Fractious

[Lat. fractus, pp. of frangere, to break.] Apt to break out into a quarrel; apt to fall into a pa ion; snappish; peevish cro ; quarrelsome. Fractiously, adv. Pa ionately; snappishly. Fractiousne , n. State or quality of having a cro or snappish temper. Fractural, a. Belonging to, or resulting from a fracture. Fracture, n. [Fr., from Lat. fractur a , from frangere , IMG:content-0240.png:[blocks in formation] ( Surg .) The term applied to broken bones. This is one of the commonest accidents to which one is liable, especially in very cold weather, when the bones are very brittle, and in certain conditions of the bones themselves. Fractures are divided into simple, compound, comminuted, and complicated. Simple fractures are those in which the fracture does not communicate with the external air. These are by far the most common, and usually affect the shaft of long bones, this part being the most subject to injuries of this description. Compound fractures are those in which one or more bones are broken, and the fracture communicates with the external air by means of a wound in the soft parts. Comminuted fractures are those in which the bones are broken into several portions; while complicated fractures are such as are complicated with some other injury-as a wound of the principal artery of the limb. Fractures are also distinguished as transverse, oblique, or longitudinal, according to their direction. A transverse fracture is usually much more easily treated than an oblique; for the parts, when placed in opposition, may be kept there without much difficulty; whereas, in the latter case, they are liable to be displaced by the movements of the muscles or parts; also, in the latter case, the contiguous soft parts are much more liable to be lacerated by broken edges of the bone than in the former. In treating the oblique fracture, the limb should, if po ible, be placed in such a position as will relax the principal muscles connected with the bone; in the transverse fracture, the straight position is often the best. The general symptoms of a fracture are deformity of the limb, caused either by the overlapping of the bones, or effusion of blood, lymph, or serum into the cellular ti ue; shortening of the limb; and crepitus, or a grating sound when the ends of the fractured bone are moved upon each other. The treatment of fractures consists in retaining the broken fragments, as nearly as po ible, in their former positions, and securing them in to several membranous folds, which bridle and retain certain organs. Fra'ga, a town of Spain, prov. Aragon, on the borders of Catalonia, 55 m. S.E. of Huesca; pop . about 5,000. Fraga'ria, n. [Lat. fragrare, to emit a smell.] ( Bot . ) The Strawberry plant, a genus of the order Rosacея. Two species are natives of this country, namely, F. vesca, the Wood strawberry, and F. Virgin i an a , the Scarlet or Wild strawberry. The latter is very rarely met with in a wild state. From these and several foreign species, a great number of varieties have been developed. The fruit is remarkably wholesome, and is regarded by most people as the choicest of our native fruits. In cultivat ing the strawberry, an open situation and a rich loamy soil are required. The plants, until the fruit is formed, demand copious supplies of water. The row-culture is most convenient, and frequent renewal insures vigorous plants and large fruit. Fragile, ( fra'jil ,) a. [Lat. fragilis , liable to break, easily broken, from frangere , to break, allied to Gr. rhegnusthai, to burst or break.] Easily broken; brittle; easily destroyed. - Liable to fail; infirm; weak; frail "The fragile arm of man." - Add is on, Fragilely, adv . In a feeble, weak, or frail manner. Fragil'ity, n. [Fr. fragilité ; Lat. frag i litas , from fra gilis , brittle, frangere , to break.] Brittlene ; weakne . Liability to fail; frailty; liability to fault; as, the fra gility of human nature. Fragment, n . [Fr., from Lat. frag mentum , from fran. gere, to break.] A part broken off from a whole; a broken piece; a scrap. - An imperfect part; a small detached portion; as, the fragments of the writings of Alcæus.