Soon after germs were discovered, researchers began searching for ways to kill them as a means of preventing infections and curing disease. It was quickly discovered that heavy metals in various forms were highly antibacterial and anti fungal. Unfortunately, heavy metals are also toxic to humans. Silver, however, proved to be relatively non-toxic to humans while having a broad spectrum anti-bacterial activity. Silver toxicity does depend on the chemical and physical form that the silver is in. Silver salts, like silver nitrate, for example, are quite toxic while metallic silver colloids are much less toxic.

      In a short time, a number of silver products were being used as antiseptics and antibiotics. In the late 1800's and early 1900's silver was one of the cornerstones of contemporary medicine. By the 1940's there were over four dozen silver based antibiotics on the market. Some of these products contained very large concentrations of silver. This combined with the tendency of both doctors and patients to overuse and abuse popular medicines caused a few individuals to develop argyria. Argyria is characterized by a discoloration of the skin caused by the deposition of excess silver in the skin and other organs. After the discovery of penicillin and the other modern antibiotics, silver use declined.

      Then in the 1990's silver was rediscovered as a potent broad spectrum germ fighter. Several silver products based on electrocolloidal suspensions of metallic silver, silver proteins and silver salts like silver citrate were introduced to the marketplace as nutritional supplements. Around the same time, simple methods of producing silver colloids at home using silver wire, batteries and distilled water were introduced. Colloidal silver had a following in the alternative medicine market.

      The FDA took a negative position on colloidal silver classifying it as an ineffective, unsafe and unapproved new drug. This meant that colloidal silver could still be sold as a nutritional supplement as long as no medical claims were made.

      Many individuals found the possibility of an inexpensive, broad spectrum, safe antibiotic that they could manufacture in their kitchen to be too good to resist. Colloidal silver became widely used. Slowly, a few doctors, scientists and entrepreneurs began testing the new silver products and bringing the science up to date. Recently, there have been a flurry of process and application patents filed on the manufacture and use of colloidal silver and other silver products. This is a long way from getting a new drug approval, but it demonstrates that there is more to the use of silver in medicine and health care than marketing hype and political suppression.

      For an up to date compilation of the background and recent scientific and medical used of colloidal silver, consult the book below.

Table of Contents

Terminology

Preface

Brief History of the Use of Silver and Silver Colloids

The Different Forms of Colloidal Silver

Absorption and Elimination of Silver

Silver Toxicity - How Much is Harmful?

Silver Toxicity Summary

Argyria

Treating Argyria

Mechanism of Action - How it Works

Pharmacodynamics

The Germicidal Properties of Colloidal Silver

Antibiotic Properties of Colloidal Silver

Silver Applied as a Topical Germ Fighter

The Development of Silver Resistance in Bacteria

Effective Dosage - How Much is Required?

Silver and Electrocolloidal Silver in Wound Treatment

Iontophoresis Using Silver and Copper

Modern Scientific Homeopathy

Silver in Classical Homeopathy

The Ayurvedic Properties of Silver

Colloidal Silver as a Food Supplement

The Manufacture of Colloidal Silver

Government Regulation of Colloidal Silver

The Future of Colloidal Silver

Appendix A - List of Pre & Post 1938 Documented Uses for Colloidal Silver

Appendix B - List of Pathogens Killed by American Silver Products Colloidal Silver

Appendix C - Correspondence and Reports from Colloidal Silver Users

Appendix D - Recent Colloidal Silver Patents

Appendix E - Colloidal Silver Internet Resources

References

• According to Medical Literature, What diseases have Historically been Treated with Silver?
  
• What is the current position of the FDA on Colloidal Silver?
  
• What is the difference between Colloidal Silver and MSP's?
  
• Are there symptoms associated low level silver toxicity (other than argyria)?
  
• How much Colloidal Silver does one have to take before having to worry about toxicity?
  
• How does this amount compare with the Silver found naturally in food and water?
  
• How much Colloidal Silver can my body eliminate in one day?
  
• How is Colloidal Silver eliminated from one's body?
  
• Are there specific steps one can take to minimize potential toxicity from Colloidal Silver?
  
• Can bacteria develop Silver resistance just like anti-biotic resistance?
  
• Is Colloidal Silver stable when exposed to magnetic fields?
  
• Is particle size and dispersion related to effectiveness, toxicity?
  
• How much colloidal silver do I have to take to experience therapeutic effects?
  
• How can I make my own at home?
  

The answers to these and hundreds more questions are provided to the extent that they can be traced to old and new medical and scientific literature, and private research.

Colloidal Silver: A Literature Review: Medical Uses, Toxicology & Manufacture - Third Edition - By John Hill This book is the most comprehensive and objective reference on colloidal silver available. It covers what is known about colloidal silver, what it does, how it works, and what its risk of toxicity is. This third edition has incorporated a lot of new information from recent research and development activity. Argyria and silver toxicity is addressed in detail from an objective perspective. Information from both old and recent medical and scientific publications is summarized and presented in an objective framework. It covers medical applications, mechanisms of action, absorption and elimination and other related aspects. The basic process of making colloidal silver by the low voltage cathodic method is discussed. 136 references are cited.

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