Boro-glycerine is a transparent yellow, tasteless,
[The Morning Herald (Jul 22, 1883) ''A Half Dozen Scientific Notes']
Science Section
Retrieved June 2011 compound of
boric acid and
glycerine.
[ It is a powerful antiseptic and is used primarily in oral and dental applications. Historically, it was also used in the ]preservation
Preservation may refer to:
Heritage and conservation
* Preservation (library and archival science), activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record while making as few changes as possible
* ''Preservation'' (magazine), published by the Nat ...
of food.[''Popular Science''. (Sep 1883) Vol. 23, No. 37]
p.626.
Bonnier Corporation. ISSN 0161-7370. Retrieved June 2011
Discovery
At a meeting of the Society of Arts, on March 29, 1882, Professor Barff delivered a lecture, in which he announced his discovery of boro-glycerine. Barff had been attempting to find a way in which boric acid, a known antiseptic, could be used to preserve meats, at a time when beef prices were considered high. He hoped to find a suitable alternative to freezing, which would allow cheap imports to be obtained from around the world.
Uses
Food preservation
As early as 1883, scientific reports recommended boro-glycerine as a safe, suitable preservative for a range of foods, including meat, oysters, milk, and butter.[ proved Barff's technique.
]
Historical medical
The discovery of a safe means to apply boric acid drew much attention within the medical profession, and by 1835 various experiments, relying on the antiseptic properties of boro-glycerine, were being carried out. Ailments ranged from psoriasis, and other scaly conditions of the skin, to chilblain
Chilblains, also known as pernio, is a medical condition in which damage occurs to capillary beds in the skin, most often in the hands or feet, when blood perfuses into the nearby tissue resulting in redness, itching, inflammation, and possibly ...
s, and the search for a treatment for cancer of the uterus
Uterine cancer, also known as womb cancer, includes two types of cancer that develop from the tissues of the uterus. Endometrial cancer forms from the lining of the uterus, and uterine sarcoma forms from the muscles or support tissue of the uter ...
.
Boro-glycerine found its way into many "medicinal" products, including shaving creams, in which it was considered a skin conditioner, and applied directly as a lip balm
Oral and dental
Boro-glycerine proved most effective as an oral and dental antiseptic. In particular, it is effective in the treatment of mouth ulcers
A mouth ulcer (aphtha) is an Ulcer (dermatology), ulcer that occurs on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. Mouth ulcers are very common, occurring in association with many diseases and by many different mechanisms, but usually there is no ser ...
, stomatitis, and glossitis. It is also frequently used as a wash for the care of the mouth in unconscious patients.
It comprises 88% glycerin and 12% borax. Finely ground borax is dissolved in glycerin, and the solution is ready for use (Ref. IP 66).
Boro-glycerine can also be used as a suitable base in controlling the setting time of Zinc Oxide pastes whilst taking a dental impression.
Other medical
Boro-glycerine, in solution, is used in the treatment of conjunctivitis, earache, and ear infections, and is a suitable antiseptic lotion in cases of ophthalmia, and diphtheria.
Various
Alfred P. Wire recommended boro-glycerine as a mounting medium in the preparation of microscope slides.[''Hardwicke's Science-Gossip'' (1885), pages 139-140 (figure 4). Quoted a]
Microscopy-UK.org
Retrieved June 2011
References
{{reflist, 2
Antiseptics