COLLOIDAL SILVER - HISTORY
History of Silver and Coloidal silver in a medical context.
The
Greeks and Romans used silver remedies!
Writings dating as far back as 69 BC record the uses of silver (pharmacopoeia
published in Rome). Already known for its preserving properties, early
documents and scripts show the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used
silver treatment and remedies.
However, the first medical use is documented in the Mohammedan School,
702-765 AD (founded by Geber).
Moving to the 19th Century, F. Grede, a German doctor, used a 1% silver
nitrate solution on the eyes of new-born babies, almost eliminating cases
of blindness caused by venereal disease. This technique became a widespread
practise.
For centuries placing a silver wire in infected wounds was a common method
of disinfecting and healing. Silver nitrate was found useful although
it was caustic and also discoloured the skin. In 1913 the surgeon William
Stuart Hallstead wrote about using silver foil in wounds “I know of nothing
which could take its place, nor have I known anyone to abandon it who
had thoroughly familiarized himself with the technique."
By
this time, new chemical processes were developed allowing very small particles
of silver to be obtained (previously silver was ground into a small size)
and silver's effectiveness against hundreds of disease causing pathogens
was realized.
Colloidal silver in its ionic form was originally made using “Bedrigg's
process." An extra high voltage causing an arc across silver electrodes
submerged in water. This action “ripped" away silver atoms, leaving
them positively charged and suspended in the distilled water.
Numerous medical researchers and practitioners reported favourable results.
Mark Howell wrote in the British Medical Journal in 1917 of his successful
use of colloidal silver for septic conditions of the mouth (including
pyorrhoea alveolaris - Rigg’s Disease), throat (including Meniere’s symptoms
and closure of - Valsalva’s inflation) and in generalized septicaemia,
leucorrhoea, cystitis, whooping cough and shingles.
Many silver based medicines were now available and colloidal silver was
used in many ways - Taken internally, intravenously, used in douches and
enemas to successfully treat and ward off many diseases and conditions.
1940s - ANTIBIOTICS ARRIVE!
Commercially, coloidal silver was not a big money-spinner. Also, one inconvenience
with colloidal silver was a relatively short shelf life.
Antibiotics arrive on the scene!
First widely used in the 1940s, they offered a fast, efficient solution
to killing bacteria. Highly profitable and in great demand, they helped
pharmaceutical companies to expand into gigantic corporations.
Unfortunately, the new "wonder drug" became both overused and
misused - Warning signs began to appear - In the 1950s and 1960s, numerous
antibiotic resistant bacteria strains were identified. Although advancing
scientific techniques enabled new modified versions of the original antibiotics,
scientific innovation only brought a brief respite.
More about Antibiotics
(and their misuse).
Modern research
In
"Our Mightiest Germ Fighter" an article in the 1978 issue
of Science Digest, Dr. Harry Magraf is quoted - " Thanks to eye opening
research, silver is emerging as a wonder of modern medicine. An antibiotic
kills perhaps half dozen different disease organisms, but silver kills
some 650. Resistant strains fail to develop...continues...silver
is the best all around germ fighter we have." Also mentioned
in the article, was the that half of all the World's airlines used silver-based
water treatment to guard against waterborne diseases.
Dr Robert O. Becker reported in his interesting book "The Body Electric",
that he used silver electrodes exclusively in his research (no other metals
tested worked satisfactorily). Using a minute electrical current, he concluded
that in the presence of silver ions, bone and tissue growth was accelerated
leading to fast healing with less scarring. He also noted that no pathogens
tested in his laboratory (microbes, viruses, fungi and yeast) could survive
in an ionic silver environment.
Many medical researchers echoed the previously mentioned findings. As
a result, silver-based treatments are extensively used in Serious Burns
Units throughout the world.
Swiss biochemists are researching silver's ability to block HIV (AIDS)
cellular replication and Cancer researchers have noted that silver ions
can "dedifferentiate" cells (including cancerous cells) - Making
them revert to a previous state.
Although the
epidemic has now subsided, SARS
is the latest condition being investigated.
Both NASA and Russia currently use silver for water recycling treatments
in space stations and there is an increased use for swimming-pool water
filtration.
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