Cooling Mixtures
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
This article from the 1928–1936 Soviet medical encyclopedia explains the principle of using chemical reactions that absorb heat to produce cold. It provides specific formulas for various cooling mixtures, detailing the components and the resulting temperature drops.
Encyclopedia article (1928–1936)
COOLING MIXTURES. The dissolution of some substances is accompanied by the release of heat, while in other cases heat absorption occurs, cooling due to the latent heat of fusion. Cooling upon dissolution can be used to obtain cold; for this purpose, various cooling mixtures are employed: 3 parts of snow with 1 part of NaCl give a temperature from 0° to -31°; KCNS with water gives even greater cooling; 10 parts of CaCl2.6H20 with 7 parts of snow give cooling from 0 to -55°; NH4N03 absorbs 77 units of heat per unit of weight upon dissolution and gives, with an equal weight of water and salt, cooling down to -15°; H2S04 with an excess of snow gives a cooling mixture; upon mixing 1 part of the solid hydrate H2S04.H20 with 17 parts of snow, according to Mendeleev, the hydrate H2S04.18H20 is formed, and the temperature drop will be equal to 52.6°. Solid carbonic acid in a mixture with ether gives a temperature drop of up to -77°.
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“Cooling Mixtures.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/cooling-mixtures/