From healing wounds fast to preventing deadly plague, silver has been used extensively for thousands of years. The phrase "Born with a silver spoon in her mouth" does not only refer to wealth. Keep reading to learn about the amazing benefits of silver!
The first known report of the medicinal purposes of silver was published by Roman pharmacopeia in 69 BCE, and is recorded at length in medical manuals from 702 through 705 AD, although ancient people were using it as far back as 4000 BCE. In his accounts Herodotus, known as The Father of History, disclosed that no King, including his current ruler Cirrus, would drink water that was not kept in silver containers. Storing water in silver vessels kept the water fresh for years; sterilizing it by killing bacteria, viruses and microbes. This was very important for military maneuvers as fresh water was not always readily available. The ancient Egyptians, Romans, Phoenicians and Greeks (among others) also recorded their use of silver to preserve water and food and was practiced extensively by all cultures through World War II.
Possibly the first known attempts to heal wounds and prevent and treat surgical infections with silver was by the Macedonians. Hippocrates treated wounds and ulcers with silver preparations. And it was common practice for North American pioneers to drop silver coins in water containers for their long journeys west.
Perhaps the most notable accounts of the medical benefits of silver is during the bubonic plague of the middle ages. The Black Death, is responsible for wiping out 25 million people- an estimated 30-50% of Europe's population between 1347 and 1351. Lingering for centuries, it included the Great Plague of London in 1665-1666 where one in five people were killed. The ones who survived, however, were the wealthy, due to the fact they had silver. They drank water and wine from silver goblets and gave their infants silver spoons to suck on. In fact, due to the demand from mothers, silver pacifiers were invented and commonly used in the 19th century.
When my boys were small bandaids were a commodity in my house due to the constant scrapes and cuts active boys ane sure to receive almost daily. One hectic day I sliced my left index finger and top of hand while preparing dinner. I considered myself lucky that I could only locate two bandaids, but my cut was three inches long! I was wearing a snug silver ring about an inch wide all the way around on my other index finger, so to stop the bleeding I slipped that over the base of the cut finger and used the bandaids on the "unringed" areas above and below the ring after a thorough cleaning. I rushed out to pick up the boys from practice and made a mental note to grab another mega size box of bandaids.
After dinner I realized I had forgotten the bandaids. I was exhausted so there was no chance of a late night trip to the drug store. I just removed the ring and cleaned the area well. An examination showed me the ring was acting as a wonderful barrier and preventing skin stretching that would lead to pulling apart the skin cells that were trying to knit themselves together, so I replaced the ring and used a tissue-and-duct-tape creation for the exposed two inches top and bottom.
As the days went by I noticed the middle of the cut- the part that I was keeping covered by the silver ring, was healing faster! In fact, that part healed three times faster when it was all said and done! That led to my research of the medicinal qualities of silver, and I now keep various forms to use for wounds, preventative measures and sterilization.
The Many Uses of Silver
Purifying Water
Wound Dressing- Over the counter ointments containing silver have recently been showing up on drug store shelves as the benefits of silver are remembered.
Eye Drops for adults and infants to prevent or treat infections
Silver is carried by oxygen cells to surround bacteria and viruses in the body to safely escort them out of the body as waste while preventing them to expel their damage causing agents into the body.
Stop antibiotic resistant superbugs: In the 1980's Dr. Ford of UCLA found that 650 different disease causing pathogens were destroyed within minutes when exposed to minute amounts of silver.
Stimulates soft tissue and skin healing by applying topically to treat burns, eczema, thrush, periodontitis, psoriasis, ringworm and other conditions.
Used to treat pink eye, strep throat and ear infections. When applied to eye infected eye, tiny silver colloids pick up infected cells by attracting them electromagnetically, then send them into the bloodstream for elimination.
Colloidal silver suffocates the HIV virus and is being studied to reduce the activity of the HIV virus in AIDS patients. And there are numerous anecdotal accounts of silver’s efficacy against the hepatitis C virus.
Cools sunburn and speeds reduction of swelling, healing time, and boosts cell recovery.
The International Forum for Allergy and Rhinology announced they are using silver to control sinus infections and allergy symptoms and benefit people in the form of a nasal spray. They are publishing findings related to the benefits to asthma.
In 2011 NIH reported 90% of children in the silver vs common cold research studies recovered 50% faster or didn't catch the virus at all.
Boost immune system.
Silver infused mouthwash has been shown to prevent plaque buildup, tooth decay, and bleeding gums.
Kills surface mold and mildew to root.
Kills athlete’s foot, nail fungi and staph infections, including MRSA.
Therapies with silver are being used as an alternative to chemotherapy for cancer treatment.
With so many uses and benefits, it's no wonder silver is making a comeback in the medical world.
Sources: American Ophthalmology Physicians. American Pediatric Physicians. UCLA Medical. Sanderson-Wells TH. Intravenous injections. Lancet 1916;1:258–259. Hill WR, Pillsbury DM. Argyria–The Pharmacology of Silver. Baltimore. Williams & Wilkins, 1939. Grier N. Silver and its compounds. In: Block SS, ed. Disinfection, Sterilization and Preservation. Philadelphia. Lea & Febiger, 1968:375–398. Duhamel BG. Electric metallic colloids and their therapeutic applications. Lancet 1912;1:89–90. Roe AL. Collosol argentum and its ophthalmic uses. Br Med J 1915;16:104.
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Disclaimer:The material in this website gathered by @ArbitraryKitten is for information purposes only. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or care. If you have a health problem, medical emergency, or a general health question, you should contact a physician or other qualified health care provider for consultation, diagnosis and/or treatment. Under no circumstances should you attempt self-diagnosis or treatment based on anything you have seen or read on this website. If you have an emergency please call 911.
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