FRIGORIFIC

, in Physics, something belonging to, or that occasions cold.—Some philosophers, as Gassendus, and other corpuscularians, denying cold to be a mere privation, or absence of heat, contend that there are actual Frigorific corpuscles or particles, as well as fiery ones: whence proceed cold and heat. But later philosophers allow of no other Frigorific particles beside those nitrous salts &c, which float in the air in cold weather, and occasion freezing.