▁bor ax ▁reached ▁the ▁West , ▁where ▁the ▁Pers o - A rab ▁al chem ist ▁J ā bir ▁ibn ▁Hay y ā n ▁apparently ▁mentioned ▁it ▁in ▁AD ▁ 7 0 0 . ▁Marco ▁Pol o ▁brought ▁some ▁gla zes ▁back ▁to ▁Italy ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁Agr icola , ▁around ▁ 1 6 0 0 , ▁reports ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁bor ax ▁as ▁a ▁flux ▁in ▁met all ur gy . ▁In ▁ 1 7 7 7 , ▁bor ic ▁acid ▁was ▁recognized ▁in ▁the ▁hot ▁spr ings ▁( so ff ioni ) ▁near ▁Florence , ▁Italy , ▁and ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁sal ▁sed ativ um , ▁with ▁primarily ▁medical ▁uses . ▁The ▁rare ▁min eral ▁is ▁called ▁s ass ol ite , ▁which ▁is ▁found ▁at ▁S asso , ▁Italy . ▁S asso ▁was ▁the ▁main ▁source ▁of ▁European ▁bor ax ▁from ▁ 1 8 2 7 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁when ▁American ▁sources ▁replaced ▁it . ▁Bor on ▁comp ounds ▁were ▁relatively ▁rarely ▁used ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 0 0 s ▁when ▁Francis ▁Mar ion ▁Smith ' s ▁Pacific ▁Coast ▁Bor ax ▁Company ▁first ▁popular ized ▁and ▁produced ▁them ▁in ▁volume ▁at ▁low ▁cost . ▁ ▁Bor on ▁was ▁not ▁recognized ▁as ▁an ▁element ▁until ▁it ▁was ▁isolated ▁by ▁Sir ▁Hum ph ry ▁Dav y ▁and ▁by ▁Joseph ▁Louis ▁Gay - L uss ac ▁and ▁Louis ▁Jacques ▁Th én ard . ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 8 ▁Dav y ▁observed