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Boro-glycerine is a transparent yellow, tasteless,[1] compound of boric acid and glycerine.[2] It is a powerful antiseptic and is used primarily in oral and dental applications. Historically, it was also used in the preservation of food.[2]
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.[3]
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.[1] Various experiments, including shipping meats dipped in a boro-glycerine solution on long sea voyages,[2] proved Barff's technique.[citation needed]
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,[4] to chilblains,[5] and the search for a treatment for cancer of the uterus.[6]
Boro-glycerine found its way into many "medicinal" products, including shaving creams,[7] in which it was considered a skin conditioner,[8] and applied directly as a lip balm[9]
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,[10][11] stomatitis, and glossitis.[12] It is also frequently used as a wash for the care of the mouth in unconscious patients.[13] 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.[14]
Other medical
Boro-glycerine, in solution, is used in the treatment of conjunctivitis,[15] earache, and ear infections,[16] and is a suitable antiseptic lotion in cases of ophthalmia, and diphtheria.[17]
Various
Alfred P. Wire recommended boro-glycerine as a mounting medium in the preparation of microscope slides.[18]
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