Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/769

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FER

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FES

  • °. That if two unequal Bodies of unequal fpecifick

Gravities be immcrfed in a Fluid lighter than either, the Celerities of their Delcents will be compounded of their Gravities and Dimenfions together.

The fame Law, by which Bodies defcend, hold good in the Afcent of thofe fpecifically lighter than the Fluid.

Hence in all heterogeneous Fluids, the constituent Parts f which arc not fitted to affociate and cohere, fo as to form what "is called an uniform homogeneous Fluid, the heavier may be accounted as lolid Bodies, immerfed in a Fluid fpe- cifically lighter ; and the lighter Parts, as fuch Bodies in a Fluid fpecifically heavier ; as it may be demon ft rated, that the component Parts of all Fluids, feparatelyconfider'd, are folid. See Fluid, Solid, £S?c.

This Liquor, therefore, called Wort, which is a Deco&ion of Malt, may be confider'd as fuch an heterogeneous Fluid, w hofc Parts cannot be interchang'd in their Pofitions, till each has obtained fuch an Elevation, as correfponds to its proper Gravity : But left this alone fhould fail of the In- tention, by not being fufRcient to break thofe Molecular and Vicidities, which entangle the fpirituous Parts, and likewile to prevent their flying off at the Surface, fame Portion ot an already fermented Subflance ismix'd with it. This Subflance, term'd Barm, or Teafi, confifts of a great Quantity of fubtile fpirituous Particles, wrapp'd up in fuch as arc vifcid. Now, when this is mix'd with fuch a Liquor, it cannot but much contribute to that inteftine Mo- tion, which is occasioned by the Intercourfe, and Occurfions of Particles of different Gravities^ as the fpirituous Parti- cles will be continually fcriving to get up to the Surface, and the vifcid ones continually retarding fuch Afcent, and preventing their Efcape.

So that by thefe two' concurring Caufes the Particles ex- tracted from the Grain, will by fuch frequent Occurfions be fo comminuted, as continually to increafe the more fubtile and fpirituous Parts, until all that can be made fo by At- trition, are fet loofe from their former vifcid Confinements : and this appears by the Warmth of the Liquor, and the Froth drove to the Top; ju-ft at which Time, if it be thrown into the Still, it affords fome Quantity of an high inflammable Spirit.

Moderate Warmth much haflens this Procefs, as it affifts in opening the Vilcidities, in which fome fpirituous Parts may be entangled, and unbend the Spring of the included Air, which cannot but contribute to the Rarefaction and Comminution of the whole.

The vifcid Parts, which arc raifed to the Top, not only on account of their own Lightncfs, but by the continual Efforts and Occurfions of the Spirit to get uppermoft, both fhew, when the Ferment is at the higheft, and prevent the finer Spirits making their Efcape: For if this inteftine Lucius be permitted to continue too long, a great Deal will get away, and the remaining grow flat, and vapid, and raife little befides Phlegm in the Still.

The greateft Ufe of this Theory in Medicine, will be in teaching, what Parts of the Materia Mcdica are moft pro- perly brought under this Procedure ; and how fuch inte- ftine Motion, does in fome Things, deftroy their Virtues : For by fome Medicines an Intention is aimed at, which is not to be procured, but by their being fpirituous; whereas in others the very contrary Property is required: In fuch Cafes therefore, when by any adventitious Caufe thofe Me- dicines get into a Ferment, they are deftroyed, and fliould not be adminiftred. FERNAMBOUC, y?cBp.A.siL Wood. FERRUGINOUS, a Term, intimating a Thing to part- take of the Nature of Iron ; or to contain Particles of that Metal. Sec Iron.

' It is particularly applied to certain mineral Springs, whofe Water in their Paffage along the Strata of the Earth meet with the Ore, or MarcafTite of the Metal, part of which they wafh off, and carry with them ; and thus become im- pregnated with the Principles thereof. Such are what we call cbalxbcate Waters. See Ciialybeat, and Mars.

The Waters of i l'unbridgc, thofe of Forges, and of the iron Spring at Bourgcs, arc ferruginous.

FERRUGO, the Ruftof Iron; orakind of Calx, found on the Surface thereof. Sec Iron, and Rust. FERRUM, fee Iron.

FERTILITY, Fruitfulnefs, or the Quality, which de- nominates a thing fertile^ or prolifick. See Fecundity;

fee alio Barrenness, Disease, £f?c.

The Egyptian Nitre, or Natron, renders the Ground ex- ceed \ng\y fertile. M. de la Chambre obferves, that Plants grow in fuch Abundance in Egypt, that they would choak one another, if they were not hundred, by throwing Sand upon the Fields : Infbmuch that the Egyptians muft rake as much Pains to leffen the Fatnefs of their Soil, as other Na- tions do to increafe it. *Philof. TranfabJ. K" itf°.

Nothing is more fertile than Wheat, which Faculty was given it by the Creator, in regard it was to be the principal Food of Men; Thus a fingleMcafureofthat Grain, fownina

proper Soil, will yield 150 Meafures.— One of Augnflnd Procurators fent him 400 Ears, all produced from one Seed. Nero had 340 Ears fent him, from a fmgle Seed. (Plin* Nat. Hijl. lib. iS. c. 10. See Semerador.

FERULA, a little wooden Pallet, or Slice 5 reputed the Schoolmafters Sceptre, wherewith he chafHfes the Boys, by . ftriking them on the Palm.

The Word is pure Latin, and has alfo been ufed to de- note the Prelates Crozier, and Staff. Under the Eafterh Empire, the Ferula was the Emperor's Sceptre, as is feen on divers Medals. It confifts of a long Srem, or Shank, and a flat, fquarc Head. The Ufe of the Ferula is very anticnt among the Greeks, who ufed to call their Princes va.fj-v>to$hei, q. d. Ferula- bearers.

The Word is fuppofed to be form'd of the Latin ferire y tofirike^ or, perhaps, Ferula in this Senfe may be de- rived from the Name of a Plant, called Ferula, the Stem whereof was antiently ufed to correct Children withal ; tho" others think, the Plant took its Name from the Inftrument, or rather from its Ufe, fcrire.

In the antient Eaftem Church, Ferula fignifies a Place feparated from the Church, wherein the Penitents, or Ca- techumens of the fecond Order, called Jufc alt antes, <Zx.cm~ M2tw, were kept ; as not being allowed to enter the Church. Whence the Name of the Place ; the Perfons therein be- ing under Penance, or Difcipline : SubFerula cra,itEcclefi<e. EERULjE, among Chirurgcons, called alfo Splinters 5 are little Chips, of different Matter, as Woods s Barks, Fir, Leather, Paper, %$c. applied to Bones, that have been dif- jointed, when they are ibt again.

The Bark of the Herb Sagapene, called in Latin Ferula, was antiently much ufed on this occafion ; whence the Name Ferula became common to all.

FESCENNINE, in Antiquity. Fefcennine Verfes were a kind of fatyrical Verfes, full of open, wanton, and obfeene Expreffions, lung or rehears 'd by the Company, at the fo- lemnizing of a Marriage among the Romans. See Sa- tyr.

The Word Fefcenniiius is borrowed, according to Me- nage, from Fafcinum, a Charm 5 the People taking fuch Songs to be proper to drive away Witches, or prevent their Effect. See Ligature.

FESSE, one of the nine Honourable Or- dinaries of the Efcutcheon, which it divides horizontally in the Middle, and feparates the Chief from the Point. It is fuppofed to re- prefent a broad Girdle, or Belt ot Honour, which Knights at Arms were antiently girded withal.

It poffefies the Centre of the Efcutcheon, and contains in Breadth one third Part thereof.

Thus, he beareth Azure, a Feffe Or, by the Name of Eliott.

When the Fefs takes up lefs than its proper Breadth, it is called a Bar. See Bar.

Fesse-7W;;?, is the ex a £1 Centre of the Efcutcheon. See Escutcheon.

It is thus called, as being the Point, through which the Fefs Line is drawn from the two Sides ; and accordingly di- vides the Efcutcheon into two equal Parts ; when the Efcut- cheon is parted Fer-fefs.

FESSE-wfl)'^, or in Feffe, denotes Things born after the manner of a Feffe, i. e. in a Line, or Range, a^crofs the Middle of the Shield, which the French call en Feffe.

'Party per Fesse, implies parted a-crofs the Middle of the Shield from Side to Side, through the Feffe Point. This the French exprefs by one Word, Couppe. FESTl 2)ies, among the Antients, were J'c^-Days, or Holidays. See Feast.

Numa diftinguifli'd the Days of the Year into Fejii, <ProfeJli, and Intercifi.

The firft were thofe dedicated to the Gods: The fe- cond, were thofe allowed to Men, for the Management of their own Affairs; being thus called, according to Fefius % <f{ucd procul fint a religione Numinis divince : The third were fliared between the Gods and Men.

The Fefii dies, again, were divided, according to Mcl- crobius, Saturn, c. rtf. into Sacrifices, Epular, or Banquets; Ludi, or Games ; and Ferine. See Ferije, &c. And the Pro- fefti into Fajli, Comitialcs, Comferendini, Stati, and Fr<s- liares. See Fasti, &c.

FESTINO, inLogick, one of the Moods of Syllogifms. See Mood.

In a Syllogifm in Feflino, the firft Propofition is an uni- verfal Negative; the fecond, a particular Affirmative; and the third a particular Negative. See Syllogism. FESTIVAL, fee Feast, and Festum. FESTOON, a Garland, or Ornament of Flowers, Fruits and Leaves intermix'd ; antiently much ufed at the Gates of Temples, where Feafts, or folemn Rejoycings were held; or at any other Places, where Marks of publick Joy and Gayety were defired ; as at Triumphal Arches, Tourna- ments, cifc. FefloonS)