F I B 
F 1 B 
F I B 
The intercisi were days common both to 
gods and men, some parts of which were al- 
lotted to the service of the one, and some to 
that of the other. 
FESTINO, in logic, the third mood of the 
second figure of syllogism, the first proposi- 
tion whereof is an universal negative, the se- 
cond a particular affirmative, and the third a 
particular negative ; as in the following ex- 
ample: 
Fes No bad man can be happy : 
ti Some rich men are bad men ; 
no Ers;o, some rich men are not happy. 
FEUD-BOTE, a recompence for being 
concerned in a feud or quarrel. 
F EVER, febris, in medicine, a disease, or 
rather class of diseases, whose characteristic 
is a preternatural heat felt through the 
whole body, or at least the principal parts of 
it. See Medicine. 
FIBRARLE, a class of fossils. See As- 
bestos. 
FIBRE, in anatomy, a perfectly simple 
body, or at least as simple as any thing in the 
human structure, being fine and slender like 
a thread, and serving to form other parts 
Hence some fibres are hard, as the bony 
ones ; and others sott, as those destined for 
the formation of all the other parts. 
FIBRINAj is that substance which consti- 
tutes the fibrous part of the muscles of animals. 
If a quantity of blood, newly drawn from an 
animal, be allowed to remain at rest for some 
time, a thick red clot gradually forms in it, 
and subsides. Separate this clot from the 
rest of the blood, put it into a linen, cloth, 
and wash it repeatedly in water tut it ceases 
to give out any colour or taste to the liquid; 
the substance which remains after this pro- 
cess is denominated fibrina. It h ,s been 
long known to physicians under the name of 
the fibrous part of the blood, but has not till 
lately been accurately described. 
It may be procured also from the muscles 
of animals. Mr. Hatchett, to whom we are 
indebted for a very interesting set of experi- 
ments on this substance, cut a quantity of 
lean beef into small pieces, and macerated it 
in water for 15 days, changing the water 
every day, and subjecting the beef to pres- 
sure at the same time, in order to squeeze 
out the water. As the weather w as cold, it 
gave no signs of putrefaction during this pro- 
cess. The shreds of muscle, which amount- 
ed to about three pounds, were now boiled 
for five hours every day for three weeks in 
six quarts of fresh water, which was regu- 
larly changed every day. The fibrous part 
was now pressed, and dried by the heat of a 
water-bath. After this treatment it might 
be considered as fibrina nearly as pure as it 
can be obtained. 
Fibrina is of a white colour, has no taste 
nor smell, and is not soluble in water nor in 
alcohol, When newly extracted from blood, 
it is soft and elastic, and' resembles very 
much the gluten of vegetables. Its colour 
deepens very much in drying. That which 
is extracted from muscle by boiling and ma- 
ceration has a certain degree of transparency", 
and is not ductile but brittle. Its colour does 
not deepen nearly so much as the fibrina from 
blood. 
It undergoes no change, though kept ex- 
posed to the action of air ; neither does it 
alter speedily, though kept covered with 
water. Mr. Hatchett kept a quantity of the 
VOL. I. 
fibrina which he had prepared from beef 
moistemed with water during the whole month 
of April ; it acquired a musty but not a putrid 
smell, neither were the fibres reduced to a 
pulpy mass. Even when kept tw r o months 
under water, it neither became putrid, nor 
was converted into the fatty matter obtained 
by macerating recent muscle. 
When fibrina is exposed to heat, it con- 
tracts very suddenly, and moves like a bit of 
horn, exhaling at the same time the smell of 
burning feathers. In a stronger heat it melts. 
When exposed to destructive distillation, it 
yields water, carbonat of ammonia, a thick 
heavy fetid oil, traces of acetic acid, carbonic 
acid, and carbureted hydro'gen gas. The 
charcoal, as Mr. Hatchett ascertained, is 
more copious than that left by gelatine or 
albumen. It is very difficult to incinerate, 
owing to the presence of phosphat of soda 
and some phosphat of lime, which form a 
glassy coat on the surface. A considerable 
proportion of carbonat of lime also remains 
after the incineration of the charcoal. 
Acids dissolve fibrina with considerable 
facility. Sulphuric acid gives it a deep-brown 
colour, charcoal is precipitated, and acetic 
acid formed. Muriatic acid dissolves it, and 
forms with it a green-coloured -jelly. The 
acetic, citric, oxalic, and tartaric acids, also 
dissolve it by the assistance of heal; and the 
solutions, when concentrated, assume the ap- 
pearance of jelly. Alkalies precipitate the 
fibrina from acids in Hakes, soluble in hot wa- 
ter, and resembling gelatine in its properties. 
Diluted nitric acid occasions the separa- 
tion of a considerable portion of azotic gas, as 
was first observed by Berthollet. Mr. 
Hatchett steeped a quantity of fibrina in nitric 
acid, diluted with thrice its weight of water, for 
15davs. Theacid acquired a yellow tinge, and 
possessed ail the properties of the nitric solu- 
tion of albumen. The fibrina thus treated 
dissolved in boiling water, and when con- 
centrated by evaporation, became a gelati- 
nous mass, soluble in hot water, and precipi- 
tated by tan and nitromuriat of tin, and 
therefore possessing the properties of gelatine. 
Ammonia dissolves the greater part of the 
fibrina after it has been altered by nitric acid. 
The solution is of a deep orange-colour, 
similar to the solution of albumen treated in 
the same way. Boiling nitric acid dissolves 
fibrina, exept some fatty matter which swims 
on the surface. The solution resembles that 
of albumen ; except that ammonia throws 
down a white precipitate, consisting chiefly 
of oxalat of lime. During the solution, prus- 
sic acid comes over, and carbonic acid gas 
mixed with nitrous gas; a considerable por- 
tion of oxalic acid is formed, besides the fatty 
matter which swims. It is probable that this 
last substance does not differ much from the 
substance formed by causing nitric acid to 
act upon the muscles of animals, which the 
French chemists have distinguished by the 
name of adipocire. 
The alkalies, while diluted, have blit* little 
effect upon fibrina; but when concentrated 
potass or soda is boiled upon it, a complete 
solution is obtained of a deep-brown colour, 
possessing the properties of soap. During 
the solution, ammonia is disengaged. When 
the solution is saturated with muriatic acid, 
a precipitate is obtained similar to that from 
animal sbap, except that it sooner becomes 
hard and soapy when exposed to the air. 
721 
The Earths, as far as is known, have little 
or no action on fibrina. Neither has the 
action of the metallic oxides and salts been 
examined. 
Fibrina is insoluble in alcohol, ether, and 
oils. The effect of other reagents on it has 
not been examined. 
From the properties above detailed, fibri- 
na appears to be composed of the same con- 
stituents as albumen and gelatine ; but it 
probably contains more carbon and azote> 
and possibly less oxygen. The close resem- 
blance which it bears to albumen is very 
obvious from the experiments of Mr. Ilat- 
chett just detailed. Nitric acid converts both 
into gelatine, and alkalies convert both into 
a species of oil. Now as all the soft parts of 
animals consist of combinations of these three 
genera, it follows, as Mr. Hatchett has observe 
ed, that all the soft parts of animals may be 
either converted into gelatine or animal soapy 
both sybstances of the highest importance. 
Fibrina exists only in the blood and the 
muscles of animals ; but it is a genus which 
includes as many species as there are varie- 
ties in the muscles of animals, and the great 
variety of these substances is well known. 
The muscles offish, of fowl, and of quadru- 
peds, bear scarcely any resemblance to each 
other. 
A substance exactly resembling the fibri- 
na, as it exists in the blood, lias been de- 
tected by Vauquelin in the juice of the pa- 
paw-tree; the same juice which contained 
albumen in such plenty. Fibrina then must 
be ranked among vegetable substances. 
When the juice of the papaw is treated 
with water, the greatest part dissolves; but 
there remains a substance insoluble, which 
has a greasy appearance. It softens in the 
air, anil becomes viscid, brown, and semi- 
transparent. When thrown on burning coals 
it melted, let drops of grease exude, emitted 
the noise of meat roasting, and produced a 
smoke which had the odour of fat volatilized. 
It left behind it no residue. This substance 
was the fibrina. The resemblance between 
the juice of the papaw and animal matter is 
so close, that we should almost be tempted 
to suspect some imposition, was not the evi- 
dence that it is really the juice of a tree quite 
unexceptionable. 
The properties of fibrina are the following.: 
1 . It is tasteless, fibrous, elastic, and re- 
sembles gluten. 
2. It is insoluble in water and in alcohol. 
3. It. is not dissolved by alkalies. 
4. But acids dissolve it without difficulty. 
5. With nitric acid it gives out much 
azotic gas. 
6. When distilled it yields much carbonat 
of ammonia and oil. 
7. If soon putrifies when kept moist, be- 
comes green, but does not acquire any re- 
semblance to cheese. See Gluten. 
FIB ROLE' I E, a mineral, first observed 
by Bournon, in the matrix of the imperfect 
corundum. Colour white or dirty grey; spe- 
cific gravity 3.214; texture fibrous; cross 
fracture compact; internal lustre glossy ; in- 
fusible by the blowpipe. Usually in shape- 
less fragments, it is composed of 
53.25 alumina 
33.00 silica 
3.75 a trace of iron, and loss. 
100.00 
