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QUINTAL 403 QUITMAN faculty of breathing and swallowing, and febrile symj)toms. QUINTAL, a weight of 100 or 112 pounds, according to the scale used. The French quintal vietrique is 100 kilo- grammes or 220.46 pounds avoirdupois. QUINTANA, MANUEL JOSE, a Spanish poet; born in Madrid, Spain, April 11, 1772; was lawyer, journalist, and man of letters, as well as poet. He was governor or preceptor to the young Queen Isabella, was made senator and peer in 1835. He was a Liberal in poli- tics, and twice driven from office, being imprisoned from 1814 to 1820. His most famous work is the "Lives of Celebrated Spaniards," in three volumes (1807- 1833). He died March 11, 1857. QUINTANA ROO, a federal state of Mexico, in the peninsula of Yucatan, bounded on the W. by the state of Cam- peche, on the N. by the state of Yucatan, on the E. by the Caribbean Sea, and on the S. by British Honduras. Puerto Morelos, Chansantacruz and Santa Cruz de Bravo are the chief towns, the last being the capital. Its area is 19,270 square miles. It was organized as a territory in 1902, and was from that time on administered directly by the government from the city of Mexico. Pop. about 10,000. QUINTETTE, or QUINTET, in music: (1) A composition in five parts or for five performers. (2) Part of a move- ment sung by five voices soli, opposed to coro. (3) A composition for two xno- Mns, two tenors, and a violoncello; or two violins, a tenor, and two violoncellos; or two violins, a tenor, a violoncello, and double bass, having the same form as a sonata. QUINTILIAN, QUINTILIANUS MARCUS FABIUS. a Roman rhetori- cian; native of Spain. In his early youth he was at Rome, and heard the lec- tures of Domitius Afer, who died A. p. 59. He accompanied Gabba to Rome, in the year 68, became an eminent pleader, and still more eminent as a teacher of rhetoric. He taught at Rome for 20 years, was named preceptor to the errand- nephews of Domitian, had also Pliny the younger among his scholars. He re- tived from his public duties in 89, and is supposed to have lived about 30 years longer. His great work is entitled, "On Oratory as an Art." QUINTILIUS. AURELIUS CLAUD- IUS, brother of Claudius II., was, on his death, invested with the purple by the army in Aquitaine, a. d. 270, but be- ing deserted by his troops on the ap- proach of the rival Emperor Aurelian, who had been proclaimed by the Italian army, he bled himself to death in a bath 17 days after assuming the scepter. QUIRE, a collection of 24 sheets of paper. Wrapping, envelope, flat-cap, printing, and many other papers are not folded. News paper has 25 sheets to the quire. Also a collection of one of each of the sheets of a book laid in consecu- tive order ready for folding. QUIRINAL, THE, one of the seven hills of ancient Rome, and next to the Palatine and Capitoline, the oldest and most famous quarter of the city. QUIRINUS, among the Romans, a surname of Romulus after he had been raised to the rank of a divinity. Hence Quirinalia, a festival in honor of Rom- ulus, held annually on the 13th day be- fore the kalends of March, that is, Feb- ruary 17. QUIRITES, a designation of the citi- zens of ancient Rome as in their civil capacity. The name of Quirites be- longed to them in addition to that of Romani, the latter designation applying to them in their political and military capacity. QUIRK, in architecture and carpen- try: (1) A sudden turn, applied to a form of molding in which an acute recess separates the molding proper from the fil- let or soffit. It is much used between moldings in Gothic architecture; in Gre- cian, and sometimes in Roman, architec- ture ovolos and ogees are usually quirk- ed at the top. (2) A projecting fillet on the sole or side of a grooving plane, which acts as a fence or a gauge for depth or distance. (3) A piece taken out of any regular ground-plot or floor, so as to make a court, yard, etc.; thus, if the ground plan were square or ob- long, and a piece were taken oi:t of the corner, such piece is called a quirk. QUIT-CLAIM, a deed of release; an in- strument by which some claim, right, or title, real or supposed, to an estate, is re- linquished to another without any cove- nant or warranty, express or implied. QUITMAN. JOHN ANTHONY, an American military officer ; born in Rhine- beck, N. Y., Sept. 1, 1799. He began his career by teaching school from his 16th to his 19th year, when he commenced the study of law. Removing to Mississippi in 1821, he entered the political arena, filling successively the offices of member of the Legislature, State chancellor, member of the convention for revising the State constitution. State Senator, and governor, which latter he entered on through a vacancy in 1836. He soon