FEC
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FEE
febrifuge, efpecially in intermitting Fevers. Cold Water has been lately much extoll'd as a Febrifuge. Dr. Hancock gives it the emphatical Denomination of Fetrifilgmm Mdg- B g)B. See Water.
Mx.Renedume, in the H'tft. de tAcadem. R. de Sciences, An. 17"- propofes a new Febrifuge, of his own Difcovery, via. Galls. From a great Number of Experiments, he has learnt, that Galls alone will frequently cure an inter- mitting Fever, as well as the Quinquina ; over which it has feme Advantages in other Things ; in that it is not fo titter, does not heat, is taken in a kfl'er Dole, feldomer, and cheaper.
At his Motion, feveral other Phyficians tried it with Suc- ce fs, particularly Mr. Homberg; though it did not fucceed fo well with M. Bttldnc, Lemery, and Geoffrey. See Galls. FEBRIS, in Medicine. See Fever. FEBRUA, in Antiquity, A Feaft, held by the Romans, in the Month of February ; in behalf of the Manes of the Deceafed.
Macroiius tells us, that Sacrifices were here perform'd ; and the laft Offices pay'd the Shade of the Defunft. Sa- turn. L.I. c. 13. And from this Feaft it was, that the Month of February took its Name.
The Deiign ofthefe Sacrifices is fomewhat controverted : 'Pliny fays, that they were perform'd, to render the infer- nal Gods propitious to the Deceas'd ; tho' feme of the Mo- derns have imagin'd, that they were intended, to appeafe the Deceas'd themfelves, and were offer'd immediately to them, as a fort of Deities. What confirms the former Sentiment, is, that 'Pluto himfelf is furnam'd Februus. They held for twelve Days.
The Word is of a very antient (landing in the Latin Tongue. From the very Foundation of the City, we meet with Februa, for 'Purifications; and Februare, to purify. Var- ro, de Ling. Lat. L. V. derives it from the Satins : Vof- fius, and others, from fervco, I am hot; by reafon, that Purifications chiefly were perform'd with Fire, and hot Water. Some go higher, and even deduce the Words from "IIS, 'Phur, or 'Pbavar, which in Syriac and Arabic has the fame Signification with Ferbuit, or Ffferbuit 5 and might probably, likewife fignify, to purify : For pbavar, in Arabic, denotes a Preparative, given to Women in Child- bed, to bring away the After-birth, and other Impurities, remaining after Delivery: Much as among the Romans, who gave the Name Februa to the Goddefs fuppos'd to prefide over the Delivery of Women. Ovid. Faft. FECES, and > ("Faeces.
FECAL Matter, S oee 1 Fecal Matter. FECIALES, Feciales, or Fetiales, were publick Officers among the antient Rovians.
The Fcciales were a fort of Heralds, or Kings at Arms ; who , when the Romans had any Difpute with their Neigh- bors, were fent, firft, to demand the Thing pretended to be ufurp'd ; or require Satisfaction for the Injury alledg'd to be done. If an Anfwer was' not return'd by rhetn, that was fatisfaflory to the People and the Senate ; they were dif-
fatch'd again to declare War : And the like in treating of eace ; the Feciales being the only Perfons appointed to treat between the Senate, i£c. and the Enemy.
Plutarch, in the Life of Numa ; and Halicarnaffens I.. II. obferve, that they were firft inftituted by that Prince. The latter adds, that they were chofen out of the beft Fa- milies in Rome ; that their Office, which was reputed a fort of Sacerdmium, or Friclthood, only ended with their Life ; that their Perfons were facred, and inviolable, as thofe of other Priefls ; that they were even charged to fee the Re- publick did not declare War unjuftly ; that they were to receive the Complaints and Remonftrances of Nations, who pretended to have been any way injur'd by the Romans; that if thole Complaints were found juft, they were to feize the Criminals, and deliver rhem up to thofe they had offended ; that they were invefted with the Rights and Privileges of Embaffadors ; that they concluded Treaties of Peace, and Alliance, and took Care they were executed, and lallly abolifli'd them, if they were not equitable. _ But Varro affures us, that in his time molt ofthefe Func- tions of the Feciales were let afide; as thofe of the antient Heralds at Arms are among us : Tho' Plutarch obferves, that they had ftill fome Authority in his Time. See He- rald.
The Fcciales went crown'd with Verbena, Vervein, when they went to declare War: Their Head wascover'd with a VeiJ,over which theCrown wasapplied. In thisEquipage they proceeded to the Frontiers of the new Enemy's Country,and threw a bloody Dart, or Javelin into the Earth, within the fame. In Livy, and other antient Authors, as alfo among the modern Criticks and Grammarians, we have the For- mat's us'd in Inch Declarations.
Feflus derives the Word from ferio, I ftrike ; as fcrir'e if 1 ?§? ifies t0 conclude a Treaty: And accordingly, in- Be »aof Feciales, he would have it wrote Fetiales. Others derive it horn f.tdus, which was antiently wrote
fedas ; or from fides, Faith : Others from facio, feci, I make g? c by reafon they made War and Peace.
VoJJws chides to denye it from fatu, of the Verb fari, to Ipeak; in which fen.e the Feciales Ihould be the fame with Uratores; which Sentiment is confirm 'd from the Authority ot Varro, who fays, they were cali'd indifferently Feciales and Oratores. 2Je Vita poful. Roman. L. II.
FECULA, or Fjecula, in Pharmacy) A white, mealy Subftance, or Powder, which fubfides, and gathers at the Bot- tom ot the Juices, or Liquors of divers Roots; as thofe of Eriony, Arum, Iris, (gc.
This Subftance, or Sediment, they dry in the Sun; after having pour'd off the Liquors; and it lerves for divers Re- medies.
The Word Fecula is a Diminutive of Feces.
FECULENT, orFjEcunENT, is applied to the Blood; and other Humors, which abound in Fa-ces, or Dregs ; or have not the proper and ufual Degree of Purity.
FECUNDITY, or Fecundity, Fertility, or the Qua- '">' ° f a thing, which denominates it fruitful.
The Fecundity of divers Plants is very extraordinarv. M.podart has an exprefs Treatife thereof in the Memoirs ot the Academy of Sciences.
He Ihews, that at a moderate Computation, an Elm, one Tear with another, yields 325000 Grains, or Seeds; each ot which, if properly lodg'd, would grow up unto a Tree. X A an Elm ordinarily lives roo Tears; confcquently, in the Courfeof its Life; it produces 33000000 Grains; ail which arile from one fingle Grain.
He ftiews farther, that the fame Elm,by frequently cutting off its Head, Ei?r. might be brought to produce 1^84.0000000 Seeds ; and that there are fo many actually contain'd in it; fee Plant.
FEE, Feud, Feudum, Feodum, or Fief, an Eftate, Land, Tenement, Lordfhip, or Right held of a fuperior Lord, on condition of Fealty, Homage, or other Acknow- ledgement.
The Term Fees is properly applied to Lands and Te- nements, which we hold in perpetual Right, on condition of an Acknowledgment of Superiority in a higher Lord. See Tenure.
The Writers on this Subject, divide all Lands and Tene- ments, wherein a Man hath a perpetual Eftate to him and his Heirs, into Allodium, and Feudum.
Allodium is defin'd, tb be a Man's own Land, which he poffeffes merely in his own Right, without Acknowledgment of any Service or Payment of any Rent to another; and this is Property in the higheft Degree- See Allodium.
He that hath Fee holds of another by fome Duty, or other, cali'd Service, fee Service.
Feudum is that, which we hold by the Benefit of another; and for which we do Service, or pay Rent, or both, to the chief Lord.
Originally, a Feud was only an Eftate for Life ; and thofe to whom it was granted, were cali'd Vaffallt, who, by fuch means, were brought fo a ftrifler Difcipline and Obedience to the Princes, and were bound to ferve them in Wars. Sec Vassal.
The Origin of Fees is one of the darkeft, and moft intri- cate Points in modern Hiftory ; Authors being exceedinoly divided about it. " J
Some attribute the Invention thereof to the Lombards : Others find fome Appearance of the Duties of a Vaffal to his Lord, in the antient Relations between the Patron, and his Client : And others look for its Rife in the Roman Be- ncficia.
The Emperors, it feems, diftributed Lands among the antient Legions, on condition of their holding themfelves ready at all Times, to take up Arms, in defence of the Frontiers of the Empire ; which affords us a good Ima«e enough of Fends; and in all Probability, their firft Origin was no othcrwife: But in Procefs of Time their Nature was changed, and Duties were annex'd to them, which origin- ally were not.
Z>« Moulin makes no Doubt, that thefc Diftributicns of Lands, cali'd Benefices, were the firft matter of Fees; for which reafon he ules the Terms Benefice and Feud promif- cuoufly; as if they were the fame Thing: And yet, there was a good deal of Difference between them ; as there was neither Fealty, nor Homage, nor the other feudal Rights annex d to the Benefice ; and as the Benefice was not here- ditary. See Benefice.
Probably, Benefices began then to be cali'd Feuds,- when they became hereditary ; and when thofe, of whom the Benefices were field, began to demand Faith, or Fealty, From them. See Fealty.
This Fealty feems to constitute the Fee ; the Word Fee it felf, fignifying in the antient Norman Language, Faith.
There is no fixing the precile jEra, when thele Changes"
commenced; Voi Fees, fuch as they now are, were not eftab-
lifli'd all at once : And in different Countries they took place
at different Times, and in different manners. The Great
- £ Lords,
