Fit for service strong, healthy men, from 18 to 45 years of age, of a certain height, and not subject to fits; are considered fit objects for service, and may be enlisted into the United States regiments. The principal heads under which every recruit should be rejected, consist of rupture, venereal lues, or incurable pox, habitual ulcers, sore legs, scurvy, scald head, and fits.
Fit, a paroxysm. Any violent affection of the body, by which a man is suddenly rendered incapable of going through the necessary functions of life.
Fits, habitual affections of the body to which men and women are subject, and by which they may be frequently attacked without any other immediate consequence, than a temporary suspension of the mental powers, accompanied by a disordered and painful action of the frame.
Fix-Bayonets, a word of command in the manual exercise. See [Manual].
FLAGS in the United States navy, are the colors of the Union, red and white alternate stripes, equal to the number of states; with a square in the upper angle of blue, upon which are wrought white stars equal in number to the states of the Union. A custom has grown up among commanders of ships of appropriating a peculiar flag for each state, but as this is not a settled regulation requires no further notice.
Flags. See [Colors], [Standards], &c.
Flags, in the British navy, are either red, white, blue, or yellow, and they are hoisted either at the heads of the main-mast, fore-mast, or mizen-mast.
Flags, when displayed from the top of the main-mast, are the distinguishing marks of admirals; when from the fore-mast, of vice admirals; and when from the mizen-mast, of rear admirals.
The highest flag in the British navy, is the anchor and cable, which is only displayed when their lord high admiral, or lords commissioners of the admiralty are on board; the next is the union, the distinction peculiar to the second officer, called admiral of the fleet; and the lowest flag is the blue at the mizen-mast.
FLAG-Officer, a naval officer commanding a squadron.