A Brief History of Silver and Silver Colloids in Medicine

    (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.

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