Fahrenheit, Gabriel Daniel. Born in 1686. Prussian experimental philosopher. Settled in Holland after traveling in England, Germany, and France. In 1720, it occurred to Fahrenheit to use quicksilver instead of spirits of wine in the construction of thermometers. By this substitution, the accuracy of the instrument was greatly enhanced. In 1724 Fahrenheit was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London, and in the "Philosophical Transactions" of that year, there appeared several papers from his pen. Died 1736.

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