3286 



FRA DIAVOLO 



F.P. Abbreviation for fire plug. 



Fraction (Lat. /radio, from/ran- 

 gere, to break). Arithmetical ex- 

 pression of the relation of a part 

 to the whole. The simplest frac- 

 tions express this relationship in 

 the case where the whole contains 

 the part an exact number of times ; 

 e.g. if there are seven equal parts 

 each part is a seventh of the whole. 

 The next step is the adding together 

 of several such simple parts, to 

 form a fraction like three-sevenths. 

 Simple as this step may seem to the 

 modern reader, it was beyond the 

 mental grasp of the ancient Egyp- 

 tians, who could realize this type of 

 fraction only in the easy cases of 

 two-thirds and three-quarters. 



The handling of such fractions is 

 greatly facilitated by their expres- 

 sion, in the Arabic notation, by 

 two numbers separated by a bar ; 

 thus, three -sevenths is written % ; 

 3 is technically called the numera- 

 tor and 7 the denominator. Such a 

 fraction as f is called a vulgar frac- 

 tion, in contrast with a decimal 

 fraction, the denominator of which 

 is either ten or a power of ten. This 

 denominator, being understood, 

 may be suppressed ; thus '39 is 

 interpreted to mean &$. The deci- 

 mal system affords great advantage 

 in the comparison of fractions with 

 different denominators (e.g. it is 

 not immediately obvious that T 7 T is 

 greater than f , but when expressed 

 decimally as '63 and '625 respec- 

 tively, the fact is at once evident), 

 and in computations where exact 

 accuracy is not required, but it has 

 the disadvantage of being cumbrous 

 for the exact expression of some of 

 the commonest fractions, such as 

 one-third, which is expressed as 

 *3, one-eleventh '09, or one-seventh 

 142857. Thus it is impossible 

 to divide a dollar or a franc into 

 three equal parts. See Arithmetic ; 

 Decimal System. 



Fracture (Lat. fractura). Word 

 meaning breakage, but specially 

 applied to breakages of the bones. 

 These are usually caused by ex- 

 ternal violence, which may be direct 

 or indirect. A fracture caused 

 by direct violence occurs at that 

 part of the bone lying beneath the 

 tissues which are actually struck. 

 Indirect violence breaks the bone 

 at some other part. For instance, 

 a blow on the side of the chest will 

 break the ribs at the spot actually 

 struck and drive the fractured ends 

 inwards ; but if a cartwheel passes 

 over the chest of a person lying on 

 his back on the ground, the ribs 

 break by indirect violence at the 

 point of maximum curvature, and 

 the fractured ends fcnd to turn 

 outwards. Powerful muscular 

 effort will sometimes fracture a 



bone. Thus the effort made by a 

 person who stumbles to save him- 

 self from falling, sometimes frac- 



to prevent contraction of the liga- 

 ments and stiffness in the joints. 

 With single fractures in which 



tures the patella or knee-cap ; and the bones are readily maintained 

 the upper arm bone has been in good position these methods are 



usually sufficient, 



broken by the vigorous throwing 

 of a cricket ball. 



Conditions predisposing to frac- 

 ture are diseases which cause 

 atrophy or weakness of the bones, 

 such as rickets. In certain forms 

 of lunacy the bones may be so 

 weakened as to fracture from a 

 slight effort or accident, a condi- 

 tion which has several times 

 given rise to groundless accusations 



but for more 



complicated fractures, and when 

 there is much displacement, opera- 

 tive measures are often desirable, 

 the fragments of bone being bound 

 together by silver wire or, in 

 appropriate cases, united by metal 

 plates. Compound fractures de- 

 mand thorough cleaning of the 

 injured tissues and removal of all 

 loose fragments of bone, which are 



of ill-treatment. In a simple frac- &pt to undergo necrosis if left in 

 ture there is no communication the wound. If suppuration has 

 between the seat of fracture and occurred, the insertion of drainage 

 the external air ; in a compound tubes is generally necessary. Plat- 

 fracture the skin or mucous mem- ; ---- 



brane is so torn or injured as to 

 bring about this communication. In 

 a comminuted fracture the bone is 

 broken into more than two pieces, 

 and in an impacted fracture the 

 ends of the bones are driven into 

 each other. A fracture which does 

 not completely break the bone, 

 but bends and splits it, is termed a 

 green -stick fracture, and is most 

 often seen in young children whose 

 bones are relatively soft. A frac- 

 ture of the skull which has resulted In 1806 he made a similar attempt, 

 in the driving in of a piece of bone but was caught and hanged in 

 is a depressed fracture. 



ing or wiring is not as a rule desir- 

 able in these cases. See First 

 Aid; Surgery. 



FraDiayolo( 1771-1806). Nick- 

 name of Michele Pezza, an Italian 

 brigand. Originally a monk, he 

 became an outlaw chieftain in 

 the mountains of Calabria, where 

 his atrocities earned him his nick- 

 name (Brother Devil). Ferdinand 

 of Naples made him a colonel, and 

 with Cardinal Ruffo he raised a 

 revolt against the French in 1799. 



The general treatment of a frac- 

 ture consists in first setting the 

 broken bone, i.e. bringing the 

 broken ends into opposition with 

 each other in the normal position. 

 This is done by manipulation, and 

 as the process may 

 be very painful, and 

 muscular spasm 

 may hinder the re- 

 placement, it is 

 often desirable to 

 place the patient 

 under an anaes- 

 thetic. The broken 

 bone is next secured 

 in normal position 

 by means of band- 

 ages, splints, and, 

 in appropriate 

 cases, plaster of 

 Paris. The limb 

 must be kept at 

 rest while re-union 

 is occurring, but as 

 disuse leads to con- 

 siderable weaken- 

 ing and atrophy of 

 the muscles, the 

 limb should be mas- 

 saged daily, usually 

 within a period not 

 longer than a fort- 

 night after the in- 

 jury. Gentle pas- 

 sive movements of 

 the limb are also 

 begun early in order 



Naples as a bandit, Nov. 10, 1806. 

 Fra Diavolo. Opera by D. F. 

 Auber, nominally founded on the 

 misdeeds of the brigand of that 

 name. The full title of the opera 

 is Fra Diavolo, ou I'Hotellerie de 

 Terracine ; the libretto was bv 



Fragonard. The Swing, one of the artist's most deli- 

 cately executed masterpieces, painted about 1769 



Wallace Collection, London 



