Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/796

 FIT

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FIX

They attack all Parts of the Body, without Exception; par- ticularly the Anus, Foramen lachrymale, Thorax, !#c. The general Caule of Fifiula's, is fome Abfcefs, or Ulcer, which either being inveterate, or having been ill ufed, comes to be callous ; the Orifice being at firft lined or incruftated therewith, and at length the whole Sinus.

The Cure confifls, in confuming the Callus, and healing, and confolidating the Ulcer with cleanfing Medicines, and Sarcoticks.

The Antients gave the Name Fifiula to this fort of Ul- cers, from the Refemblance they bear, on account of their Depth, to a Flute, or<Pipe, called by the Latins Fiftala.

Fistula in Ano, is a Fifiula form'd in the Anus, or Fundament. See Anus.

Of this, fome Authors reckon four Kinds, viz. thoCctcum Internum, which is open outwards, but not into the Rectum : The Cacum Externum, which has an Aperture into the Reflum, but none outwards: The Complcat, which opens both into the Anus, and the Inteftine : And the Cuniculatas, or tbat with feverai Sinus's, which difcharge themfelves into one common Cavity, that is the Fund, and as it were, Re- fervoir of them all.

Others, as JVifeman, reduces Fifiula's in Ano to two Gaffes. The firfl are thole, ariling from a Phytna : Thefe are very painful, and difficult to cure; as entering deep a- mongft the Jntefiines of the Mufdes, and forming various Cuniculi, or Sinus's; which, the more remote they are from the Anus, the worfe they be, by rcafon they do not allow of being cut: The fecond, owe their Origin to an internal Hannorrhage, or Extravafation between the Coats of the Rectum ; and have a, fmall Perforation, near the Circum- ference of the Anus, whence they yield a thin Sanies, or Ichor, without Pain: They in time bring on Itchings and Excoriations ; and the Orifices at length become callous, and are fometimes clofed, and fometimes open again.

Fifiula, if they do no Harm by the Copioufnefs of the Flux, the Stench, or the like Accidents, are a Benefit to Nature, as carrying off cachectic Humours ; and ought not to be cured, but kept open. The frelli, iimple Fifiulce may be cured without Danger.

The great way is by cutting; where that may be done Without Damage to the Mufcle of the Anus, which might occalion an involuntary Difcharge of the Excremenrs. Cut- ting is either perform'd with a 'Thread, or a cutting In- ftrument. See each Method under the Article Cutting for the Fifiula in Ano.

Fistula Lacbrymalis, is a Fifiula in the greater Can- thus of the Eye, call'd alfo JEgilops Lacbrymalis.

It is a little deep callous Ulcer, in the greater Caruncle, or the Place of the Glandula Lachrymaiis. It ufually be- gins with an Abfcefs, call'd Auchylops, which in time produces an Ulcer, that afterwards degenerates into a Fi- fiula. When prefs'd with the Finger, it yields a flanking Matter, not uniike the Yolk of an Egg ; and the corrofive Humor finding, or making it felf a Paffage, there enfues a perpetual Oozing.

Sometimes the Os Ethmoidis it felf is corroded, and ren- der'd carious by it ; in which Condition it is fuppofed to be only curable by an actual Cautery : Sometimes it becomes cancrous ; and then, Riverius directs, all Medicines to be laid atide.

The Cure of the Fifiula lacbrymalis, is wholly external and chirurgical ; excepting that Evacuants and Mercurials may be given internally ; as alfo Decoctions of the Woods. Some perforate the Os Nafi, to give room for the Matter, to be evacuated that way.

A. French Chirurgcon, named And, has found out a new way, viz. by putting a Probe and Syringe of an inconceive- able Finenels, thro' the TunCia lachrymalia into the Sacctl- lus lacbrymalis.

Fistula was alfo the Pipe put into the Cup, out of which the Communicants anticntly lucked the Wine.

Divifit Bcclcfiis Cruccs t Altaria, Scrinia, &c. Sitillas, Fiftulas, £?> Oruamenta varia. Flor. Wigorn. Anno 1087.

FISTULAR Flowers, among Herbaliils, are thofe made up of many long, hollow, fmall Flowers, like Pipes; all di- vided into large Jaggs at the end. Szc Flower.

FISTULOUS, oiFistular, is applied by the Chirur- geons to Wounds and Ulcers, which degenerate into Fi- ilula's.

Care muft be taken, not to leave the Seton too long in the Wound, left it renders it callous and fifiulons. Dionis.

Among Botanifts, fiftulous is underltood of fuch Leaves °f Plants, as are ronnd and hollow within, like a Fiftula, or Flute. Thus the Leaves of Onions are faid to be fifiulouS.

FIT, in Medicine, an Accefs, or Paroxyfm. See Pa- roxysm.

Fits of the Mother, fee Hysterice Affection.

Fits of eajy Reflexion and eajy Tranjimffiw, fee Re- flexion, Transmission, Light, i£c.

FITCHEE.orFicHEE, in Heraldry, ;fl when the lower Part of any Crofs is fharpen'd into a Point, fit to fix into the Ground. Thus, Azure, a Crofs Potent Fitchee. The Origin hereof, Mackcnzy afcribes to' the primitive Chriftians, who ufed to carry their Croffes with them, wherever they went ; and when they ftop'd at any Place in a Journey, fix'd thern in the Ground.

FITZ, a French Term, literally denoting Son; fome- times given by way of Addition to the natural Sons of the Kings of England; as Jaines Fitz-Roy, Duke of Graf- ton, Sec.

VlVE-leav'd Grafs, Cinque-foil, in Heraldry, is us'd by fuch as would introduce a Blazon by Herbs and Flowers, inftead of Metals and Colours, to fignify Vert or Green. See Vert.

FIXATION, the Act of fixing, or rendering a thing firm, and fix'd. See Fixity, and Firmness.

Fixation, in Chymiftry, is a peculiar Preparation of Mercury, whereby it is put in a Condition to bear the Firs without evaporating ; or the Hammer without flying, or fe- paratmg. See Mercury.

The Alchymifts hold, that if they had the true Secret of fixing Mercury, without the Addition of any foreign lefs heavy and folid Ingredient, they could make Gold, at leatt Silver. See Philosophers Stone.

Monf. Homberg has a long Procefs of many Months, to prepare an Oil from the fecal Matter, or human Excre, ments, which he imagin'd would have fix'd Mercury into Silver ; but he fail'd. See Fecal Matter.

The Term is likewife applied in the general to any thing that fixes, and binds together what of its own Nature is volatile ; and enables it to fuftain the Force of the Fire for fome confiderable Time.

Geber defines Fixation an Operation whereby a volatile thing, ;. e. a thing that cannot endure the Fire, is render'd capable of enduring it. In the general, Fixation is the chang- ing of a volatile Body into a fix'd one. See Fixed.

FIXT, or Fix'd "Bodies, in the general, are fuch, as nei- ther the Fire, nor any Corrofive, has fuch Effect on, as to reduce or refolve them into their component Elements, i. e. abfolutely to deftroy them.

Chauvin holds it not fufficient to denominate a Body fixt, that it can withftand the Fire, or any one Agent ; but it Ihould withftand all. He contends, that Fixity Ihould not be reftrain'd, as it ufually is, to an Exemption from Evapora- tion; but from Deftruction, or Resolution into primary Ele- ments ; in which fenfe, Gold, pretious Stones and Glafs, and even Sulphur, and Mercury it felf, are properly fix'd Bodies ; for Mercury, and Sulphur retain their Mature, noc- withftanding all their Evaporation. See Mercury.

Fixt, or Fix'd "Bodies, among Chymifts, are fuch as bear the Violence of the Fire, without evaporating. See Eva- poration.

The Chymifts divide all Natural Bodies mm fix'd and vo- latile, i. e. Such as bear the utiiioft Force of the Fire, with- out diflipating, or (pending themfelves in Fume ; and fuch as do not.

Of fix'd Bodies, the principal are Gold, Silver, pretious Stones particularly the Diamond, Salts, t$c.

Of all Metals, Gold and Silver alone are fix'd, i. e. re- maining a long time expofed to the moft intenfe Flame; they alone lofe nothing of their Weight. See Volatile.

Whence this Property fhou'd arife^ is difficult to fay. If the Reader is not contented with the Caufcs enumerated under Fixity, he may add the following one from 'itocrhave, viz. The Homogeneity and Equality of the Parts.

The Parts; e. gr: of Gold being all homogeneous and equal, will equally fuftain each other, and leave equal Pores between them ; through which Pores, when fus'd, the Fire finding an eafy, equal Paffage, goes off, without carrying any thing of the Metal with it : Or rather, the Panicles of Gold being of all others the moft folid, and heavy (as ap- pears from the Weight of that Metal) and of all others the moft ftrongly united, or bound together ( as appears from the infinite Duftility of that Metal) the Force of the Fire is not fufficient to overcome fo powerful a Reliftance : The Solidity of the Particles, and their Freedom from Air prevents their being rarified, or fet further apart ; which might leffen their fpecifick Gravity, and diminifh their vis cohefionis: So that what has the chief Effeft in the railing of Fumes and Vapours, viz. the Rarefact ion, or Expanfion of the Body being here precluded, the Metal maintains its natural Weight and Tendency to the Centre. See Rare- faction, and Expansion.

Mr. Boyle, the Prince of Mirandola, Monf Homberg, and

others, have made numerous Experiments on Gold, oiiver,

$3c. to fee how far their Fixity extended. Pure Gold, kept

in an intenfe Heat for two Months, loft nothing fenfible of


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