[While
the FDA uses their legal prerogative to assert that colloidal silver
has not been found safe or effective for use as a natural
infection-fighting agent, it has indeed nevertheless widely been used
as such since the early 1900's.
Here is a
cross-section of quotations from a variety of sources regarding the use
of colloidal silver in health and medicine. Some of these sources are
of recent date, and others date all of the way back to the 1800's when
the use of colloidal silver in health and medicine first began in
earnest.
Please note that in no way,
shape or form should these quotations be construed to be an endorsement
of the use of colloidal silver for purposes not approved by the FDA.
Nor should they be construed as "prescriptive" in nature. They are for
informational and research purposes only.
In
some cases, the uses of colloidal silver described in these quotations,
or the methods of use described, could be harmful rather than helpful.
Never self-treat. Always use colloidal silver under the supervision of
a knowledgeable health care practitioner.]
"Silver ions are bactericidal, antifungal, protozoicidal, and active against herpes simplex virus."
-- Russell, A.D., et al. 1994. Antimicrobial activity and action of silver. Progress in Medicinal Chemistry, 31, 351-370.
"Colloidal silver just might be the next germ-fighting wonder drug. And
not just for the serious threats making headlines: It's also effective
against bacterial infections like strep throat, viruses like the flu,
and fungal infections like Candida. No matter how much a germ mutates,
it can't change enough to escape the damaging effects of colloidal
silver. And in the process, the silver doesn't harm human tissue or
kill off the good bacteria in the intestine the way antibiotics and
other medications do."
-- Dr. Jonathan Wright, MD
"Thanks to eye-opening research, silver is re-emerging as a wonder of
modern medicine. An antibiotic kills perhaps a half-dozen different
disease organisms, but silver kills some 650. Resistant strains fail to
develop. Moreover, silver is virtually non-toxic."
-- Science Digest, "Our Mightiest Germ Fighter" by Jim Powell, March 1978
"Colloidal silver appears to be safe for children and pregnant and
nursing women. It is tasteless, odorless, contains no free radicals, is
harmless to human enzymes and has no adverse reactions with
medications. Taken internally, it may improve digestion, help prevent
colds, flu and all organism-caused diseases. It can be used as a
douche, atomized, nebulized or inhaled. Applied externally, it has been
shown to help with things such as skin abrasions and burns (including
sun burn). It can also be dropped into the eyes and ears to help the
body overcome infection."
-- Kurt Grange, Ph.D., N.D., Nutritional Biophysiologist, author, lecturer
"Colloidal silver has a long history in medicine as a natural
antibiotic. It is very effective in killing bacteria, viruses, fungi,
parasites and the cancer microbe. No serious side effects from
overdosing have been reported."
-- The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, pg 161
"Dr. Marchial-Vega has had considerable clinical experience with a
colloidal silver preparation that contains between 20 and 25 parts of
silver per million parts of water. This preparation has proven
effective in patients with HIV in quickly resolving pneumonias due to
pneumocystis, streptococcal, staphylococcal, klebsiella and fungal
infections. In the hospital, the therapy is administered by a special
nebulizer as well as orally."
-- Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work by James Howenstine MD, pg 262
"Silver in the colloidal state is highly germicidal, quite harmless to
humans and absolutely non-toxic. Rather than in a chemical compound,
the silver in the colloidal state may be applied in a much more
concentrated form, with correspondingly better results. All virus,
fungus, bacterium, streptococcus, staphylococcus, and other pathogenic
organisms are killed in three or four minutes upon contact. There are
no side effects whatsoever from the highest concentrations."
-- Dr. Henry Crooks, quoted from Use of Colloids in Health and Disease
"Several years ago we conducted some rather extensive evaluations of
various protocols promising effective results against various
pathogenic agents which cause 'food poisoning'. The one protocol,
effective against ALL agents evaluated, was colloidal silver. A 5 ppm
solution proved effective against all pathogens tested; yielding
complete control within 6 to 8 minutes.....regardless of concentration
of the pathogenic agent. Among the many agents tested were botulinum,
campyobacter, salmonella and listeria (bacterial agents); and
norwalk-like viruses and hepatitus A (viral agents). Although we did
not conduct researches involving the marine form of vibrio vulnificus,
generally regarded as the most toxic of food poisons, a facility
associated with us---did. Their results paralleled those of ours....on
the pathogens we evaluated."
-- Brooks Bradley, Harbone Research Foundation
"Silver, in the form of a metal or as dissolved ions, fights
microorganisms by interfering with processes such as how they breathe
and reproduce. Tests show that silver ions kill microorganisms ranging
from harmful strains of e. coli that cause food-borne diseases to the
staphylococcus bacteria responsible for serious infections.
The
metal becomes more active against microbes when it's made into small
particles because they can cover more surface area when they come into
direct contact with bacteria, says Andrew Maynard, a physicist and
chief scientific adviser to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at
the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington."
-- Wall Street Journal, June 6, 2006, The War Against Germs Has a Silver Lining
"Applying colloidal silver to human subjects has been done in a large
number of cases with astonishingly successful results...it has the
advantage of being rapidly fatal to parasites without toxic action on
its host. It is quite stable. It protects rabbits from ten times the
lethal dose of tetanus or diphtheria toxin."
-- The Use of Colloids in Health and Disease (1919), by Alfred Searle
"Scientists have discovered that the body's most important fluids are
colloidal in nature: suspended ultra-fine particles. Blood, for
example, carries nutrition and oxygen to the body cells.
This
led to studies with colloidal silver (electrical silver atoms). An
electro-colloidal process, which is known to be the best method, is
used for manufacturing the colloidal silver.
Colloidal
silver appears to be a powerful, natural antibiotic and preventative
against infections. Acting as a catalyst, it reportedly disables the
enzyme that one-celled bacteria, viruses and fungi need for their
oxygen metabolism.
They suffocate without corresponding
harm occurring to human enzymes or parts of the human body chemistry.
The result is the destruction of disease-causing organisms in the body
and in the food."
-- Nanotechnology in Medicine and
Antibacterial Effect of Silver Nanoparticles, Department of Medicine,
Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi,
India, published in the Digest Journal of Nanomaterials and
Biostructures Vol. 3, No.3, September 2008, p. 115-122
"From 1900
to the beginning of the modern antibiotic era - circa 1940 with the
introduction of sulfa drugs - Silver was one of the mainstays of
medical practice in Europe and America. Various forms of Silver were
used to treat literally hundreds of ailments: lung infections such as
pneumonia, tuberculosis and pleurisy; sexual diseases such as gonorrhea
and syphillis; skin conditions such as cuts, wounds, leg ulcers,
pustular eczema, impetigo and boils; acute meningitis and epidemic
cerebro-spinal meningitis; infectious diseases such as Mediterranean
fever, erysipelas, cystitis, typhus, typhoid fever, and tonsilitis; eye
disorders such as dacryocystitis, corneal ulcers, conjunctivitis and
blepharitis; and various forms of septicemia, including puerperal
fever, peritonitis and post-abortion septicemia. (This list does not
even begin to exhaust the published medical uses for Silver in Europe
and America, 1900-1940)."
-- International Anti-Aging Bulletin, April 1999, by James South, MA
"Like werewolves and vampires, bacteria have a weakness: silver.
The precious metal has been used to fight infection for thousands of
years — Hippocrates first described its antimicrobial properties in 400
bc — but how it works has been a mystery.
Now,
a team led by James Collins, a biomedical engineer at Boston University
in Massachusetts, has described how silver can disrupt bacteria, and
shown that the ancient treatment could help to deal with the thoroughly
modern scourge of antibiotic resistance.
...Collins and his team found that silver — in the form of dissolved ions — attacks bacterial cells in two main ways:
It
makes the cell membrane more permeable, and it interferes with the
cell's metabolism, leading to the overproduction of reactive, and often
toxic, oxygen compounds.
Both mechanisms could potentially
be harnessed to make today's antibiotics more effective against
resistant bacteria, Collins says."
-- Scientific American, June 20, 2013, Silver Makes Antibiotics Thousands of Times More Effective
"Silver - both in liquid solution and as an airborne-aerosol - has been
known since 1887 to be extremely toxic to anthrax spores. And it is
widely reported in the medical literature on silver that various forms
of silver, often at surprisingly low concentrations, routinely kills
germs that are known to be antibiotic-resistant."
-- International Anti-Aging Bulletin, April 1999, by James South, MA
"Topically, it can be used to fight fungal infections of the skin or
nails and to promote the healing of burns, wounds, cuts, rashes, and
sunburn. It can be used on toothaches and mouth sores, as eye drops,
and as a gargle to fight tooth decay and bad breath. It can also be
used as sterilizer and can even be sprayed on air-conditioning filters
and air ducts and vents to prevent germs from growing."
-- Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, pg 66
"All of the organisms that we tested were sensitive to the electrically
generated silver ion, including some that were resistant to all known
antibiotics...In no case were any undesirable side effects of the
silver treatment apparent."
-- Dr. Robert O. Becker, M.D., Syracuse Medical University
"To treat ringworm, use a sterile pad and apply colloidal silver to the
affected area. Hands and feet can also be soaked in this solution, a
natural antibiotic that destroys some 650 different microorganisms."
-- Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, pg 388
"Colloidal silver. Dose: Internally-60 to 120 drops three to four times
daily. Externally, applied to a wound or burn-two to three times daily."
-- Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, pg 314
"Taken internally, colloidal silver can be used to fight infection. It
has been shown to be effective against more that 650 disease-causing
organisms, including Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria and the fungus
Candida albicans."
-- Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, pg 66
"I know of no microbe that is not killed by silver in laboratory experiments in six minutes."
-- Dr. Henry Crooks, M.D. (1921)
"Silver's ability to aid the immune system has been well documented for
more than 100 years. For example, in 1909, the Journal of the American
Medical Association reported that electrically generated silver ions
increased white blood cell production. As we noted earlier in our
overview of the human immune system, white blood cells are critical
factors in human immunity, aiding the body in the destruction of cancer
cells, viruses, bacteria, and other invaders. What's more, while white
blood cells are the defenders of the human body, red blood cells carry
life-giving oxygen to all tissues and organs. So silver apparently aids
in both immune defense and in the support of life itself, by boosting
both our body's red and white blood cells counts.
And
in the 1980's researchers Berger, Marino and Spadaro confirmed that
electrically generated silver ions boost human blood cell production.
These findings lead to the obvious conclusion that while low white
blood cell counts open the door to serious immune system risks, and low
red blood cells lead to oxygen starvation of the body's tissues and
organs, electrically generated silver ions may help successfully
counter these risks by stimulating both white and red blood cell
production."
-- The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual, Barwick, Steve, Life & Health Research Group, LLC;
"Pure Silver is entirely non-irritant. In tests at very high
concentrations, it has been shown repeatedly that the rapidly exerted
disinfectant action is of considerable therapeutic value."
-- Colloidal Preparations of Silver in Pharmacy, British Medical Journal, February 1923
"Sinus symptoms... You can also use 1 or 2 drops of colloidal silver in
each nostril once or twice a day... Eye or ear problems, including
cataracts, glaucoma, redness, blurred vision, poor eyesight, ringing in
the ears, earaches, soreness or swelling of the ears, eardrum damage,
hardness of hearing, and (in rare cases) loss of hearing: Use 1 drop of
colloidal silver topically (directly in the eye or ear) 3 times a day."
-- The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health by Robert O. Young, PhD, pg 178.
"What we have done was rediscover the fact that silver killed bacteria,
a fact which had actually been known for centuries...All of the
organisms we tested were sensitive to the electrically generated silver
ion, including some that were resistant to all known antibiotics...In
no case were any undesirable side effects of the silver treatment
apparent."
-- The Body Electric, Dr. Robert O. Becker, M.D.
"Today, many antibiotics are losing the battle with germs. Fortunately,
the best germ killer, which was discovered over 2,000 years ago, is
finally getting the proper attention from medical science - natural
silver. I sincerely recommend that everyone have electrically generated
colloidal silver in their home as an antiseptic, antibacterial and
antifungal agent."
-- Dr. Joseph Weissman, M.D. board certified immunologist and Assistant
Clinical Professor at the University of California Medical School
"The only natural substance I know of that is effective against these
microbes is colloidal silver. I tested that myself when I was with the
CIA, and found it effective against both anthrax and the bubonic plague
pathogen."
-- Bacteriological Warfare - A Major Threat by Larry Wayne Harris
"In contrast to medical antibiotics that can be used only against
specific microbes, colloidal silver has a wide range of effectiveness,
eliminating bacteria as well as viruses and fungi. Unlike medical
antibiotics, colloidal silver is not known to cause undesirable side
effects. Colloidal zinc can be especially effective against viruses.
The colloids of copper and gold, on the other hand, are strong
anti-inflammatory agents; in addition, copper and zinc can be used
chelated (bound) with salicylic acid for similar benefits."
-- The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, pg 161
Colloidal silver is "freefrom the drawbacks of other preparations of
silver, viz-pain caused and discoloration of the skin; indeed, instead
of producing irritation it has a distinctly soothing effect. It rapidly
subdues inflammation andpromotes healing of the lesions, it can be used
with remarkable results in enlarged prostate with irritation of the
bladder, in pruritis ani, and perineal eczema, and in haemorrhoids."
-- British Medical Journal (May 12, 1917), Sir Malcom Morris
"Colloidal silver has been found to be beneficial for permanently
restoring the patency of the Eustachian tubes and for reducing
nasopharyngeal catarrh. Colloidal silver has also been used
successfully in septic conditions of the mouth (including pyorrhea
alveolysis - Rigg's disease), throat (including tonsillitis and
quincies), ear (including Menier's symptoms and closure to Valsalva's
inflation), and iin generalized septicemia, leucorrhea, cystitis,
whooping cough and shingles."
-- British Medical Journal (December 15, 1917), J. Mark Hovell
"Silver is an anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal anti-metabolite
that disables specific enzymes that microorganisms use for respiration.
Silver is such an efficient anti-bacteriacidal that our 'great
grandmothers put silver dollars in fresh milk to keep it from spoiling
at room temperature.'...Silver has been employed in human health care
and in the search for immortality since the days of the Chinese
alchemist 8,000 years ago. Many feel that silver is in fact an
essential element, not because it is required for an enzyme system, but
rather as a systemic disinfectant and immune system support."
-- Rare Earths, Forbidden Cures by Joel D. Wallach, BS, DVM, ND and Ma Lan, MD, MS
"This liquefied form of silver is a powerful natural antibiotic that
can help knock out an acute sinus infection, says John M. Sullivan,
M.D., a physician in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Buy a bottle of
colloidal silver, put some full-strength into a spray bottle, and use
one or two squirts into your nose twice a day until the infection has
been noticeably gone for 3 days."
-- Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb, pg 553
"Ongoing studies on antibacterial properties of silver...indicate that
silver is effective even against bacteria that are already
antibiotic-resistant."
-- S.M. Foran, Therapeutic Properties of Silver: an Historical and Technical Review
"When chlamydia is causing infertility, colloidal silver helps to clean up the system."
-- Get Healthy Now by Gary Null, pg 715
"Colloidal silver is a powerful antibiotic. It can cure conjunctivitis,
or pink eye, as well as simple eye irritation..."Now a great remedy is
available for itchy eyes that works like pure magic every time. It's
colloidal silver drops. Just two drops in each eye can stop itching for
a week or more."
-- Proven Health Tips Encyclopedia by American Medical Publishing, pg 197
"Hundreds of thousands of doses of oral colloidal silver and thousands
of doses of intravenous colloidal silver are given every month in the
United States. This is usually done to treat acute and chronic
infections including those associated with chronic fatigue syndrome
(CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM).
The
effectiveness of the use of oral and intravenous colloidal silver in
the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia was
presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of
Environmental Medicine (Identifying the Causes and Exploring the Newest
Treatment Options for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and
Environmental Sensitivities) in October 2003. The extremely low level
of colloidal silver used at 23 parts per million (ppm) has been shown
to have little or no potential for toxicity while having the
significant potential for clinical benefit.
-- Dr. Kent Holtorf, Holtorf Medical Group, "Safety and Efficacy of Intravenous Oligodynamic Silver"
"I was told I had second-and third-degree burns on my face and
third-degree burns on my hands....the very next day my mother brought
me colloidal silver, with directions to use it externally and
internally as frequently as possible, because it assists in growth of
new tissue. She had learned from Dr. Young that silver's positive
electrical charge counters the negative charge of a damaged body area,
bringing it back into balance and enabling the body to regenerate and
heal itself. Mom sprayed undiluted colloidal silver onto the burned
areas, and I took it by drops under my tongue...My mother applied the
silver many times a day. It was absorbed into my skin instantly. It
felt cool and tingling and loosened the tension on my face, hands, and
fingertips...After only one day of treatment with silver, it was
obvious the healing was happening very rapidly. New tissue and skin
grew back at an accelerated pace. The swelling of my head diminished
rapidly and the breathing apparatus came off almost immediately. The
plastic surgeon told me I was healing twice as fast as any burn patient
he had ever seen in his long career."
-- The pH Miracle: Balance Your Body, Reclaim Your Health by Robert O. Young, PhD., pgs 137-138
"At the beginning of your health improvement efforts and several times
each year, you can take a remedial course of colloidal silver for
several weeks to keep down any undesirable microbes that have arisen in
your body. Have a sip or tablespoonful three times daily. Preferably,
store colloidal silver in a dark glass bottle in a dark and cool place."
-- The Natural Way to Heal by Walter Last, pg 162
"Many people are skeptical of claims that colloidal silver can take
away pain and accelerate healing. Nevertheless, these impressive
attributes are firmly grounded in medical science. Pain is caused by an
interruption of the electrical current that normally flows throughout
the body at 50 to 70 millivolts. At the point of injury, the current
drops towards zero millivolts. This lack of electrical energy also
impedes healing. Silver is a superconductor that bridges the electrical
gap and restores healthy current flow. You can prove this to yourself
by placing a silver coin on a burn and experiencing instant pain
relief. In clinical trials at an FDA-approved laboratory, even
silver-coated bandages were proven to have analgesic and regenerative
properties."
-- Dr. Aundrea Adams, Ph.D, CTN
"Beginning in the 1970s, several independent researchers found that
silver ions easily destroy Candida and other fungi. But it wasn't until
a pilot study during the mid- 1990s that included human patients
suffering from terminal AIDS that medical researchers established solid
evidence showing just how quick and effective silver ions can be in the
treatment of Candida as well as HIV. In this study, nine individuals
who were near death were divided into two subgroups. One group suffered
from HIV and a terrible Candida infection. The other group suffered
from both HIV and an extreme form of malnutrition (known as Wasting
Syndrome). The researchers found that in both groups the colloidal
silver was capable of killing pathogens and purging the bloodstream of
germ defenses in order to restore the immune system."
-- Dr. Jonathan Wright, M.D.
"I have a friend who has suffered for years from chronic pneumonitis,
caused by Pseudomonas. Sputum cultures were consistently positive,
despite massive doses of horribly expensive antibiotics. Then colloidal
silver was suggested, and taken. Sputum cultures since have been
negative, and the patient's general health and vitality greatly
improved. Her internist can't deny the improvement, but won't attribute
it to the silver, of course! It would have occurred anyway; the silver
just happened to come on the scene at the right time. Uh-huh."
-- Dr. Paul Hine, M.D. (retired ophthalmologist)
"Colloidal silver is a powerful healer, despite irrational FDA
opposition to it. Silver has been used medicinally throughout the ages,
with great success. And now some very promising research is being done
on silver as a cancer treatment."
-- Alliance for Natural Health, ANH-USA.org, May 15, 2012
"Those of you who have joined us for an HSI Symposium in the past
surely remember Dr. Victor Marcial-Vega. He is a board-certified
oncologist and the director of Health Horizons Rejuvenation Clinic in
Coral Gables, Florida. Based on his experience treating other types of
bacterial lung infections, Dr. Marcial-Vega believes he has discovered
a way to prevent anthrax from developing even if you've already been
exposed. He's currently talking with government health authorities
about testing his hypothesis on live anthrax spores, but asked us bring
this information directly to you now.
Just
in his last decade of medical practice, Dr. Marcial-Vega has treated
hundreds of people with a variety of viral, fungal, and bacterial
pneumonias. And of all the available treatments, he has seen the
greatest success with nebulizer treatments using a colloidal silver
preparation. Silver has long been known for its anti-bacterial
properties, and the nebulizer allows the mineral to reach the lungs and
kill harmful bacteria. Now, in the face of the anthrax threat, he
believes it can do the same thing with anthrax spores.
'We
are constantly filtering all kinds of bacteria through our lungs,'
explained Dr. Marcial-Vega. Normally, a healthy body is able to kill
off any dangerous bacteria on its own. But in the case of illness, like
pneumonia, or an especially lethal bacteria like anthrax, the body may
need some extra help. For anthrax prevention, he recommends a daily
nebulizer treatment with 4 cc's of colloidal silver. By following this
protocol, Dr. Marcial-Vega says your body can likely kill off the
anthrax spores before you even know you were exposed. Colloidal silver
may even be useful to treat cutaneous anthrax with the preparation
being directly applied to the affected skin.
Dr.
Marcial-Vega says there are no concerns about using this treatment
because colloidal silver has no toxicity and no side effects. He has
used the colloidal silver nebulizer treatments on infants, the elderly,
and AIDS patients with pneumonia and has seen great results. All have
responded quickly to the treatment even when no other approach seemed
to help ñ and no one reported any adverse reactions.
Nebulizers
are widely used to treat asthma, and are readily available at stores
nationwide. The cost generally runs between $50 and $120 for the
machine. Each member of the family should have their own mask, and both
adult and pediatric sizes are available for a few dollars each. But the
entire family can share the nebulizer machine and the tubing."
-- Health Sciences Institute e-alert (10/26/2001)
"In four years we've described 87 important new medical uses for
silver. We're just beginning to see to what extent silver can relieve
suffering."
-- Dr. Richard L. Davies, executive director of the Silver Institute
"The best defense against swine flu, or any flu, is the age old remedy
of colloidal silver. The metal silver in its colloidal state can be
safely consumed and used in the body. Bacteria and viruses cannot
develop resistance to colloidal silver. Silver disables a vital enzyme
and mechanism in all bacteria and pathogens so that they cannot
survive. It is good to take a few teaspoons of colloidal silver daily
to maintain health. More colloidal silver should be taken if
experiencing illness."
-- Babu G. Ranganathan, Pravda
"Silver has a long history as an antibiotic in human health care. Since
medieval times silver has been used as a bactericidal agent that helps
heal skin abrasions and burns, water purification, wound care, bone
prostheses, reconstructive orthopaedic surgery, cardiac devices,
catheters and surgical appliances.
Colloidal
silver has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for
disinfection purposes in hospitals. In natural cosmetics, colloidal
silver makes a safe and nonirritating preservative with an added
anti-inflammatory bonus. I do recommend colloidal silver in my book,
The Green Beauty Guide, as an alternative to paraben and formaldehyde
preservatives.
Colloidal silver sprays are commonly used
to treat burns and throat infections. Today, colloidal silver is widely
used in British hospitals, especially in intensive care where it is
used in bandages to treat burns and infected wounds. As a UK-based
company, we are happy to support British medical science that permits
the use of this non-toxic alternative to common antibiotics."
-- Julie Gabriel, author of The Green Beauty Guide
"Silver ions stimulate the lymphatic system by cleaning out the dead cells and bringing oxygen to the healthy cells."
-- Dr. Stephen West, DL, PMD (son of Dr. C. Samuel West, DN, ND, renowned chemist and internationally recognized lymphologist)
"Many people successfully treat mycoplasmas infection by drinking large amounts of colloidal silver."
-- Dr. Nenah Sylver, Ph.D
"Mycoplasma seems to respond especially well to the colloidal silver treatments."
-- Gwen Scott, N.D., author of Natural Medicine: A Survivor's Guide
"Doxycycline and rifampin are among the medications used to treat
mycoplasma, but I also have success with natural agents such as
colloidal silver."
-- Nicola McFadzean, N.D., Insights Into Lyme Disease Treatment (BioMed Publishing Group)
"We have found colloidal silver to be quite effective against all
mycoplasma-related organisms that we have tested in vitro."
-- Brooks Bradley, Harborne Research Foundation
"Few things in life are as cut-and-dried as the fact that silver is completely safe when used within normal limits."
-- Herbert Slavin, M.D., director of the Institute of Advanced Medicine in Lauderhill, Florida
"In addition to its antibacterial properties, silver is also being
studied as an antifungal agent. A study published in Mycoses in 2007
indicated that silver is effective against four fungi 'which cause
major fungal infections in humans': Trichophyton rubrum, Candida
albicans, Microsporum canis, and Aspergillus flavus. Silver has also
been studied as an antiviral, and has been shown 'to prevent [certain
viruses] from being infective.'"
-- S.M. Foran, Therapeutic Properties of Silver: an Historical and Technical Review
"Sometimes a treatment can be worse than the illness, but not in the
case of Colloidal Silver. I have my patients spray or swish Colloidal
Silver in their mouths from one to three times daily, depending on the
severity of their condition, or, in a dose of one quarter to one
teaspoon, and even up to one tablespoon, one to three times daily for
situations that are more problematic. I also have them use it in small
amounts daily as a preventative...
...A
patient I was treating for an ear infection continued to have pain. His
ear canal was severely inflamed and had the appearance of what you
would think of as a burn. After taking an injection of an antibiotic,
as well as using a prescription ear drop and an oral antibiotic for
several days, he returned with an internal canal that was bright red
and an ear that was tender to the touch. I prescribed 3 Colloidal
Silver drops in his affected ear three times daily, and he returned the
next day with a 75% improvement...
...Some of my teenage
patients with facial skin infections seem to do well with a spray on
the skin and into the mouth once or twice daily. Sometimes higher
amounts are needed. This certainly beats taking antibiotics for years
and years to prevent these skin conditions...It's interesting how many
of my patients improve with the use of Colloidal Silver. It enhances
the immune system where other antibiotics cause yeast overgrowth...
...Another
patient has had persistent yeast infections. Having had no success with
both prescription and non-prescription treatments, she called me, at
her wit's end. I suggested that she try a douche of two teaspoons of
Colloidal Silver in a quart of water. Three days later she was
evaluated in my office. The symptoms of her yeast infection had
vanished, and there was no visible sign of infection."
-- Dr. Ron Surowitz, head of the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association
"...it cannot be contested that silver is a potent germicide.
Scientists have proven that colloidal silver destroys virtually all
bacteria, viruses, and most other single-celled pathogens within
minutes. An article from a 2006 issue of the American Journal of
Nursing states:
'Silver
is a broad-spectrum agent effective against a large number of
Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms, many aerobes [living in
the presence of oxygen] and anaerobes [living in the absence of
oxygen], and several antibiotic-resistant strains such as
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant
enterococci.'"
-- Nenah Sylver, PhD, The Rife Handbook – Chapter 3 excerpt, "Colloidal Silver"
"In medical treatment, Colloidal Silver has been used for the eyes,
nose, throat, skin, and everything in-between. It has been proven to
promote rapid healing, with less scar tissue. Colloidal Silver
solutions have been administered orally, topically, vaginally,
rectally, intravenously, intramuscularly, as a gargle, as well as eye
and ear drops. It can be atomized or inhaled into the nose or lungs,
therefore, safely used in a vaporizer or humidifier for respiratory
infections...Some therapists, such as Dr. Becker, use direct
application of electrically charged silver rods (his "silver wands") to
the skin, using the bodily fluids as the solution medium. The most
widely accepted applications of Colloidal Silver are to ingest it or
apply it directly to the skin. KEY APPLICATIONS: Infection, Immune
Support, Wound Healing."
-- The Wonders of Colloidal Silver, by Dyhana L. Coburn and Patrick D. Dignan
"While analyzing hair samples and questioning the parties involved, I
noticed the correlation between low silver levels and sickness. People
who showed low silver levels in their hair analysis were frequently
sick. They seemed to have innumerable colds, flu, fevers, and various
other sickness. I believe that a silver deficiency may be the key to
the improper function of the immune system."
-- Dr. Robert O. Becker, M.D., author, The Body Electric
"...metallic silver in colloidal suspension...yield silver ions in such
a quantity as to have a detrimental effect on microorganisms but slowly
enough not to be irritating to the tissues. The Colloidal Silver
particles provide a continuous source of these ions, yet the particles
are not absorbed by the body tissue taken en masse in true solution by
the body fluids; consequently, Colloidal Silver can be applied directly
to delicate mucous membranes, such as those in the eye, with no
irritation and with beneficial results...The colloidal particles
diffuse gradually throughout the blood and give prolonged therapeutic
action."
-- Robert J. Hartman, in his book, Colloid Chemistry
"We have had instant success with Colloidal Silver and immune
compromised patients. A few examples are: Pink Eye (topical) totally
are solved in less than six hours; recurrent sinus infections (oral
ingestion) resolved in eight days; acute cuticle infections - (topical)
- twenty four hours. Another major area in which we have improved our
clinical results is in the area of bowel detoxification and dialysis.
The Colloidal Silver has provided excellent removal of abnormal
intestinal bacteria; also it has proved to be a great adjunct to our
Candida Albicans, Epstein Barr virus, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
protocols."
-- Dr. Evan M., Kansas, quoted in Colloidal Silver, The Amazing Alternative to Antibiotics
"Research has shown that silver is a powerful antimicrobial agent that is non-irritating and non-toxic."
-- Valerie Edwards Jones, professor of microbiology at Manchester Metropolitan University
"Research with the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust has found that
silver, incorporated in the surfaces of hospital equipment furniture,
can reduce bacterial levels by 99 per cent. This, in turn, cuts
infection risk from superbugs such as MRSA, E. coli and salmonella."
-- Dr Richard Hastings, microbiologist for BioCote, Ltd.
"Occasionally people with muscle aches, pains, and backaches are
improved with silver, probably because these are associated with viral
or bacterial infections in the spinal fluid, which traditional
antibiotics or colloidal silver cannot reach. Zinc and silver make a
very powerful synergistic team as a secondary immune system. Silver is
also effective in controlling warts. Angstrom-size silver is the best
source."
-- Gabriel Cousens, M.D., author, Spiritual Nutrition: Six Foundations for Spiritual Life and the Awakening of Kundalini
"Research on colloidal silver shows it to be an effective resource
against infections and pathogens, yet very little is known about it by
the general public or the medical profession. Prior to 1938 it was in
common use by doctors. According to Alexander G. Schauss, PhD, of Johns
Hopkins University, considerable scientific evidence has been published
regarding the effectiveness of silver as an antiseptic against 'several
hundred pathogenic organisms.' He also points out that silver is not an
antibiotic because, by definition, antibiotics are derived from living
organisms."
-- Ron Garner, author, Conscious Health: A Complete Guide to Wellness Through Natural Means
"Silver was used 1,200 years ago by Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, sailors,
and then by the pioneers who populated our country. They used it for
various illnesses and to keep their foods and liquids from spoiling.
Prior to 1938, before antibiotics, colloidal silver was used by doctors
as their main substance to fight bacteria in a more natural way than
through the antibiotics they use today. Antibiotics can harm our
kidneys and liver functions. Colloidal silver promotes healing."
-- A. Gore Gregory, author, Defeat Cancer
"Colloidal silver appears to be one of the greatest discoveries in
natural preventive health care of all time. When properly prepared,
colloidal silver is a completely non-toxic, tasteless, internally and
externally applicable, broad-spectrum germ fighter and disinfectant,
which can significantly reduce the length and severity of many viral
and bacterial infections."
-- Zane Baranowski, Colloidal Silver: the Natural Antibiotic
"I regard stable Colloidal Silver as a most useful preparation in Ophthalmic practice."
-- Dr. Legge-Roe, Lancet, British Medical Journal, 1915
"Silver happens to be the world's oldest known antibiotic. There's
written evidence that the ancient Egyptians made use of it; the ancient
Greeks and Romans stored their water, wine, and other liquids in silver
vessels to prevent spoiling and contamination; ancient Chinese emperors
ate with silver chopsticks, and wealthy Europeans in the Middle Ages
used silver utensils to protect themselves from illness (we still call
our eating utensils "silverware" despite it being made from other
metals these days)."
-- Alliance for Natural Health, ANH-USA.org, May 15, 2012
"Silver is a powerful, natural prophylactic/antibiotic, used for
thousands of years...It is a catalyst, disabling the particular enzyme
that all one-celled bacteria, fungus and virus, use for their oxygen
metabolism, they suffocate. Yet it is of no harm to human enzymes or
any part of the human body chemistry. And it kills all disease-causing
organisms, in six minutes or less, upon contact, even those
pleomorphic, no matter how they mutate. Resistant strains fail to
develop, and the body doesn't develop a tolerance. Colloidal Silver is
both a remedy and a prevention of infections of many kinds. Having
sufficient Colloidal Silver in your body is to have a superior, second
immune system. It was in common use until 1938. Great Grandma put a
silver dollar in the milk, to keep it fresh at room temperature."
-- Health Consciousness magazine, Vol. 15 No. 4
"Silver is the best all around germ fighter we have...The value of
silver in medicine, and as a purifier has been acknowledged for
centuries. Egyptians implanted silver plates into skulls with surgery.
In Ancient Greece and Rome, people used silver containers to keep
liquids fresh. When settlers moved across the American West, they would
purify a container of water by putting a silver dollar in it overnight.
Towards the end of the 19th century, other medicinal uses for silver
were developed including the use of silver and mercury in filling
cavities, and the dropping of a silver filtrate solution into the eyes
of newborn babies to prevent blindness due to infection."
-- Dr. Harry Margraf, Biochemist, The Story of Silver in Medicine; Gold & Silver Newsletter, September 1974
"Many strains of pathogenic microbes, viruses, fungi, bacteria or any
other single celled pathogen resistant to other antibiotics are killed
on contact by colloidal silver, and are unable to mutate. However, it
does not harm tissue-cell enzymes and friendly bacteria."
-- Ron Barnes, PhD., Pharmacist, Capital Drugs
"Scores of independent tests have shown that silver promptly kills
bacteria in water and maintains water purity over long periods of time."
-- The Silver Institute Letter, December 1976, Tests Show Silver Best Water Purifier
"The most dramatic purification tests occurred in 1976 in a 20,000
gallon swimming pool in Nebraska. There was no disinfectant of any kind
in the water. Fifty gallons of municipal sewage waste water was put
into the pool. That produced a dangerous concentration of 7,000 E.Coli
cells per 100 millilitre [half a cup] of water. Contents of the pool
were then pumped through a tank containing silver for disinfection.
Within three hours the pool was entirely free of e.Coli and the water
contained only 3.2 parts of silver per billion parts of water
(0.0032ppm).
-- The Silver Institute Letter, May 1975, Silver Guards Good Health
"The Allegheny County Health Department in Pennsylvania conducted tests
in a 152,000 gallon pool which previously had been disinfected by a 50
pounds per day chlorinator. The system was replaced by a silver system
for the swimming pool season. The County Health Department took up to
50 daily samples and found that silver ions remained in the pool at the
low steady rate of 20 parts per billion (0.02ppm). The water remained
free of bacteria throughout two seasons. In contrast, 65 water samples
from 30 other pools having a concentration of 700 parts per billion
(0.7ppm) of available chlorine showed a mean of 1.3 pseudomonas and 7.3
staph cells per millilitre of water."
-- The Silver Institute Letter, May 1973, Silver Carbon Filter Purifies Swimming Pool
"Silver compounds have a wide variety of uses as caustics, astringents,
antiseptics, and germicides. Their activity resides in the silver ion,
which is a protein precipitant. It is toxic to bacteria by
precipitating the protein in the bacteria protoplasm. Colloidal silver
preparations, in which the silver does not exist to any large extent as
free ions, act by the milder and sustained antiseptic effect brought
about by the formation of a protein silver compound which slowly
liberates small amounts of ionic silver. Colloidal silver compounds,
contain very little ionizable silver . Use of any silver preparation
over a long period may cause permanent blue discoloration of the skin
and mucous membranes, (particularly the lips and under the fingernails)
known as Argyria. There are no known adverse health effects of Argyria.
The colloidal silver preparations contain high concentrations of
silver, largely in non-ionized form. Their antiseptic value depends on
the activity of the free silver ions and not on their content. They do
not precipitate protein but penetrate the tissues. Those mentioned here
are silver proteins and silver halides."
-- Handbook of the Hospital Corps of the United States Navy, 1953
"Big Pharma hates silver. Pure and simple. It's too competitive. It
allows the little guy a way of taking care of infectious illness
without using pharmaceutical drugs. On the broader level, Big Pharma
and the ruling elite know extremely well that the less nutrition a
consumer gets his hands on, the more prone he is to become malnourished
and end up at a doctor's office with symptoms of some disease that
requires prescription drugs."
-- Anders Sultan, Sweden's largest colloidal silver manufacturer
"I know of nothing which could quite take its place, nor, have I known
anyone to abandon it who had thoroughly familiarised himself with the
technique of its application. We may only have scratched the surface of
silver's medical brilliance! Already it is an amazing tool! It
stimulates bone - forming cells, cures the most stubborn infections of
all kinds...and stimulates healing in skin and other soft tissues".
-- Dr. William Steward Halsted, 1913
"The germicidal properties of silver, although not recognized as such,
have been utilized since the times of the ancient Mediterranean and
Asiatic cultures, references being made to the use of silver vessels to
prevent spoilage of beverages, and silver foil or plates in the
surgical treatment of wounds and broken bone."
-- N.R. Thompson, 1973. Silver. In the journal Comprehensive Inorganic Chemsitry, Vol .3. New York, Pergamon, 79-80.
Study Synopsis: Sixteen patients with leg ulcers were treated with a
colloidal silver spray. The solution was applied once daily for the
first few days, then twice weekly. The infection subsided in all cases.
After instruction, patients performed the therapy at home without
supervision. No discomfort or side effects were observed. There was no
persistent discoloration of the skin that could be attributed to
silver. "In all cases the infection subsided."
-- Haeger, Knut. 1963. Preoperative treatment of leg ulcers with silver
spray and aluminum foil. Acta Chirurgica Scandinavica, 125, 32-41.
"Metal-binding proteins are important components of retroviruses such
as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Therefore, metals could be used
as antiviral agents. However, most metals are toxic for humans with the
exception of silver which is toxic only to prokaryotic cells and
viruses...Silver has also been shown to be a potent inhibitor of HIV
protease. Silver is expected to interact potently with HIV proteins and
to interrupt thereby the cellular replication of HIV at various stages
such as interaction with surface receptors, gene expression or cellular
biosynthesis of viruses. Possible therapeutic forms of silver...remain
to be investigated."
-- Hussain, Saber, Anner, Rolf M., and Anner, Beatrice M. 1992.
Cysteine protects Na, K- ATPase and isolated human lymphocytes from
silver toxicity. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications,
189(3), 1444-1449.
"The drugs of colloidal silver collargol and
protargol were found to have activity against smallpox virus...Silver
metal particles may make a great contribution to the mechanism
responsible for antiviral effects."
-- Bogdanchikova, N.Y., et al. 1992. Activity of colloidal silver
preparations against variolovaccine virus. Khimiko-Farmatsevticheskii
Zhurnal, 26(9-10), 90-91.
"Ag+ solutions exhibited better
antimicrobial effectiveness against bacteria, a yeast species, and a
mold than did analogous silver solutions from inorganic salts(silver
nitrate and silver chloride)Ag+ could be used effectively in
preservativesthe microbicidal activity of silver is significantly ion
influenced."
-- Simonetti, N., et al. 1992. Electrochemical Ag+ for preservative
use. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 58(12), 3834-3836.
"To
be bactericidal, the silver must be available as a solution, and the
efficacy of the solution is dependent on the concentration of silver
ions present in the solution. Silver is effective against a broad range
of antibiotic-resistant organisms, which is expected because silver has
been regularly found to be effective against antibiotic-resistant
organisms."
-- Wright, J. Barry, Lam, Kan, and Burrell, Robert E. 1998. Wound
management in an era of increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance: a
role for topical silver treatment. American Journal of Infection
Control, 26(6), 572-577.
"Silver ion concentration of about 3
micrograms/liter was sufficient to control the growth of legionellae in
circulating warm water."
-- Kusnetsov, Jaana, et al. 2001. Copper and silver ions more effective
against legionellae than against mycobacteria in a hospital warm water
system. Water Research, 35(17), 4217- 4225.
"Tens of thousands of
swimming pools in Europe and the United States have used electrically
driven silver-copper ion systems to provide satisfactory sanitation for
decades."
-- Davies, Richard, and Etris, Samuel. 1997. The development and
functions of silver in water purification and disease control. In
Catalysis Today, 36, 107-114.
"Just a few conditions that have been
partially or completely eradicated by colloidal silver are
gastrointestinal disorders (including diverticulitis and salmonella),
hepatitis and other liver conditions, Lyme disease, malaria,
pancreatitis, respiratory problems such as emphysema, shingles and
other conditions caused by the Herpes virus, and even the SARS virus.
Recently, researchers at the University of Texas and Mexico University
began using silver nanoparticles to kill Staphylococcus aureus. Then,
in the Journal of Nanotechnology, they reported their groundbreaking
findings that silver nanoparticles kill HIV-1, and that they expect
silver to kill virtually every other virus as well! The silver particle
size ranged from one to ten nanometers. The silver particles killed
100% of the HIV-1 virus (incubated at 98.6ºF or 37ºC) within 3 hours."
-- Nenah Sylver, PhD, The Rife Handbook – Chapter 3 excerpt, "Colloidal Silver"
"Colloidal silver has been used with marked success in the following cases, cited by C.E.A. MacLeod:
Septic
and follicular tonsillitis, Vincent's angina, phlyctenular
conjunctivitis, gonorrheal conjunctivitis, spring catarrh, impetigo
(contagious acne of face and body), septic ulcers of legs, ringworm of
body, tinea versicolor, soft sores, suppurative appendicitis after
operations, pustular exzema of scalp and pubes, chronic eczema of
meatus of ear with recurrent boils, chronic eczema of anterior nares,
offensive discharge in case of chronic suppuration in otitis media,
bromidrosis of feet, axillae and blind boils of neck.
By injections: gonorrhea and chronic cystitis (local), boils, epiditymitis.
Sir
James Castle has found it particularly effective in cases of sprue,
dysentery, and intestinal troubles. Being non-toxic, the dose can be
increased from 1 to 2 or more drachms twice or thrice dialy.
A.
Legge Roe regards stable colloidal silver as a most useful preparation
in ophthalmic practice, and particularly in cases of gonorrheal
ophthalmia, purulent ophthalmia of infants, infected ulcers of the
cornea and hypopyon ulcer (tapping of the interior chamber and cautery,
and other operative procedures being now rarely required, whilst if
perforation does occur it is smaller and more manageable, interstitial
keratitis, blepharitis, dacryocystitis, and burns and other wounds of
the cornea.
According to this authority, the great
chemosis which usually accompanies the use of silver nitrate is avoided
and, in his opinion, if colloidal silver were adopted in every case of
purulent ophthalmia of infants, 'there would be no such thing as
impaired sight or blindness from this cause.'
He has had
many cases of interstitial keratitis in adults, in which the complete
opacity of the cornea has become absolutely clear in from three to five
months, and anyone who has had much experience of this disease in
adults knows how often permanent impairment of sight results, and how
long the treatment used to last...
...Sir Malcolm Morris
has found that colloidal silver is free from the drawbacks of other
preparations of silver, viz. the pain caused and the discoloration of
the skin; indeed, instead of producing irritation it has a distinctly
soothing effect. It rapidly subdues inflammation and promotes the
healing of lesions. He has had remarkable results in enlarged prostate
with irritation of the bladder, in pruritis ani and perineal eczema,
and in haemorrhoids.
J. Mark Hovell has found colloidal
silver beneficial for permanently restoring the potency of the
Eustachian tubes and for reducing nasopharyngeal catarrh.
Colloidal
silver has also been used successfully in septic conditions of the
mouth (including tonsilitis and quinsies), ear (including Menier's
symptoms and closure to Valsava's inflation), and in generalized
septicemia, leucorrhoea, cystitis, whopping cough, and shingles.
...Collosol
argentum has also proved useful in influenza, both as a prophylactic
and for curative purposes when applied as a spray to the nostrils, for
bathing the eyes, and as a gargle for the throat.
B.
Seymour Jones has used an intranasal spray of colloidal silver in a
case of cerebro-spinal meningitis. He has also used colloidal silver
with marked advantage in several cases of rhinitis and oedematous
enlargement of the posterior ends of the middle and inferior turbinates
with true hyperplasia."
-- Alfred B. Searle, Use of Colloids In Health and Disease, pgs. 83-86, published in 1920
"Colloidal
silver is the product the FDA and many mainstream medical people love
to hate. Listening to them you would think every person taking
colloidal silver is going to turn gray with silver accumulation in
their skin (argyria). Their worst nightmare is people taking colloidal
silver to combat the H1N1 swine flu – the nightmare for them is that it
might actually work.
...Silver in today's
medicine is undergoing a renaissance, with innovative new products that
are able to sustain the release of silver ions enabling better surgical
and wound-related uses. Silver nanoparticles are even being
incorporated into clothes, like socks and stockings. You can buy a
washing machine that uses silver ions to kill germs in clothes.
The
high efficacy in the use of silver to kill bacteria and fungus is not
in question by anyone. This does not mean it kills every type of
bacteria or fungus. And in the ones it does kill it does not mean it
kills all of them. It simply means that the antibiotic properties of
silver are quite potent – and the risk to human health in terms of
toxicity is negligible. This is a far better risk/benefit profile than
commonly used antibiotics."
-- Byron J. Richards, CCN
(Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist, charter member of the
International & American Association of Clinical Nutritionists
(IAACN), author Fight for Your Health: Exposing the FDA's Betrayal of
America)
"Metallic silver and silver compounds are used widely in
medical devices and health care products to provide antibacterial and
antifungal action. Experience has shown that they are generally safe in
use and effective in controlling pathogenic organisms."
-- A.B.G. Lansdown, PHF, FRCPath, Honorary Senior Lecturer, Department
of Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
"Silver has germicidal effects and kills many lower organisms effectively without harm to higher animals."
-- CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics: 80th Edition, ed. by David R. Lide, CRC Press, Boca Rotan, FL, 1999-2000.
"One study of animals drinking silver compounds mixed with water for
most of their life found no effect on fertility. Another study found
reproductive tissues were damaged in animals after they received
injections of silver nitrate. However, the tissues recovered even while
the animals received more injections of silver nitrate. Tests in
animals show that silver compounds are likely to be life threatening
for humans only when large amounts (that is, grams) are swallowed and
that skin contact with silver compounds is very unlikely to be life
threatening."
-- ATSDR – Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Toxicological Profile for Silver – CAS# 7440-22-4, Dec. 1990.