Colloidal Silver: Potential Panacea?

A collection of interesting material on colloidal silver.

History

Toxicity

Ideas and Doses

South on Effectiveness

Kimball on Benefits

A Brief History of Silver and Silver Colloids in Medicine

Source: Clear Springs Press
This is a chapter from the book Colloidal Silver: Medical Uses, Toxicology and Manufacture

      Silver has been used as a medicine and preservative by many cultures throughout history. The Greeks and others used silver vessels for water and other liquids to keep them fresh.  Pioneers trekking across the wild west generations ago faced many hardships. Keeping safe drinking water was one of them. Bacteria, algae, etc. found a fertile breeding ground in the wooden water casks that were carried on the wagons. They placed silver and copper coins in the casks to retard the growth of these spoilage organisms. They also put silver dollars in their milk to keep it fresh.  Settlers in the Australian outback still suspend silverware in their water tanks to retard spoilage. Silver water purification filters and tablets are manufactured in Switzerland and used by many nations and international airlines. Preventing growth of algae and bacteria in swimming pools is a similar problem that people face today. Electrical ionization units that impregnate the water with silver and copper ions are available today that sanitize the pool water without the harsh effects of chlorine.

     In contemporary times, colloidal silver is something of a pariah.  It is popular among alternative medicine enthusiasts and it has been officially disapproved of by the FDA.  It is politically incorrect and has been marketed widely as a "modern wonder cure alternative to antibiotics" in health food stores, multi-level marketing and other related outlets. These claims are based on the germicidal properties of silver and anecdotal reports of effectiveness. Silver does indeed have germicidal properties. It was employed as a germicide and antibiotic before the development of modern antibiotics. After reviewing the literature on the prior usage of colloidal silver in the pre-antibiotic era, it becomes evident that the dosages they used were far in excess of the usual recommended dosages of current over the counter health food products.

      Silver was used as a medicine in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Silver, along with other metals was discovered to possess germicidal properties. Silver alone showed both strong germicidal properties and low or no toxicity to humans. The Colloidal state proved to be the most effective form because it lacked the caustic properties of salts (such as silver nitrate) and demonstrated a high level of activity with very low concentrations.

      Medicinal silver compounds were developed in the late 1800's and there was widespread use of silver compounds and colloids prior to 1930. By 1940 there were approximately four dozen different silver compounds on the market being used to treat every known infectious disease. These were available in oral, injectable, and topical forms. They carried such names as; Albargin, Argonin, Argyn, Argyrol, Largin, Lunosol, Novargan, Proganol, Electrargol and Silvol, etc.

      These different silver preparations were drastically different from each other. Some were true colloids of silver, others were colloids of silver salts or other compounds of silver, many were silver proteinates, and some couldn't legitimately be called colloids. The actual silver content also varied widely, with some products containing 30% silver by weight.

      The effectiveness of the silver sol or suspension, as antibacterials, depended on the composition of the product, the initial quality of the product and the time elapsed since manufacture. Consequently, there was a wide variation in their effectiveness and safety.

      With some products, skin staining could occur from topical use and, because of the relatively high silver content of some compounds, there was a greater risk of silver toxicity and argyria. None of these products were as effective against bacteria as silver nitrate. However silver nitrate has potential serious, if not fatal, side effects due to its toxicity.

      With the discovery of antibiotics, interest in Silver as an anti-microbial medicine declined. There were at that time no antibiotic resistant strains of disease organisms and there was a lot of excitement over the new wonder drugs. There were also problems with silver based pharmaceuticals.  The overuse of certain types of protein bound silver compounds caused a discoloration of the skin called argyria and the therapeutic results were variable depending on the age and quality of the preparation.

      In Ayurvedic medicine silver is used in small amounts as a tonic or elixir or rejuvenative agent for patients debilitated by age or disease. 

      A correlation (not an explanation) of some of the diverse reported effects and discrepancies in reported effects of colloidal silver can be found by regarding colloidal silver as a Homeopathic substance rather than an antibiotic. In Homeopathy, a substance is "proven" by administering large doses to a group of healthy individuals and observing the symptoms that develop. Then when a patient has the same or similar group of symptoms a highly diluted preparation of the same substance is given to correct the condition. Simila similibus curenteur is the Homeopathic motto. Illnesses are treated by the “rule of similars.”

      It so happens that the 1, 5, and 10 PPM. colloidal silver products being sold in health food stores have concentrations of silver in the same range as Homeopathic preparations. I suspect that the most common complaints treated with colloidal silver are the common cold and flu. It so happens that the Homeopathic symptom profile for silver corresponds to many of the common symptoms of colds and flu.

      Homeopathy was developed over 200 years ago in Europe by physicians who did not have access to modern scientific tools. They believed in a concept that today would be called "energy medicine". Most allopathic medical doctors and scientists do not consider Homeopathy to be valid, yet its empirical track record is impressive. In addition, more recent research into the scientific principles relevant to homeopathy are giving credibility to this school of medicine while provoking hostility in the debunkers.

      The critics of colloidal silver focus on two things: (1) Unsubstantiated claims by promoters and (2) The toxic characteristics of silver. In some cases the language used by critics can be as biased and critical as the promoters. There are also many sincere individuals who hold diverse and opposing viewpoints.

      Their concern over hype and mismarketing has some justification. There are some who promote consumption with little regard to the accuracy or truthfulness of their statements, or for the appropriate use of colloidal silver or for the quality of their product. It appears that most of them have copied the pitch of their predecessors without checking the accuracy or truthfulness of the statements. This isn't true of all colloidal silver promoters but it only takes a few bold and reckless ones to give them all a bad rap and their critics an excuse to quash them all.

      The toxic effects of silver is another matter. Silver is toxic when used in excess but appears to be harmless if used in small amounts. Critics of colloidal silver sometimes state that it has been known to cause organ damage, kidney damage, pulmonary edema, atherosclerosis and death. Many of these claims appear to be based on a research study on dogs in which the dogs were deliberately killed by extremely large lethal doses of silver in order to enable the investigators to study silver toxicity. At the doses given any heavy metal and probably many essential minerals like zinc, iron, copper, etc. would have produced death in a similar fashion. Out of context references like this do nothing to bring light to the subject. This study is reviewed in a more meaningful context in this document.

      Critics also say that there is risk of developing a condition called argyria in which excess silver is deposited in the skin and tissues causing discoloration and possibly other harm. This is possible and those who use colloidal silver need to be aware of it. The issue of toxicity is of major importance and it needs to be understood by everyone using colloidal silver. Since colloidal silver has become popular, numerous (probably tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands) of individuals have consumed colloidal silver, some of them in substantial quantities.  It appears that the modern low concentration versions of colloidal silver are better tolerated and eliminated from the body than those preparations from the early 1900's.  Still there is a lot that needs to be better understood about silver toxicity.

      With regard to the political correctness, or incorrectness, of colloidal silver, It is necessary to maintain a balanced perspective. If you think "approved" medicines are safe, go to the library and look them up in the PDR (Physicians Desk Reference). If you like to read scary stuff, this is a good hobby. On the other hand, some folks who are dedicated to "natural alternatives" often consider anything from a pharmaceutical company to be "bad". They need to remember that most antibiotics were derived from natural substances (like penicillin from molds) at one time. Common sense and an ethic of "do no harm" to yourself or others must prevail.

      There is a lot of concern today about the threat of new antibiotic resistant diseases and the potential for devastating plagues. There is historical and informal evidence that silver will work as an antibiotic. Given a specific infectious disease, proper diagnosis and the informed consideration of all alternatives is essential. The use of silver in the treatment of infectious diseases may be appropriate in situations where the infection is truly dangerous and safer alternatives are not available or have failed to prove effective. Anyone using silver in these situations must engage a physician as an ally.

      There is a great need for credible research to be performed by independent institutions regarding the toxicity, toxic mechanisms, potential clinical uses, and usage protocols for colloidal silver. Pharmaceutical companies won't spend money doing that because they can't patent it and make money on it and published proof of effectiveness could result in an inexpensive colloidal silver competing with their products.

      Recently, with the development of antibiotic resistance in many diseases and the increase in the new strains of bacteria and viruses worldwide, there is renewed interest in silver. Large companies are developing and introducing new silver compounds for a variety of anti-microbial applications, including protection against the spread of the AIDS virus. (2)

      Today, colloidal silver is sold as a trace mineral supplement without medical claims or claims of specific benefits. Its need, or lack of need, in human nutrition is not scientifically established. It remains popular as an "alternative" health care modality because of the large number of anecdotal reports of positive benefits.

      Another application for silver in medicine has been approved by the FDA. A.B. Flick, M.D., founder of Argentum Research has developed a line of silver coated bandages that are used for wound and burn dressings.

Colloidal Silver Toxicity - How much is harmful?

 This is a chapter from the book Colloidal Silver: Medical Uses, Toxicology and Manufacture

    Can Colloidal Silver harm you? Most of the promotional hype says it can't. However, almost anything can be harmful if used in excess. This includes commonly used drugs and even common foods. Potatoes, tomatoes, wheat, mushrooms, and many other common foods contain toxins and/or carcinogens or even mostly harmless substances which can be harmful to susceptible individuals. They don't usually harm us because we limit their consumption to levels to which our body can adapt to, and metabolize.

    The bottom line is that small doses of silver seem harmless for most people while large doses taken in great excess can be toxic, even lethal. So the question is: what constitutes a small safe amount and what constitutes a large potentially harmful amount?

    Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to that question. There is, however, some information available that can serve as clues or points of reference from which a "guess" can be made. This is not intended to be construed as medical advice or recommendations for usage, but as correlative information for academic and research purposes.

    In the various promotional documents on colloidal silver, a theory is often presented that "true" colloidal silver is non-toxic and that only the older silver proteins and silver salts are toxic. It is true that nearly all of the toxicological data is on silver salts and silver proteins with much higher silver content than current electrocolloidal products. It is also true that colloidal silver, silver salts and silver proteins cannot be assumed to produce the same results or have the same toxicities. It is also true that I have been unable to find any documentation of a single case of argyria produced from the consumption of low concentration electrocolloidal silver. It is my assumption, however, that the low dose electrocolloidal silver could cause argyria if used in sufficiently excessive quantities.

    Two very important factors are the total accumulated dose of silver and how quickly it was consumed. The rate of consumption is  probably more important than the total quantity because there is an excretion process.  If the intake exceeds the body's ability to eliminate the silver, it accumulates in the tissues.  An estimation of the body's ability to eliminate silver is then critical to understanding what dosage is toxic.

    It appears that colloidal silver is absorbed orally through the GI tract, through the nasal mucosa, and presumable sublingually and rectally.  Some individuals also have reported injecting colloidal silver.  

    None of the old medical literature that I was able to find gave a satisfactory assessment of the absorption, retention and excretion of colloidal silver. The old literature suggested that silver is eliminated primarily through the feces with active biliary excretion. Even inhaled silver is eliminated through the feces. (63)

    The silver products that were used in the early twentieth century were mostly silver proteins rather than colloidal silver and the silver content was much higher, 10% to 30% by weight rather than the 0.001% silver content of 10 ppm colloidal silver. This kind of difference makes comparisons rather meaningless. Clearly, better data is needed to offer those using colloidal silver some idea whether they are foolishly poisoning themselves or have little to worry about.

    One individual, Roger Altman Eng.Sc.D., took the task upon himself to find some of the answers to these questions, without support or funding. He made careful measurements of the silver that he consumed and the silver that he excreted in urine, feces, hair, nails, sweat, etc. From his carefully collected data, we now have an indication of how these processes work. The summary of his data is presented here with permission. A summary of his data can be found in Appendix B. To purchase a complete copy of his report contact him at rogaltman@aol.com

    Dr. Altman consumed 2.34 mg. of silver daily for several months then measured the total silver excreted from his body over a 24 hour period.  He concluded that silver is excreted easily from the body, primarily in the urine.  The total silver excreted during this particular measurement period exceeded the amount consumed during that period.  This is accounted for by the variability of the amount of waste (urine, feces, etc.) eliminated from the body, the amount consumed through food and water, etc.  It does point out that silver is eliminated from the body much more efficiently than we previously thought.  It also may explain why there have been no cases of argyria reported by individuals using low dosage electrocolloidal silver. The colloidal silver that he was using was electrocolloidal silver made by the high voltage DC (180 VDC) process.  

    Dr. Altman also ran a measurement of silver elimination for 100 days following the cessation of silver intake. Initially, most of the silver was eliminated through the urine.  He noted that increasing water intake increased silver elimination through the urine.  After approximately the first month, silver elimination was greater through the feces than through the urine.  He estimated that by the 100 day mark nearly all of the accumulated silver had been eliminated from his tissues.  

    This is only one set of measurements on one individual.  It is, however, data carefully obtained by a scientifically trained individual using modern analytical tools.  It suggests that a healthy adult can consume approximately 2 mg. of colloidal silver per day without risk.  This data is insufficient, however, to assume that the same situation will prevail in other individuals.  Someone with kidney disease, for example, may have difficulty eliminating silver and may risk toxicity with prophylactic consumption.

    The available information suggests that silver salts are clearly more toxic than silver proteins or colloidal silver.  It is possible to produce a variety of silver salts and other silver compounds in some manufacturing processes.  These may be left over from the materials used in the manufacturing process or may be produced by the manufacturing process as a by product, especially if impure materials are used.  Silver nitrate is especially toxic because it reacts readily with proteins and is quite caustic. Some methods of producing silver colloids chemically use silver nitrate as one of the ingredients and there may be traces of it remaining in the mixture.

    For someone using colloidal silver, it is important to estimate the total number of milligrams of silver in a dose and the total number of milligrams consumed over the course of treatment.

    Here is a summary of reference points to work from:

1. One tsp. contains 5 ml. of liquid 

2. One ppm concentration is the same as 1 milligram (mg.) per liter    
   (Example: 10 PPM colloidal silver contains 10 mg of silver in one liter of liquid)
   (Example: One tsp. of 10 PPM colloidal silver contains 50 micrograms of silver)

3. The EPA reference dose for a 160 pound adult (the average amount consumed per day in food and water): 364 micrograms per day.

4. The EPA critical dose for a 160 pound adult (the amount that should not be exceeded in daily consumption): 1.09 milligrams per day 

5. The EPA proposed limit for silver in drinking water is: 0.1 mg per liter ( 0.1 PPM)

6. The average person consumes approximately 90 mcg. of silver/day in their food
7. The estimated dosage of silver required to trigger an anti-infection response (based on anecdotal reports and other data); is believed to be approximately 1 milligram of silver

8. References (8) and ( 70) state that the estimated total dosage of silver required to treat serious infections such as LYME disease is:   Approximately 18 to 90 milligrams of silver over the period of one month.

9. The estimated accumulated dosage required to produce argyria is: Approximately one to six grams of silver, depending on the reference cited. Some references state as high as 50 grams.(1)(62)

10. The estimated single dose lethal quantity of silver is: Approximately ten grams of silver (Note: This estimate is for silver nitrate which is much more toxic than colloidal silver)(56)

    Here are some links to relevant information on silver toxicity.

1. http://risk.lsd.ornl.gov/tox/profiles/silver_f_V1.shtml - RAIS
   - Risk Assessment Toxicity Profile - Silver
2. WHO document on Water Safety

    The best known consequence of over consumption of silver is argyria. Most authorities state that argyria is disfiguring because of the discoloration of the skin but has no other harmful consequences. With argyria, silver is taken internally in excess and the excess is deposited in the skin, organs and other tissues. This causes the skin to turn a gray or bluish gray color. Upon exposure to strong sunlight, skin of the affected individuals can turn a dark brown or black color. This coloration is permanent. In addition to argyria, the intake of very large doses (far in excess of the amount that causes discoloration of the skin) of silver can cause neurological damage, organ damage and arteriosclerosis.

    We know that argyria has been produced in adults who were given 900 mg of silver orally over a period of one year (1). There are also cases in the literature where 6.0 grams of silver nitrate administered orally and 6.3 grams of silver arsphenamine administered intramuscularly were known to produce argyria. (1) Another study estimated the minimal oral dose for producing argyria to be 25 to 50 grams taken over a 6 month period. (62) A single fatal dose is estimated to be 10 grams, although recovery from larger doses has been reported. (Note: this 10 gram figure is for silver nitrate which is many times more toxic than colloidal silver) (56).

    Here are some internet links which provide additional information on argyria. Note that the Rosemary Jacobs case is assumed to involve a different form of silver and much higher dosages than the electrocolloidal silver that is in common use today. Still, it is important to be aware that argyria is a risk if the wrong types of silver are used in excessive quantities.

1. http://www.dermis.net/bilddb/diagnose/englisch/i985800.htm
   - Dermatology Internet Service - Argyria
   
2. http://homepages.together.net/~rjstan - Rosemary Jacobs Argyria Page

    Using the most conservative figure, 900 milligrams of silver corresponds to the silver content in 90 liters of 10 PPM colloidal silver, 45 liters of 20 PPM colloidal silver or 30 liters of 30 PPM colloidal silver. Small children and sensitive individuals could presumably be harmed by less. These doses are very large compared to the doses usually consumed by individuals using over the counter health food store colloidal silver products. Even with these quantities, risk of toxicity may be reduced by spreading the intake out over a period of time to allow the excretion mechanisms to keep up with intake.

    We know that dogs died from injections of a type of protein bound silver in dosages ranging from 500 mg to 1.9 grams of silver depending on the dosage and frequency of administration (46). This was equivalent in silver content to giving a 150 pound adult between 150 and 570 liters of 10 PPM colloidal silver, or between 75 and 285 liters of 20 PPM colloidal silver or between 50 and 190 liters of 30 PPM colloidal silver. The 10 gram estimated lethal dose for humans from Goodman and Gillman (56) is equivalent to 1000 liters of 10 PPM colloidal silver.

    In another case (47), an individual ingested an estimated 124 grams of silver nitrate over a period of 9 years. She developed argyria and an assortment of neurological symptoms as well. The authors note that the silver tended to complex with sulfur in the ratio of inorganic Ag2S. A moderate presence of silver-sulfur granules were seen in the perineural tissue, in the peripheral nerves and along the elastic fibers and to a lesser extent along the collagenous fibers and in macrophages. These deposits were noted to have an affinity for basal membranes. The neurological manifestations included taste and smell disorders, vertigo and hypesthesia. This report is often used by critics to attribute neurological disorders to silver consumption. For comparisons to be meaningful differences in quantities must be accounted for. 

    It may be helpful to put this in perspective with the quantities of silver that is consumed in the food and drinking water from natural sources. The EPA publishes a reference dose (RFD) for silver which is an estimate of daily exposure to the entire population that is unlikely to be associated with a significant risk of adverse effects over a lifetime. The current RFD for oral silver exposure is 5 micrograms/kg/d with a critical dose estimated at 14 micrograms/kg/d. The maximum contaminant level proposed by the EPA for silver in the drinking water is less than 0.1 mg/L. (less than 0.1 PPM). 

    Based on this RFD, a 150 pound adult should not exceed 350 micrograms/d. If the silver in drinking water meets EPA standards, an average person drinking 2 liters per day will consume less than 200 micrograms of silver. In addition the daily diet may contain about 90 micrograms of silver. (63) 350 micrograms of silver is equivalent to 70 milliliters (14 tsp.) of 5 PPM colloidal silver. This is the amount that the EPA standards permit an individual to consume from natural sources. At this rate, one could conceivably consume enough silver in three days to equal the 1 milligram estimate of a minimum effective dose.

    It should be noted here that some in the silver business believe that it is not necessary to exceed the EPA critical dose to obtain antibiotic effects from colloidal silver provided that the colloidal silver is of extremely small particle size.

    Some researchers have suggested that a deficiency of selenium and vitamin E may increase the susceptibility to systemic silver toxicity. It was hypothesized that silver toxicity as manifested by liver necrosis in laboratory rats was due to silver induced inhibition of the synthesis of the seleno-enzyme glutathione peroxidase. Bunyan, et. al. showed that rats supplemented with selenium or vitamin E tolerated a silver exposure of as high as 140 mcg/kg/d. (63)

    It is also necessary to remember that some individuals have allergies to specific metals. Nickel, copper, silver, and other metals have been known to cause allergic reactions. Be certain that you are not allergic to silver before taking colloidal silver.

Colloidal Silver Toxicology Summary

1. It appears that healthy adults may be able to take as much as 2 mg. of colloidal silver per day without overwhelming the body's elimination mechanisms.  This is not a recommendation.  Additional research needs to be done to test this hypothesis.



2. Individuals with kidney disease may be at increased risk for developing silver toxicity.  This is a reasonable assumption since it appears that the kidneys are a major pathway in eliminating silver from the body.



3. Drinking extra water increases silver elimination and may reduce silver accumulation and risk of toxicity.  



4. Liver disease may increase silver toxicity. Silver may interfere with certain metaloenzymes in the liver, especially if there is a deficiency of selenium or vitamin E.



5. Taking extra supplements of selenium and vitamin E may reduce an individual's susceptibility to silver toxicity.  This is based on the finding that supplementation decreased liver toxicity in rats and that rats deficient in these nutrients were more susceptible to silver toxicity.



6. Some silver salts are significantly more toxic than colloidal silver and silver compounds offer many additional variables.



7. Larger doses of silver and more concentrated forms of silver increase risk of toxicity and argyria since they may exceed the body's ability to eliminate the excess silver.



8. Risk of silver toxicity or argyria may be reduced by avoiding any silver consumption for a period of three to four months after the completion of a therapeutic regimen. Based on Dr. Altman's experiment, this would give the body time to eliminate much of the stored silver in the body before continuing treatment.



9. The risk of silver toxicity and argyria may be reduced if the total cumulative dosage is kept under one gram of silver, especially if large doses are being consumed or there is kidney or liver dysfunction present.

Hi Ho Silver Away! source
(Mild Silver Protein and its effectiveness against internal and topical infections)
  by James South MA. to order

Silver (Ag) is atomic element number 47, with an atomic weight of 108.  Unlike its heavy metal cousins, Silver is surprisingly non-toxic to humans and animals and has a long history of successful medical and public health use dating back 6000 years!

Silver has been used to speed wound healing, treat infections, purify water and preserve beverages.  For example, the ancient Macedonians covered wounds with silver plates to speed healing (1), and N.R. Thompson has noted that "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 bones."(2)

The modern era of Silver usage began in 1893, when C. Von Nageli reported the first systematic investigation into the lethal effects of metals [especially silver] towards bacteria and lower life forms.... To primitive life forms oligodynamic silver is as toxic as the most powerful chemical disinfectants and this, coupled with its relative harmlessness to [animal] life, gives it great potential as a disinfectant.... The term 'oligodynamic'[silver refers to] solutions in which the metal ion concentration is many orders of magnitude below that which would be lethal to higher life forms."(2)

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 (3); sexual diseases such as gonorrhea and syphillis (4); skin conditions such as cuts, wounds, leg ulcers, pustular eczema, impetigo and boils (4); acute meningitis and epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis (3); infectious diseases such as Mediterranean fever, erysipelas, cystitis, typhus, typhoid fever, and tonsilitis (3); eye disorders such as dacryocystitis, corneal ulcers, conjunctivitis and blepharitis (5); and various forms of septicemia, including puerperal fever, peritonitis and post-abortion septicemia (3,6). (This list does not even begin to exhaust the published medical uses for Silver in Europe and America, 1900-1940).

In 1939 Hill and Pillsbury listed 94 different proprietary Silver preparations in use up to that time (7). However, with the coming of the antibiotic era, Silver rapidly fell into disuse and the medical 'memory hole', as it was replaced first by sulfa drugs, then penicillin (post WWII), and since then by hundreds of specialized antibiotics.

Under the onslaught of antibiotic warfare, the second half of the 20th century witnessed the seeming eradication, or at least control, of most of mankind's ancient plague scourges.  Indeed some major infectious diseases have been virtually wiped out in the modern world, (supposedly) thanks to antibiotics.  By the late 1980's, antibiotics had so succeeded in controlling/eradicating most germ diseases, that medical researchers and pharmaceutical companies seriously slowed research into new antibiotics, thinking that there was no longer any need for (and not nearly enough 'big bucks' to be made from) newer and better antibiotics. Yet by the 1990's the picture began to change again.

Due to an antibiotic-accelerated Darwinian evolution of microbes, more and more germ species previously controlled by antibiotics began to develop ways to combat antibiotics.  This in turn gave rise to so-called 'super-germs', such as killer E. coli, 'flesh-eating' strep A bacteria, multiple antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis bacteria and chloroguine-resistant malarial parasites (8,9).  The overprescription of antibiotics by doctors under pressure from their patients, for ailments where they are useless (e.g. against common viral diseases such as cold and flu); the failure of patients to take the full course of their prescribed antibiotics (allowing germs to recover and develop antibiotic resistance); and the widespread use of low-level antibiotics in animal feed to increase farmer's profits (40% of U.S. antibiotics go into animal feed), have all helped create antibiotic-resistant bacteria (8,9).

Some common (and dangerous) germs such as Staph aureus (found especially in hospitals) are now known to be resistant to all but one antibiotic-vancomycin - and soon are expected to be vancomycin-resistant too (8,9). "In 1992, 13,300 hospital patients died [in the U.S.] of bacterial infections that resisted the antibiotics fired at them, says the CDC (8)."

Thanks to NAFTA, widespread international air travel, eco-tourism to exotic third-world forests and islands, and massive migration of third-world peoples to Europe and America, hosts of exotic diseases once isolated to small areas of the planet are now showing up all over (8,9).  Malaria is once again returning to the U.S.  The exotic and deadly Ebola virus has broken out in a lab in Maryland.  Shigella (which causes dysentery) was practically unheard of in America before 1990, but it is now being spread from contaminated fruits and vegetables imported into the U.S. under NAFTA, and is now routinely seen at clinics in California.

Perhaps the scariest scenario that may present a need for a powerful, broad-spectrum antimicrobial such as Silver is the late 1990's threat of 'bioterrorism.'  It is now widely expected by biowarfare and terrorism experts that, whether due to small groups of terrorists, or as a form of warfare by 'rogue'/totalitarian nations such as China, Iran, Libya, N. Korea, Syria, or Russia, it is only a matter of time before 'germ warfare' is unleashed in Europe or America (10).  And if the supergerms released have been produced in sophisticated biowarfare labs, they will probably have been genetically altered to make them resistant to the antibiotics normally used to treat that species of germ - e.g. tetracycline/doxycycline normally used to treat Anthrax (the number 1 favorite of 'biowarfare warriors' world-wide) (10).  It is interesting to note that silver - both in liquid solution and as an airborne-aerosol - has been known since 1887 to be extremely toxic to Anthrax spores (1,10,11,12).  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 (11,13,19,20).

Most antibiotics have an optimal effectiveness against only a few different disease germs; even broad-spectrum antibiotics may kill only 10-20 different types of bacteria.  Also, most antibiotics that kill bacteria will not kill fungus/yeasts, protozoal parasites or viruses; antifungal antibiotics will not kill bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc. And virtually all known viruses are immune to virtually all known antibiotics.

Silver is unique among antimicrobial agents in its broad spectrum of action. It has been claimed to kill some 650 different disease organisms (13). And unlike antibiotics, Silver is an 'equal opportunity destroyer' - it doesn't discriminate, but effectively kills germs of all major types: gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, spore-forming bacteria, fungus/yeasts, viruses and protozoal parasites.  Silver sulfadiazine (Silvadeneâ), used almost universally in hospitals to prevent serious burn infections (11), kills dozens of different bacteria (11,14,16); it also kills 95% of 72 strains of herpesvirus (15), as well as the protozoal parasite Plasmodium berghei (malaria) (17). Silvadeneâ also kills various yeasts, including several Aspergillus varieties, Mucor pusillus, Rhizopus nigricans and 50 different clinical isolates of Candida albicans (18).

Electrically-generated colloidal silver [Ag(e)] has been shown to kill dozens of bacteria, including Providencia stuartii, a germ already resistant in the 1970's to all antibiotics except amikacin (19), as well as two strains of Enterobacter cloacae that were isolated from burn patients and were relatively resistant even to Silvadeneâ (20). Ag(e) has also proved adept at killing various yeast/fungus species at very low Silver concentrations, including Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, C. pseudotropicalis, Torulopsis glabrata and Aspergillus niger (20,23).

Ag(e) has been shown to kill cysts of the common water-borne protozoal parasite Entamoeba histolytica (22). Ag(e) has also killed the protozoa Paramecium when exposed to 2.2 PPM Silver, as well as the protozoa Varicella at 5.9 PPM Silver (1).

Ag(e) was even somewhat effective in killing Poliovirus in swimming pool water, at the extremely low concentration of 0.015mg Silver per liter of water (15 parts per billion!) (21).

The proprietary silver compounds Certisil and Micropur, used to disinfect water, are effective against Bovine Enterovirus, Vacciniavirus (cowpox), Influenza A and Pseudorabies virus (21).

In short, as pioneering silver researcher Dr. Henry Margraf has stated, "Silver is the best all round germ-fighter we have." (13).

Historically, Silver has been used in 20th Century medicine in a wide variety of forms. It has been used as silver salts (e.g. Silver nitrate, Silver phosphate, Silver iodide, etc.) and Silver compounds (e.g. Silver sulfadiazine, Silver arsphenamine, zinc-Silver allantoinate) (11). Many of the doctors using silver in the first half of the 20th century preferred a colloidal form of Silver , either chemically or electrically produced (3,11). Mild silver protein and strong silver protein (Silver combined with proits broad spectrum of action. It has been claimed to kill some 650 different disease organisms (13). And unlike antibiotics, Silver is an 'equal opportunity destroyer' - it doesn't discriminate, but effectively kills germs of all major types: gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, spore-forming bacteria, fungus/yeasts, viruses and protozoal parasites. Silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene¨), used almost universally in hospitals to prevent serious burn infections (11), kills dozens of different bacteria (11,14,16); it also kills 95% of 72 strains of herpesvirus (15), as well as the protozoal parasite Plasmodium berghei (malaria) (17). Silvadene¨ also kills various yeasts, including several Aspergillus varieties, Mucor pusillus, Rhizopus nigricans and 50 different clinical isolates of Candida albicans (18).

Silver salts never achieved widespread use in medicine for several reasons. As Grier notes, "Water-soluble ionized preparation [i.e. silver salts] are generally corrosive, irritating and astringent." (11). Silver nitrate is notorious for being irritating to tissue and staining everything it touches (13).  Also, silver salts are often not as effective as colloidal Silver or Silver proteins.  For example, Simonetti and colleagues tested extremely dilute solutions of electro-colloidal Silver [Ag(e)] and Silver nitrate [Ag N03] against culture of two bacteria (E. coli and P. aeruginosa), a yeast (C. albicans) and a mould (A. niger). The levels of Silver ion tested were incredibly low: 108 PPB (0.108mcg/ml) and 10.8PPB (0.0108 mcg/ml).  Simonetti et al concluded "Our experiments showed that the contact antimicrobial activity of Ag(e) was superior to that of AgNO3 against gram-positive and negative bacteria, C. albicans, and a filamentous mycete. Our contact tests confirmed the excellent antibacterial spectrum and the high potency of electrically generated silver demonstrated previously.... Anodic silver ions are very effective agents at low concentrations without any detrimental effect upon normal mammalian cells, and the [low] concentrations needed to inhibit the bacteria in invitro experiments have been confirmed clinical data." (23).

Silver salts also tend to be more toxic than silver proteins and colloidal silver. Thus, when Hussain et al tested AgNO3 on fresh human lymphocytes, they found 90% lymphocyte destruction when they were exposed to 50 micromoles Silver as AgNO3 for two hours. Yet when lymphocytes were exposed to 1200 micromoles Silver as a Silver-cysteine complex, there was no significant impairment of the lymphocytes at a silver dose 24 times greater than the AgNO3 provided (24).

Thus, both modern science and early 1900's medical practice favor the use of either colloidal Silver or mild silver protein (strong silver protein contains less Silver than mild silver protein, but is generally more irritating to tissue [11]).

Electrically prepared colloidal silver [Ag(e)] is currently available from many sources, in potencies ranging from 3-5 PPM up to 500 PPM. Equally (or more) important than the silver level is the particle size and degree of dispersion. In a liquid colloid, the Silver does not actually dissolve in the liquid; rather, it exists as a suspension of microscopic particles floating around in the liquid medium. Properly made Ag(e) should contain particles approximately 0.01 to 0.001 microns in diameter (1 micron=one millionth of a meter, or 4/100,000 inch). At this tiny size, each particle is a cluster of perhaps 5-20 Silver atoms, with a positive electric charge. Because the particles are so tiny (and thus light), and because the charged particles repel and 'bounce off' each other, they can defy gravity and remain suspended in their water medium for months - even years when properly stored (away from light, at room temperature). However, over time the Silver particles may gradually absorb onto the walls of the container, gradually lowering the amount of Silver in suspension. The most thoroughly dispersed Ag(e) should be yellow in color, as colloid chemist H. Freundlich noted in 1992: "With increasing degree of dispersion the color of silver sols [colloids] changes from grey green through lilac and red to yellow." (25). Because each Ag(e) particle contains 5-20 Silver ions, the particles act as a time-release mechanism to provide continuous germ-killing Silver ion availability, as single Silver ions gradually break off from their parent microclusters.

MILD SILVER PROTEIN: PROS & CONS

Mild silver protein (MSP) is made by various chemical processes that ultimately create a 19-25% Silver content, the remainder being a protein (11). Like Ag(e), MSP is also made in various potencies from 10 to 500 PPM Silver. The protein acts as a stabilizer and solubilizer for the Silver particles, preventing them from combining with each other to form ever-larger particles that would gradually settle out of suspension. Thus, the shelf-life of MSP is generally longer than for Ag(e). DEDI guarantees its MSP to have a 6-year shelf-life. The Silver protein combination aslo acts as a time-release mechanism to gradually liberate Silver ions.

DEDI's MSP is produced in their FDA-licensed pharmaceutical laboratory to stringent quality standards, since it is an OTC-licensed 'drug,' Thus one can be more assured of the quality of DEDI's MSP than one can be of the various Ag(e) products produced and sold by the health food industry, as they are normally not produced in registered/licensed pharmaceutical labs.

HOW SAFE IS SILVER?

A hundred years of published clinical and experimental research has demonstrated Silver to be a surprisingly safe substance, unlike its heavy-metal cousins lead, mercury, cadmium and gold. In general, Silver salts are more toxic than Ag(e) or mild Silver protein, but are still relatively non-toxic. Thus Romans notes: "Sollman (1943) observed that silver nitrate in doses of 0.01 [10mg] to 0.1g [100mg] by mouth produces no symptoms and swallowing pieces of [silver nitrate] pencils up to 2.5g is often harmless, but larger quantities cause acute gastritis. These reactions are purely local. From 2 to 30g has caused death within a few hours to a few days; 10g are generally fatal, but the ingestion of 30g has been survived.... For many years silver compounds were considered the most effective agents available for the prevention and treatment of gonorrheal infections.... The silver proteinates, especially of the argyrol type [i.e. mild silver protein], have been used extensively in the treatment of infections of the mucous membranes of the eyes, ears, nose and throat. Thus it has been shown that silver compounds are useful germicides and that effective doses are harmless." (12).

Writing in the Lancet in 1912, physician C.E. MacLeod reported based upon his widespread clinical use of chemically-produced colloidal Silver that "They [silver 'collosols' of 500 PPM strength] may be applied topically, hypodermically, intravenously, or by the mouth, and being non-toxic the dose hypodermically is unlimited, and experimental injections of 1 to 2 c.c. of 500 PPM Silver would supply 1/2 to 1mg Silver .

French physician B.G. Duhamel reported on the use of Electrargol (an electro-colloidal Silver providing 400 PPM Silver) also in the Lancet in 1912. He stated that "They [Ag(e) preparations] are employed as a rule for the sake of their constitutional effects, for which purpose an injection of from 5 to 20 c.c. [2 to 8 mg Silver] is made into muscle or... into the veins.... Similarly, the colloid [Silver] products can be injected... into the spinal canal (cerebro-spinal meningitis).... the most remarkable effects follow the intravenous injection of these colloids; indeed in some instances the patients have been rescued from apparently inevitable death.... One point stands out prominently, and that is the absolute innocuousness of these [Silver colloids], whether injected into the veins or muscles or into the spinal canal.... the dose is determined solely by the requirements of the case since they are devoid of toxicity."

T.H. Sanderson-Wells, reporting on the successful treatment of a case of puerperal septicemia by injection of "collosol argentum" (a 500 PPM chemical-colloidal Silver), noted that Ò20 c.cm. of collosol argentum [=10 mg Silver] produced no untoward effects." (28)

Most of the quantitative safety data on Silver comes from a large number of animal studies done in the past century. Thus, "Huebner found that with intravenous injection into rabbits the minimum lethal dose of the non-colloidal silver thio-sulfate was 0.01 to 0.03 gram per kilo, while the minimum lethal dose of colloidal silver was 0.065 gram per kilo." (27) This would equate to an injection dose for a 70kg/154 pound human of 4550 mg.

M.S. Wysor tested high doses of Silver sulfadiazine (30% Silver) in mice every day for a month. He reported that "Doses of 1,050 mg/kg when administered by oral and subcutaneous routes were not toxic.... No deaths occurred within the two experimental groups ... during the 30-day test period.... At the end of the test period, all the animals were sacrificed and tissue sections sent to the Department of Pathology for analysis. Histological studies showed that there was no obvious pathology in any of the groups receiving silver sulfadizine for the test period. There was no weight loss in any of the groups and no evidence of behavioral changes. None of the animals exhibited diarrhea." (17). A 1,050 mg/kg dose of Silver sulfadiazine would translate into roughly 22 grams of elemental Silver for a 70kg/154 pound person.

Hill and Pillsbury report results of many animal Silver toxicity studies in their 1939 book on Silver. For example, "Lentz has administered a saturated solution of a silver oxide containing 1.52 grams per liter intravenously in doses as large as 4 c.c. three times daily for a period of three weeks to various animals without producing any apparent toxic effects." (7). An equivalent dose for a 70kg human would provide 1190 mg Silver daily.

"Gompel and Henri studied the effects of repeated injections of a dilute colloidal silver solution over long periods in guinea pigs. Using a solution containing 0.25 gram in 1000 c.c. [=250 PPM Silver] they found that the intravenous administration of 1 or 2 c.c. to guinea pigs daily for two months caused no particular symptoms [= approximately 17.5 to 35 mg Silver daily for a 70 kg person]. This was also true in rabbits when 10 c.c. were given intravenously for 10 days [=approximately 88 mg Silver daily for a 70 kg human]." (7).

"To a series of 16 rabbits, massive doses of 66.7 mgm. of silver arsphenamine per kilo were administered [intravenously] at intervals from three to seven days. In a series of four rabbits, relatively excessive doses of 10 mgm. per kilo were given. The minimal dose given was a total of 227 mgm. of the compound in 47 days.

The silver content of the drug was 14.5%.... Hooper and Meyers found that silver arsphenamine did not produce any diffuse kidney lesions and that the... cells of the liver were in all cases well preserved. The majority of the rabbits showed a gradual increase in hemoglobin and red blood cells during the experiment, while the white cell count and the differential cell count remained within normal limits.

From this study it is seen that in spite of the administration of silver arsphenamine in amounts far exceeding that employed clinically [in humans], no significant toxic effects were observed." (7). The total silver amounts used in this experiment would equate to a minimum of 2304 mg Silver to a maximum of 23.98 grams Silver for a 70kg human.

By now the point should be clear: especially when taken orally, silver is a reasonably non-toxic metal for humans, and is even fairly non-toxic when injected, especially at the modest dosage level of 10 mg daily or less. Early 1900's silver injection medical protocols typically provided 1-10 mg Silver daily, sometimes more.

ARGYRIA: THE DARK (BLUE-GREY) SIDE OF SILVER

Given the broad range of silver's efficacy against germs - even antibiotic-resistant ones - and it's relatively high degree of safety, one might wonder why Silver isn't routinely used by every doctor and hospital in the world today.

Aside from the seemingly cynical (but all too true) reason that the medical-industrial complex would lose revenue (sickness pays, wellness doesn't, and a single pill of a modern 'high-tec' antibiotic typically sells for $10-20), there is a more legitimate cosmetic reason for caution in Silver use: the phenomenon known as argyria. When sufficiently large quantities of Silver accumulate in the body, some of it accumulates just beneath the surface of the skin, which may lead to a permanent bluish-grey tinge to the skin.

As Hill and Pillsbury (both M.D.s) note in their massively researched (601 references) 1939 book Argyria, "A striking feature of argyria is the absence of any evidence that the deposits of silver produce any significant physiologic disturbance of the involved organs or tissue.... Aside from the [Silver] pigment deposit, the gross and microscopic appearance of the involved tissues is normal. Argyria is, therefore, of significance only from the standpoint of cosmetic appearance." (7).

In their chapter on Silver in the 1986 Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals, Fowler and Nordberg also remark that "argyria... is bluish-grey discoloration of the skin.... Although not esthetic, this condition is considered harmless.... a total dose of 1-8 g Silver would be required to induce the condition in a long-term inhalation exposure situation. The dosage required to induce argyria by ingestion seems to be somewhat higher, i.e. between 1 and 30 g of soluble silver salts...."(29).

Hill and Pillsbury could only find 239 reported cases of argyria by 1939, in spite of silver's widespread medical and over-the-counter use in America and Europe during the previous 40 years. Only 16 cases occurred from less than one year's chronic use of Silver; about half occurred with 3 years or less of chronic Silver use; and about half of all cases involved chronic Silver use ranging from 3 to 25 years. Where the published information (214 cases) provided data on the Silver compound used, 55% (118) of the argyria cases were caused by Silver nitrate; 13% (28) were caused by Argyrol, a mild Silver protein; 9% (19) were caused by Silver arsphenamine; 6% (13) were caused by Collargol, a chemically produced colloidal Silver, and various other products caused the remainder of reported argyria cases (7). In their summary Hill and Pillsbury report that a safe (with respect to argyria) total dose of the intravenous drug Silver arsphenamine would be 6 grams (.9 grams Silver ), while with Silver nitrate "the danger of argyria is very slight if the total amount injested by mouth is below six grams [3.8 grams Silver]."(7).

To put this in perspective: if one assumes that electrocolloidal Silver and mild Silver protein are equally prone to cause argyria compared to Silver nitrate (and they probably are actually less prone to promote argyria), then it would take 11.5 years of daily oral use of two tablespoons of 30 PPM Silver to reach the 3.8 gram Silver threshold. Thus the risk of developing argyria from occasional use of Silver to treat specific infectious conditions must be considered virtually non-existent. I have used colloidal Silver intermittently since 1994, sometimes taking 2-3 tablespoons of 30 PPM Silver daily for months at a time, consuming about 250 mg Silver total, and I do not exhibit the slightest hint of argyria.

ARGYRIA: REDUCING THE RISK

The two simplest methods to reduce argyria risk are:

1) Do not use AgNO3 internally - it's the best reported promoter of argyria.

2) Limit use of colloidal Silver /mild Silver protein products to at most several weeks to several months at a time. Do not take oral (or intravenous or intranasal) Silver on a permanent, ongoing basis unless carefully monitored by and under the supervision of a physician who is knowledgeable in Silver use and argyria.

The dietary supplement N-Acetyl cysteine may also provide significant protection against Silver accumulation and thus argyria. Fowler and Nordberg state that "Alexander and Aeseth (1981) reported that rats injected intravenously with silver nitrate excreted silver in the bile mainly bound to a low molecular-weight complex which appeared to be glutathione." (29).  Glutathione is a tripeptide composed of glutamic acid, glycine and cysteine.  Based on their study of the protective effect of N-Acetyl cysteine against various toxic agents, Dawson et al reported: "The protective effect [of N-Acetyl cysteine] in some cases is due to the free sulfhydryl group which N-Acetyl cysteine contains, and in other cases it is due to its role as a precursor for cysteine in [Glutathione] biosynthesis." (30).

Bergstrom and colleagues remarked that "...oral N-Acetyl cysteine in fact offers prompt availability of thiol groups needed for [glutathione] biosynthesis in the hepatic cells where the need is highest." (31).

Lorber et al stated that "Our in-vitro studies demonstrated that N-Acetyl cysteine effectively complexes gold, mercury and silver.... Our [clinical] findings suggest that N-Acetyl cysteine may be a promising and effective treatment of gold [and thus presumably Silver] intoxication.... The use of N-Acetyl cysteine may thus afford better detoxification for... heavy metal poisoning than other available agents in current use." (32).  In order to avoid canceling out the microbicidal effect of Silver, it would probably be best to wait until a given course of Silver treatment is complete, then begin taking 200-600 mg N-Acetyl cysteine two or three times daily with meals. This will enhance clearance of any residual Silver from the body, thus reducing the risk of argyria.

WHAT IS SILVER USED FOR?

Colloidal Silver and mild Silver protein (MSP) are useful in treating virtually any infectious condition; they were used to treat literally hundreds of infectious conditions from 1900 to 1940 (3,4,5,6,7,11,12,28).  In a 1998 report on its MSP product Silvicidal ES, DEDI states that "Trials with Silvicidal ES formulations have shown this product to be effective against general internal and topical infections, namely:

* Ear infections
* Thrush/Candida (consult a physician before use)
* Common Colds
* Staph infections
* E. Coli infections
* Intestinal infections
* Sinus infections
* Leukemia
* HIV
* Lyme's disease
* Viral infections
* Herpes
* Gingivitis
* Food poisoning

NOTE: Silvicidal ES¨, if taken at onset of common cold, is effective, however, it is not effective once the cold has set in. However, Silvicidal ES¨ is effective with most flu varieties after the flu has set in. In both cases, flu and the common cold, Silvicidal ES¨ works best if taken as a preventative, or at the first sign of symptoms." Also in the Silvicidal ES¨ report, Dr. J.J. Cardot states that "Due to the non-toxic properties of Silvicidal ES¨, the physician is prudent to prescribe doses that are higher than needed rather than givin too small an amount. The exception... is when a systemic fungal infection is known or suspected. In these cases one should start with a low dose (1Ú16 teaspoon per day) for three days; increasing the dose in 1Ú16th increments until the infection is cleared from the body. [This] approach will prevent a severe Herxheimer reaction. The dose suggested should be adjusted to the severity of the symptoms and the general condition of the patient's overall health."

USES AND DOSES

Silver may be dropped into the ear several times daily for ear infections.  Silver may be snorted into the nostrils from a nasal squirt-bottle for sinus infections or to abort head-colds.  A dilute Silver solution (5-10PPM) may be dropped into the eyes to treat conjunctivitis or to soothe inflamed, itchy eyes (there may be a brief initial mild stinging sensation). Silver may be swabbed or rubbed (possibly mixed with aloe-vera gel, ideally fresh-squeezed from an aloe plant) onto minor burns, cuts, scrapes, wounds, etc. to prompt healing and prevent heal/infection. Silver may be massaged into gums several times daily for dental infections.

Silver is also useful to treat animal (farm or pet) infections as well, although dose should be scaled down or up (compared to human weight/dose) depending on the weight of the animal.

Silver has also been used as a water purifier since 1900 or so; since the 1930's Silver has been used to impregnate water filters to kill germs in the water or which might grow in the filter medium (11,12,21).  The consensus of water treatment experts is that as little as 0.05 to 0.5 PPM is sufficient to kill most bacteria within several hours (11,12,21).  Protozoal parasites (Giardia, Entamoeba, Paramecia, etc.) may require higher levels - e.g. 5-30 PPM (22). To germicidally purify water of doubtful quality, add 1 to 3 teaspoons of 10-50 PPM Silver to a pint of water; stir thoroughly and let stand for several hours. This is only a general guideline - when in doubt increase the Silver dosage as you see fit.

To conclude this report on a personal note: I have found Silver to indeed be a 'master germicide.' I have personally aborted colds with liquid Silver (I have just done it again while writing this report); I have had great success controlling candida with Silver.  I routinely use liquid Silver or Silver gel for cuts, burns, etc. and have found it to be almost immediately soothing, as well as anti-infective/pro-healing. My wife routinely squirts Silver into her nose when flying to avoid catching cold from the plane's germ-laden recycled air.

The most amazing case of Silver use which I've had personal knowledge involved an 83 year old woman who was suffering severe septicemia (infectious blood poisoning). Her doctors were unable to control the raging infection and had sent her home, expecting her death in 48-72 hours. Her husband contacted an intermediary, through whom I recommended trying Silver . The woman was immediately put on one tablespoon of 5PPM colloidal Silver three times daily. Within 24 hours her septicemia began to disappear, and within 48 hours her septicemic crisis was over, and she did not die as 'expected.'

TECHNICAL NOTE

Most Silver preparations express their Silver content in parts-per-million (PPM). 1 PPM = 1 microgram (mcg) Silver per cc = 5 mcg Silver per teaspoon = 15 mcg Silver per tablespoon. 30 PPM = 30 mcg Silver per cc = 150 mcg Silver per teaspoon = 450 mcg per tablespoon, etc.

IAS NOTES

Discovery's Silvicidal ES¨ contains 337 mcg Silver per 1/4 ounce (measuring cup provided), or 337 PPM per 1/4 ounce. Dosages can be reduced by dilution with water or smaller quantities as required.

REFERENCES

1) H. Bechhold, Colloids in Biology and Medicine, N.Y.: D. van Nostrand, 1919, pp. 364-76.

2) N.R. Thompson, Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry, Vol. 5, ch.28, Elmsford, N.Y.: Pergamon Press, 1973.

3) B. Duhamel (1912) "Electric Metal Colloids and Their Therapeutical Applications" Lancet, Jan. 13.

4) A. Searle, The Use of Colloids in Health and Disease, London: Constable & Co., 1920, pp67-111.

5) A. Legge Roe (1915) "Collosol Argentum and its Opthalmis Uses" Br. Med. J., Jan.16, 104.

6) G. van Amber Brown (1916) "Colloidal Silver in Sepsis" Am. J. Obstetrics, Jan-June, 136-141.

7) W. Hill & D. Pillsbury, Argyria - The Pharmacology of Silver, Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1939.

8)  S. Begley (1994) "The End of Antibiotics" Newsweek, Mar. 28, 46-51.

9)  J. Fisher, The Plague Makers, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, 1994.

10)  D. Long & S. Spencer Jones, Bioterrorism: Secrets for Surviving the Coming Terrorist Germ Warfare Attacks on U.S. Cities, Barstow, CA: Life & Health Research Group, 1998.

11)  N. Grier (1983) "Silver and Its Compounds" in Disinfection, Sterilization and Preservation, S. Block, ed., Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 380-428.

12)  I. Romans (1954) "Silver Compounds" & "Oligodynamic Metals" in Antiseptics, Disinfectants, Fungicides and Chemical and Physical Sterilization, G. Reddish, ed., Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 380-428.

13)  J. Powell (1978) "Our Mightiest Germ Fighter" Sci. Digest, Mar., 57-60.

14)  H. Carr et al (1973) "Silver Sulfadiazine: In Vitro Antibacterial Activity" Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 4, 585-87.

15)  T.-W. Chang & L. Weinstein (1975) "Prevention of Herpes Keratoconjunctivitis in Rabbits by Silver Sulfadiazine" 8, 677-78.

16)  T.-W. Chang & L. Weinstein (1975) "Inactivation of treponema Pallidum by Silver Sulfadiazine" 7, 538-39.

17)  M. Wysor (1975) "Orally-Administered Silver Sulfadiazine: Chemotherapy and Toxicology in CF-1 Mice...." Chemother 21, 302-10.

18)  T. Wlodkowski & H. Rosenkranz (1973) "Antifungal Activity of Silver Sulfadiazine" Lancet, Sep. 29, 739-40.

19)  T. Berger et al (1976) "Electrically Generated Silver Ions: Quantitative Effects on Bacterial and Mammalian Cells" Antimicrob Agents Chemother 9, 357-58.

20)  T. Berger et al (1976) "Antifungal Properties of Electrically Generated Silver Ions" Antimicrob Agents Chemother 10, 856-60.

21)  R. Thurman & C. Gerba (1989) "The Molecular Mechanisms of Copper and Silver Ion Disinfection of Bacteria and Viruses" CRC Crit Rev Envir Control 18, 295-315.

22)  W. Newton & M. Jones (1949) "Effectiveness of Silver Ions Against Cysts of Endamoeba Histolytica" 41, 1027-34.

23)  N. Simonetti et al (1992) "Electrochemical Ag+ for Preservative Use" Appl Environ Microbiol 58, 3834-36.

24)  S. Hussain et al (1992) "Cystein Protects Na, K-ATPase and isolated Human Lymphocytes from Silver Toxicity" Biochem Biophys Res Comm 189, 1444-49.

25)  H. Freundlich, Colloid & Capillary Chemistry, N.Y.: E.P. Dutton, 1922, p.385.

26)  C.E. MacLeod (1912) "Electric Metallic Colloids and Their Therapeutical Applications" Lancet, Feb. 3.

27)  A. Clark (1923) "The Properties of Certain 'Colloidal' Preparations of Metals" Br Med J, Feb. 17, 273-77.

28)  T. Sanderson-Wells (1916) "A Case of Puerperal Septicemia... Treated with... Collosol Argentum" Lancet, Feb. 16, p.258.

29)  B. Fowler & G. Nordberg (1986) 'Silver'' in Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals, L. Friberg, G. Nordberg & V. Vouk, eds. Amsterdam: Elsevier Sci. Pub., Vol. 2, 521-31.

30)  J. Dawson et al (1984) "The Effectiveness of N-acetylcysteine...." Arch Toxicol 55, 11-15.

31)  L. Borgstrom et al (1986) "Pharmacokinetics of N-acetylcysteine in Man" Eur J Clin Pharmacol 31, 217-22.

32)  A. Lorber et al (1973) "Clinical Application for Heavy Metal-Complexing Potential of N-acetylcysteine" J Clin Pharmacol 13, 332-36.

ALL INFORMATION IS EDUCATIONAL AND SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN.

The benefits of Silvicidal ES source
An Interview with the President of Discovery Experimental- Jay Kimball

Silvacidal ES is an over the counter (OTC) drug registered with the FDA and it is the only colloidal silver product (or Mild Silver Protein- MSP) that we know of that is currently registered OTC with the FDA.

The most astounding attribute regarding Silvicidal ES is the FDA approved labeling of DEDI's product. DEDI's Silvicidal ES is labeled an all-natural product to take orally for general infections with the label listing no known side effects!

In our review of all FDA registered non prescription (OTC) products in the united states none has ever acquired FDA accepted labeling depicting to be taken internally for general internal infections.

In fact, we could not find any product via even a prescription in the united states, or anywhere else in the world, in which the label on the bottle advised the user to take orally for general internal infections, notwithstanding listing no side effects!

The FDA is well known worldwide for being the toughest agency in the world to get a drug approved through. Silvicidal ES's FDA registration and FDA accepted labeling as an OTC drug available to be purchased without prescription must truly be what everyone is claiming; the first real miracle in drug development in decades!

So we asked the President of Discovery Experimental and Development Inc. (DEDI), James T. Kimball, a few questions about their colloidal silver product, namely Silvicidal ES.

IAS
"Why is Silvicidal ES superior to all the other silver products in the marketplace?"

KIMBALL
"The majority, if not all of the alleged colloidal silver products in the marketplace contain an abundance of silver ions, the exception is our Silvicidal ES.

Every colloidal silver product tested by DEDI revealed the presence of silver ions. For the most part, alleged colloidal silver products today are made electrically creating an intensely ionic substance. Silver ions carry with them inherent dangers,

1. Silver ions are toxic to most cells, the good and the bad. Although silver ions are capable of killing the "bad-guys," the bacteria, viruses and fungi etc., they have the exact same capability of killing CD-4 and CD-8 cells and other immune system cells, thus reducing or destroying the immune system. This type of therapy is obviously counter-productive.

2. Ingesting an abundance of silver ions could well be toxic not only because it may destroy the immune system, but also because it has the distinct possibility of injuring or destroying internal organs leading to death.

3. Research regarding silver ion solutions also reveals that silver ions are directly involved in the serious side effect- argyria- the permanent discoloration of the skin to a grayish color.

However, Silvicidal ES produced by DEDI is void of silver ions, therefore, it does not share any of the inherent dangers previous stated regarding silver products that do contain silver ions. Silvicidal ES is additionally void of nitrates, which most other products contain and they too are inherently dangerous.

IAS
"What do you mean by saying alleged colloidal silver products?"

KIMBALL
"I'm using the term alleged colloidal silver products because when we tested other so-called colloidal silver products, the tests revealed that they are not colloidal at all! The exception is of course the Silvicidal ES.

The term colloidal whether applied to silver, gold or copper simply means a mixture that is stable. In essence that they stay in solution when mixed without the particles falling out.

All silver products tested by DEDI that were labeled as colloidal were unstable with the silver falling out of suspension in a short period of time.

There are many reasons why silver can fall out of suspension. All electrically produced silver products will fall out of suspension rapidly, rendering the product only water. Other silver products made in differing ways fall out of solution for a number of reasons, usually due to the fact that the particle size of the silver is too large.

The units of measure for particle size is referred to as microns, or smaller still as nanometers. It is doubtful that "large" micron size silver particles on their own could ever stay in solution for any reasonable length of time without a stabilizer.

For the most part, products today that call themselves colloidal silver share the exact same problems as the alleged colloidal silver products of the past, they have silver particles in micron sizes and they have inherent instability. This may explain why silver solutions sold today in the USA are classified as minerals or dietary supplements, with the exception of DEDI's Silvicidal ES.

Silvicidal ES is an exception because it is produced at extremely low nanometers, while its particle size is totally controlled in the manufacturing process by DEDI.

A nanometer unit of measure is one thousand times smaller than a micron. In testing, DEDI's silver products have been totally stable since their development in 1992 (Ed., i.e. there has been no deterioration from samples over 6 years old).

Realistically Silvicidal ES may be the only real colloidal silver suspension ever produced.

IAS
"How is Silvicidal ES manufactured? And why is it so lethal against deadly viruses, bacteria and fungi?"

KIMBALL
"Well, the production process of Silvicidal ES is currently patent pending and confidential, but I can let you in on a few secrets regarding the special nanometer size particles and some other things."

IAS
"Thanks, I'm sure our readers will be interested."

KIMBALL
"The big key is the fact that the particle size of the silver is totally controlled in production, with the active particle size only visible through atomic microscopathy.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) assisted DEDI in determining the exact particle sizes that were lethal to viruses, bacteria and fungi.

When the product is ingested it enters the blood stream after passing through the digestive tract and circulates through the body's system. For some reason, we don't currently know why, it appears that the majority of these metallic silver particles congregate around infectious bacteria, viruses and fungi. As oxygen naturally flows through the system and comes into contact with the metallic silver particles, the silver oxidizes becoming ionic and attacks the viruses, bacteria and fungi, killing them.

Because the oxygen in the system is in limited supply, there is not enough oxidation-taking place to create enough silver ions to be harmful."

IAS
"Perhaps you can tell us about the safety, toxicity and side effects of Silvicidal ES?"

KIMBALL
"Sure, a multitude of animal and human toxicity testing was conducted by DEDI and others in vivo and in large oral and i.v. infusions of Mild Silver Protein (MSP).

The results in rats revealed no adverse side effects at all, even at thousands of times higher than normal doses.

In humans, at recommended dosages, no side effects were noted.

In humans at ten times the recommended oral dosage of DEDI's MSP, approximately 20% of the people experienced a stimulated immune systems to such a degree that a Herxheimer reaction was noted.

At twenty times the recommended oral dosage 45% of the people experienced the exact side-effect response. At 100 times the recommended oral dosage 90% of the people experienced these same side effects.

The only exceptions were people suffering from compromised immune systems such as HIV; they experienced no Herxheimer reaction even though, in some cases, their immune system had increased CD-4 and CD-8 cell counts by over 200%.

The highest recorded oral ingestion by some people was well above 10,000 times the recommend dose!

The testing verified the fact that Mild Silver Protein didn't create any new side effects and that DEDI's MSP stayed in the system longer and at much higher concentrations than any other colloidal silvers in the marketplace, effectively making Silvicidal ES much more deadly to viruses and bacteria.

For example, an HIV patient in the final stages of the disease had a viral count of over 750,000, the laboratories highest measurable viral load count.  He received a one-time 4-ounce i.v. of the strongest experimental concentration of DEDI's MSP.  Not only were no side effects noted over a 10-week period, but also the viral count consistently dropped from week to week. Finally in the 10th week, the viral count was under 2,000, this same type of experience has been noted with Lyme's disease and leukemia patients participating in private trials."

IAS
"So in effect it's due to the special particle silver of the silver particles in Silvicidal ES and its high purity that makes Silvicidal ES much more potent, for much longer when compared to any other type of colloidal silver, and this has been borne out in your clinical trials."

KIMBALL
"Correct"

IAS
"So just how effective is DEDI's mild silver protein and what are its limitations?"

KIMBALL
"The only way I can answer a tough question quickly like that is to relate to you some of our test results.

DEDI tested MSP either in vitro or in vivo against E-coli, staphylococcus, enterococcus, Lyme, HIV, leukemia, food poisoning infections, intestinal infections and ear, nose and throat infections etc.

The results showed that all were inhibited or destroyed by DEDI's mild silver protein.  Our MSP has not been tested yet against other deadly afflictions such as Ebola, tuberculosis, cancer or anthrax, but I can say that to date that DEDI's Silvicidal ES has inhibited or killed every bacteria and virus so far tested against it!"

IAS
"So it seems to me that Silvicidal ES has a place not only for destroying nasty infections that people may have developed, but also as an adjunct for occasional use to help eradicate general infections before they become a real problem?"

KIMBALL
"I certainly think so and the label on the bottle makes clear that there are a number of uses for general infection fighting."

IAS
"I've personally believed for a long-time that many of the afflictions that we suffer from, especially as we get older are infections of one sort or another. I'm pleased to see the development of your Silvicidal ES, which can help eliminate many infections in a safe and side-effect free way."

KIMBALL
"I'm always pleased to hear that we are helping people achieve their health goals, it's one of the founding reasons that I became involved in the health industry."

IAS
"Well Mr. Kimball thank you very much for your time and information and for allowing us to visit and inspect your fine facility here in the Tampa Bay."

KIMBALL
"Thank you for listening that's the other half of the battle!"

ALL INFORMATION IS EDUCATIONAL AND PROVIDED UNDER IAS TERMS AND CONDITIONS.  IT SHOULD NOT REPLACE THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN.