According to Dr.
Ron Leavitt of BYU University, as reported by Deseret News,
Tuesday, May 16, 2000, a quality colloidal silver may serve as a suitable
antibiotic alternative.
Lois Collins of Deseret News quotes
Dr. Leavitt as writing "The data suggests that with the low toxicity
associated with colloidal silver, in general, and the broad spectrum of
antimicrobial activity of this colloidal silver preparation, this preparation
may be effectively used as an alternative to antibiotics."
The original study tested ASAP
colloidal silver against tetracyclines, fluorinated quinolones (Ofloxacin),
the penicillins, the cephalosporins (Cefaperazone) and the macrolides
(Erythromycin). Among the microbes tested were streptococcuses, pneumonia, E.
coli, salmonella, and shigella.
To view the actual study data, please
click here.
Lois Collins also quoted Ron Leavitt
as stating, "When one of my research assistants suggested that we check this
out, I was real skeptical of something that sounded a lot like snake oil. I
said we'd do it if they would pay for the supplies. But whatever the data is,
it is. We agreed there would be no restriction on publication of the data."
Although Dr. Leavitt stated that
there would be no restriction on the publication of data, apparently Brigham
Young University disagrees. In a letter dated July 23, 2002, the assistant to
general counsel for BYU, stated:
"Any studies that occured at BYU were
not intended for dissemenation to the general public."
In what can almost be construed as a
blanket attack against first ammendment rights, BYU has been sending
intimidating cease and desist orders out to individuals and organizations
referencing the study. These letters not only pursue the reasonable demand
that copyrights be respected, but further demand that BYU not be mentioned in
conjunction with the study at all, despite the fact this information now
exists in the public domain.
Further, attached to these letters is
an official BYU position statement, where the antimicrobial effects of
colloidal silver are compared to bleach. While it is clear ( in fact, self
evident ) that studies done in-vitro cannot be applied to a clinical
situation, comparing colloidal silver to bleach can only be regarded as a very
distasteful disinformation tactic. While the sarcasm of the comment is not
lost in the statement, the undiluted truth is. As the quote by Dr. Ron Leavitt
above indicates, colloidal silver has a low level of toxicity ( see our pages
on
silver toxicity for
details ).
The Colloidal Silver
Database Website's position is that we are not in violation of copyright laws
in this matter. Furthermore, we believe that the general public has a right to
know the facts associated with the controversy, insofar as doing so does not
infringe upon the rights of the parties in question, as a part of our
journalistic expression.
