heights of Vis, and made a cemetery for the sailors killed during the Napoleonic wars. Twenty years later the Italians bombarded Vis during the War of Liberation, but were defeated in a naval engagement with the Austrians, who had held the island since 1815. At the close of the World War (1914-18) the Italians occupied it.