56 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jerry, 1899. 
Nearly every doctor in the land prescribes boric acid for uric troubles. Tts 
salt is readily eliminated by the kidneys without injury to them. No physician 
of any note will urge any objection to the use of limited quantities of boraci¢ 
acid in the food other than that it might retard, for a time, digestion. As it is 
prescribed in LO-grain doses three times a day for invalids with enfeecbled 
digestions without the observation of any harmful results, the question of 
temporarily impeding the digestive process cannot be serious, because boric acid 
almost immediately disappears from the stomach after entering it. This is a 
physiological fact. ' 
Experiments made by Professor R. H. Chittenden, Ph.D., of Yale College, 
in connection with W. J. Gies, led these gentlemen to say :—“ Borie acid in 
doses up to 3 grammes a day is, so far as we can judge from our experiments, 
without influence either upon proteid metabolism, or upon the general 
nutritional process of the body.” 
Any well-versed physician will, for specific diseases or symptoms of them, 
advise his patient to drink liberally of Weis Baden and Vichy waters. 'The 
medicinal value of these waters is boron salt. The sick and ‘the well drink 
both ad libitum with beneficial instead of harmful results. ‘The effects of these 
daily draughts could not be but harmful if the intestinal tract were irritated. 
thereby. the contrary is the experience of the users of these boron waters. 
The effect of this acid upon the general health is very noticeable in 
another way. It isa remarkable fact that the employees who work in borax 
factories grow strong and healthy. Their whole systems become vigorous ; 
their chests expand, and the entire body takes on life which is remarkable for 
its uniformity. If this salt, or its acid, were dangerous, its persistent poison 
would be felt in some of these factories after years of labour. 
The Medical Council of the Home Office in Russia, after thorough inquiry, 
considered themselves bound to recommend to the Minister: “That pure 
biborate of soda used for the preservation of articles of food has not hitherto 
appeared to involve any objectionable results with regard to the health of the 
consumers.” 
Eminent British doctors thus stated their experience :— 
Dr. A. G. Willington, M.R.C.S.E., says:—“TI consider it very valuable in 
cases of gastric irritation and dysentery.” 
Such being the case, how could it cause such irritation and irregularity ? 
Dr. James Hill, Glasgow, F.R.C.S. Ed., formerly physician to the General 
Hospital, says :—“ Gastro intestinal troubles, more especially with children, are 
very common, and for these I have freely prescribed borax without ever seeing 
anything but benefit.” 
“T never knew any injury or harm,” says Dr. J. Vose Solomon, F.R.C.S., 
formerly surgeon of the Birmingham General Dispensary, “ to follow the use of it 
when used internally or externally.” 
In no sense could horacic acids be considered as hurtful to the system as 
the decomposition in natural products which it arrests. 
It is frequently urged as an evidence of the poisonous nature of borie acid 
that flies avoid its solution. Flies ayoid all antiseptics. The presence of a fly 
is a witness to the presence of filth and decomposition. The life of a fly is of 
that which is poisonous to the human system. This insect ayoids perfectly 
disinfected and antiseptic cleanliness. Flies do not avoid poisonous nor foul 
odours. Filth is the essence of their existence. Their absence from a borated 
surface is a tribute to the cleanliness of that salt. 
Dr. Ward says that borax is used to great advantage in many cases. Milk 
containing boracic acid he would give to invalids and infants, and if the milk 
was not used within 10 hours after it had been taken from the cow he would 
prefer to have boracic acid added, even if the milk were refrigerated. 
