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.
[3] 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] 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.
[14] 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.