FIE 



FIG 



ter some days, a crisis takes place, 

 that is, the symptoms cither take a 

 favourable or an unlavourabie turn. 

 If the exacerbation and remission of 

 symptoms are well marked, and oc- 

 cur once or oftener in the day, the 

 fever is called a remittent ; if the fe- 

 ver leaves the patient after some 

 hours' duration, and returns at sta- 

 ted intervals, it is called an intermit- 

 tent, as ague. Fevers are also va- 

 riously denominated, according to the 

 prevalent symptoms, as injlammatory, 

 typhis or putrid, nervous fever, &c. ; 

 or according to cutaneous appearan- 

 ces connected with them, such as 

 scarlet fever and yellow fever. 



In the first stage, sweating med- 

 icines and purges, with bleeding, 

 are useful ; subsequently, medicines 

 W'hich calm the nervous system are 

 used. Calomel, in a dose of 10 grains 

 for a man, is often useful ; but in 

 fevers attended with great debility, ] 

 bleeding is injurious, and stimulants, 

 especially carbonate of ammonia {sal 

 volatile), and wines, are essential. j 

 FEVERFEW. Species of Py- ' 

 rcthrum ; they are very similar, and 

 may replace chamomile, especially ! 

 the P. parthenium. Several bear or- 

 namental flowers. They occasion- i 

 ally become troublesome perennial ! 

 weeds, difficult to extirpate, except 

 by repeated harrowings. 



FIBRE, VEGETABLE. See Lig- 

 nin. 



FIBRIN. The principal constitu- 

 ent of muscles ; it also exists in 

 blood and some vegetables. When 

 pure, it is white, inodorous, and in- 

 soluble, and, if perfectly dry, can be 

 kept for any time, but when moist, it 

 putrefies rapidly. See Protein. 



FIBULA. The outer thin bone of 

 the fore leg. 



FICOIDE^. Tropical plants re- ; 

 sembling the cactuses, inhabiting 

 sandy plains. 



F I C U S. The generic name of 

 the fig ; hence ^carra, resembling the 

 fig. ' 



FIELD LARK. All the family of 

 larks are devourers of grain, and 

 therefore injurious to the farmer. 

 FIELDS. The enclosures made [ 

 283 



' on an arable farm ; they are seldom 

 less than 20 acres, and in large farms 

 become 50 or more. 



F I E L D M I C E {Avicola agrestis, 

 Cuvier, the short-tailed ; Mus sylvati- 

 cus, Linnajus, the long-tailed species). 

 They are a great nuisance to or- 

 chards, stripping off the bark near 

 the ground, and causing the death of 

 the trees. Tarring the parts is said 

 to protect them ; the introduction of 

 a new ring of sound bark, the two 

 being made to fit closely, after the in- 

 jury, will often save the trees. Crows, 

 hawks, owls, weasles, cats, and ter- 

 rier dogs, as well as traps, are often 

 insufficient to subdue these pests. 

 The following method was found very- 

 successful in England after all others 

 had failed : pits were dug 18 inches 

 deep, two feet long, and 1 8 inches wide 

 at the bottom, but with the sides in- 

 clined, so as to be only 16 inches long 

 at the top and nine inches wide. The 

 holes were made 20 feet apart each 

 way, and were so successful that oft- 

 en 15 mice were taken in one during 

 a single night : the mice falling in, 

 were unable to escape up the inclined 

 sides. 



FIG. Ficus carica. Upward of 40 

 varieties are published of this fruit ; 

 of these, the 5larseilles, early white, 

 large white Genoa, purple Genoa, and 

 Brunswick are worthy of cultivation. 

 Most of these bear two crops in the 

 season, from August to October. In 

 the Northern States they require pro- 

 tection by glass or matting during 

 winter, but may be cultivated as 

 standards in Virginia and other parts 

 of the South. The Malta is worthy 

 of cultivation in the South as a crop, 

 the fruit drying of itself on the tree 

 if left, and becoming a fine sweet- 

 meat. Figs are readily propagated 

 by cuttings, layers, suckers, roots, or 

 seeds. The layers will bear in one 

 or two years. As standards, they 

 are planted six to eight feet apart, in 

 a dry, loamy soil. The fruit is hast- 

 ened in ripening by pricking with a 

 quill dipped in sweet oil, and is pre- 

 served for commerce by immersing 

 for a moment in boiling lye. 



The fig is peculiarly manageable. 



