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Article on Mild Silver Protein and its Effectiveness Against
Internal and Topical Infections
by James South
MA.
Silver (Ag) is
atomic element number 47, with an atomic weight of 108. It is one of the
so-called 'heavy metals', along with lead, mercury, cadmium and gold. Yet unlike
its heavy metal cousins, Ag is surprisingly non-toxic to humans and animals. And
unlike the other heavy metals, Ag has a long history of successful medical and
public health use dating back 6000 years!
Ag 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 Ag 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 - Ag was one of the mainstays of medical practice in Europe and
America. Various forms of Ag 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 Ag in Europe and America, 1900-1940).
In 1939 Hill
and Pillsbury listed 94 different proprietary Ag preparations in use up to that
time (7). However, with the coming of the antibiotic era, Ag 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 anti-biotics.
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 anti-biotics. By the late
1980's, anti-biotics had so succeeded in controlling/eradicating most germ
diseases, that medical researchers and pharmaceutical companies seriously slowed
research into new anti-biotics, thinking that there was no longer any need for
(and not nearly enough 'big bucks' to be made from) newer and better anti-biotics.
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 anti-biotics began to develop ways to combat
anti-biotics. 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 anti-biotics 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 anti-biotics (allowing germs to recover and develop antibiotic
resistance); and the widespread use of low-level anti-biotics in animal feed to
increase farmer's profits (40% of U.S. anti-biotics 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 anti-biotics 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 Ag 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 anti-biotics
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 Ag that various forms of Ag, often at surprisingly low
concentrations, routinely kills germs that are known to be antibiotic-resistant
(11,13,19,20).
Most anti-biotics
have an optimal effectiveness against only a few different disease germs; even
broad-spectrum anti-biotics may kill only 10-20 different types of bacteria.
Also, most anti-biotics that kill bacteria will not kill fungus/yeasts,
protozoal parasites or viruses; anti-fungal anti-biotics will not kill bacteria,
viruses, parasites, etc. And virtually all known viruses are immune to virtually
all known anti-biotics.
Ag 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 anti-biotics, Ag
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. Ag
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).
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 anti-biotics except amikacin (19), as well as two strains of Enterobacter
cloacae that were isolated from burn patients and were relatively resistant even
to Silvadene( (20). Ag(e) has also proved adept at killing various yeast/fungus
species at very low Ag 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 Ag, as well as the protozoa Varicella at 5.9 PPM Ag (1).
Ag(e) was even
somewhat effective in killing Poliovirus in swimming pool water, at the
extremely low concentration of 0.015mg Ag 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,
Ag has been used in 20th Century medicine in a wide variety of forms. It has
been used as silver salts (e.g. Ag nitrate, Ag phosphate, Ag iodide, etc.) and
Ag compounds (e.g. Ag sulfadiazine, Ag arsphenamine, zinc-Ag allantoinate) (11).
Many of the doctors using silver in the first half of the 20th century preferred
a colloidal form of Ag, either chemically or electrically produced (3,11). Mild
silver protein and strong silver protein (Ag combined with proits broad spectrum
of action. It has been claimed to kill some 650 different disease organisms
(13). And unlike anti-biotics, Ag 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. Ag 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).
Ag 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). Ag nitrate is notorious for being irritating
to tissue and staining everything it touches (13). Also, silver salts are often
not as effective as colloidal Ag or Ag proteins. For example, Simonetti and
colleagues tested extremely dilute solutions of electro-colloidal Ag [Ag(e)] and
Ag 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 Ag 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).
Ag 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 Ag as AgNO3 for two hours.
Yet when lymphocytes were exposed to 1200 micromoles Ag as a Ag-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 Ag or mild silver protein (strong silver protein contains less Ag 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 Ag 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 Ag 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 Ag
particles may gradually absorb onto the walls of the container, gradually
lowering the amount of Ag 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 Ag ions, the particles act as a time-release mechanism to provide
continuous germ-killing Ag ion availability, as single Ag ions gradually break
off from their parent microclusters.
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Silver
MILD SILVER
PROTEIN: PROS & CONS
Mild silver protein (MSP) is made by various chemical processes that ultimately
create a 19-25% Ag content, the remainder being a protein (11). Like Ag(e), MSP
is also made in various potencies from 10 to 500 PPM Ag. The protein acts as a
stabilizer and solubilizer for the Ag 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 Ag protein combination aslo
acts as a time-release mechanism to gradually liberate Ag 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
Ag to be a surprisingly safe substance, unlike its heavy-metal cousins lead,
mercury, cadmium and gold. In general, Ag salts are more toxic than Ag(e) or
mild Ag 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 Ag 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 Ag would supply 1/2 to 1mg Ag.
French
physician B.G. Duhamel reported on the use of Electrargol (an electro-colloidal
Ag providing 400 PPM Ag) 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 Ag] is
made into muscle or... into the veins.... Similarly, the colloid [Ag] 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 [Ag 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
Ag), noted that "20 c.cm. of collosol argentum [=10 mg Ag] produced no untoward
effects." (28).
Most of the
quantitative safety data on Ag 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 Ag sulfadiazine (30% Ag) 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 Ag sulfadiazine
would translate into roughly 22 grams of elemental Ag for a 70kg/154 pound
person.
Hill and
Pillsbury report results of many animal Ag toxicity studies in their 1939 book
on Ag. 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 Ag 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 Ag]
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 Ag 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 Ag 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 Ag to a maximum of 23.98
grams Ag 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 Ag 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 Ag 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 Ag use: the phenomenon known as
argyria. When sufficiently large quantities of Ag 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 [Ag] 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 Ag 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 Ag 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 Ag; about half occurred with 3 years or less of chronic Ag use;
and about half of all cases involved chronic Ag use ranging from 3 to 25 years.
Where the published information (214 cases) provided data on the Ag compound
used, 55% (118) of the argyria cases were caused by Ag nitrate; 13% (28) were
caused by Argyrol, a mild Ag protein; 9% (19) were caused by Ag arsphenamine; 6%
(13) were caused by Collargol, a chemically produced colloidal Ag, 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 Ag arsphenamine would be 6 grams (.9 grams Ag),
while with Ag nitrate "the danger of argyria is very slight if the total amount
injested by mouth is below six grams [3.8 grams Ag]."(7).
To put this in
perspective: if one assumes that electrocolloidal Ag and mild Ag protein are
equally prone to cause argyria compared to Ag 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 Ag to reach the 3.8 gram Ag threshold.
Thus the risk of developing argyria from occasional use of Ag to treat specific
infectious conditions must be considered virtually non-existent. I have used
colloidal Ag intermittently since 1994, sometimes taking 2-3 tablespoons of 30
PPM Ag daily for months at a time, consuming about 250 mg Ag 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 Ag/mild
Ag protein products to at most several weeks to several months at a time. Do not
take oral (or intravenous or intranasal) Ag on a permanent, ongoing basis unless
carefully monitored by and under the supervision of a physician who is
knowledgeable in Ag use and argyria.
The dietary
supplement NAC (N-acetylcysteine) may also provide significant protection
against Ag 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 (GSH)
is a tripeptide composed of glutamic acid, glycine and cysteine. Based on their
study of the protective effect of NAC against various toxic agents, Dawson et al
reported: "The protective effect [of NAC] in some cases is due to the free
sulfhydryl group which N-acetylcysteine contains, and in other cases it is due
to its role as a precursor for cysteine in [GSH] biosynthesis." (30).
Bergstrom and
colleagues remarked that "...oral NAC in fact offers prompt availability of
thiol groups needed for [GSH] biosynthesis in the hepatic cells where the need
is highest." (31).
Lorber et al
stated that "Our in-vitro studies demonstrated that NAC effectively complexes
gold, mercury and silver.... Our [clinical] findings suggest that NAC may be a
promising and effective treatment of gold[and thus presumably Ag]
intoxication.... The use of N-acetylcysteine may thus afford better
detoxification for... heavy metal poisoning than other available agents in
current use." (32). In order to avoid cancelling out the microbicidal effect of
Ag, it would probably be best to wait until a given course of Ag treatment is
complete, then begin taking 200-600 mg NAC two or three times daily with meals.
This will enhance clearance of any residual Ag from the body, thus reducing the
risk of argyria.
WHAT IS SILVER
USED FOR?
Colloidal Ag and mild Ag 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).
-
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
USES AND DOSES
Ag may be dropped into the ear several times daily for ear infections. Ag may be
snorted into the nostrils from a nasal squirt-bottle for sinus infections or to
abort head-colds. A dilute Ag 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). Ag 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. Ag may
be massaged into gums several times daily for dental infections. Ag 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.
Ag has also
been used as a water purifier since 1900 or so; since the 1930's Ag 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 Ag to a pint of
water; stir thoroughly and let stand for several hours. This is only a general
guideline - when in doubt increase the Ag dosage as you see fit. To conclude
this report on a personal note: I have found Ag to indeed be a 'master
germicide.' I have personally aborted colds with liquid Ag (I have just done it
again while writing this report); I have had great success controlling candida
with Ag. I routinely use liquid Ag or Ag 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 Ag into her nose when
flying to avoid catching cold from the plane's germ-laden recycled air. The most
amazing case of Ag 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 Ag. The woman was immediately put on one
tablespoon of 5PPM colloidal Ag 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.'
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Silver
TECHNICAL NOTE
Most Ag preparations express their Ag content in parts-per-million (PPM). 1 PPM
= 1 microgram (mcg) Ag per cc = 5 mcg Ag per teaspoon = 15 mcg Ag per
tablespoon. 30 PPM = 30 mcg Ag per cc = 150 mcg Ag per teaspoon = 450 mcg per
tablespoon, etc.
REFERENCES
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