Thursday, May 20, 2010

Colloidal Silver Medical Research Before 1940

Colloidal Silver Medical Research Before 1940

Medical bureaucrats and other colloidal silver naysayers routinely claim that the modern-day use of colloidal silver constitutes “risk without benefit.”

They go on to claim ad nauseum that there’s no modern medical or scientific evidence for the efficacy of colloidal silver.

What They Omit

What the naysayers always fail to state is that there’s a very good reason for the dearth of modern medical and scientific research on behalf of colloidal silver:

The medical community has simply refused to conduct any significant new large-scale research on colloidal silver since the first patented antibiotic drug (penicillin) came into widespread medical usage in 1940.

In fact, since the advent of prescription antibiotic drugs, the medical community has not conducted any significant medical research on any natural substances with infection-fighting qualities, except for those they could synthesize and turn into patentable drugs.

Red-Headed Step Child

In short, even though colloidal silver was widely used by doctors and enthusiastically studied for its infection-fighting properties prior to 1940, directly after the advent of prescription antibiotic drugs colloidal silver quickly became the “red-headed step child” of the medical research community.

Except for a small handful of studies conducted at independent universities such as Brigham Young University

…plus a number of private clinical studies conducted by some of the larger colloidal silver distributors (most of which had to be conducted outside of the United States)…

… and a number of studies conducted by foreign researchers, or by cutting edge medical and scientific researchers who have bucked the American medical establishment and conducted independent research on their own (see discussions of many of these studies at Colloidal Silver Kills Viruses and Colloidal Silver Cures MRSA)...

…colloidal silver has been largely ignored by the medical research community in this country since 1940.

Prescription antibiotic drugs have become the de facto mainstay of modern medicine in regards to treating infections, in spite of the fact that researchers admit medical science is now losing the battle against infectious microorganisms.

Medical Research Before 1940:
the Evidence for Colloidal Silver is Overwhelming


Another thing the medical bureaucrats and colloidal silver naysayers don’t like to tell you is that when they say there is “no medical or scientific evidence” of efficacy for colloidal silver, what they’re talking about is modern medical research.

It is true that they have effectively quashed modern research into the use of colloidal silver.

But what they omit is that some of the very best medical and scientific research on colloidal silver was conducted prior to the 1940 advent of penicillin.

When you look back on the old pre-1940 medical literature, you’ll find that a wide range of infectious microorganisms and ill-health conditions were routinely treated by the medical community using colloidal silver. This of course was due to the incredibly broad-spectrum infection-fighting and immune-boosting qualities of silver itself.

The following is a list of pathogens and medical conditions documented before 1940 in which patients were successfully treated using colloidal silver.

As you can see, dozens of infectious microorganisms were known to be sensitive to silver, and numerous medical conditions were known to respond to silver treatment.

(Spellings have been left as they appeared in the old medical texts. And you’ll find a Bibliography of medical citations and other documentation at the end of the list):

Anthrax Bacilli 2, 3
Appendicitis 3
Axillae and blind boils of the neck 10
B. Coli 2
B. Coli Communis 7
B. Dysenteria 2
B.Pyocaneus 2
B. Tubercolosis 7
Bacillary Dysentery 4
Bladder Irritation 12
Blepharitis (infection of the eyelids) 13
Boils 10
Bromidrosis in Axille 12
Bromidrosis in Feet 10
Burns and wounds of the cornea 13
Cerebro-spinal Meningitis 3, 9
Chronic Cystitis 10
Chronic Eczema of Anterior Nares 10
Chronic Eczema of metus of ear 10
Colitis 4
Cystitis 8
Dacryocystitis 13
Dermatitis suggestive of toxaemia 4
Diarrhoea (diarrhea) 4
Diptheria 3
Dysentery 3, 6
Ear Affections 5
Enlarged Prostate 12
Epiditymitis 10
Erysipelas 3
Eustachian tubes (potency restored) 8
Follicular Tonsilitis 10
Furunculosis (Hidradenitis Suppurativa) 3
Gonococcus 7
Gonorrhoea 10
Gonorrhoeal Conjunctivitis 10
Gonorrhoeal Opthalimia 13
Gonorrhoeal Prostratic Gleet 11
Hæmorrhoids 12
Hypopyon Ulcer 13
Impetigo 10
Infantile Disease 16
Infected ulcers of the cornea 13
Inflammatory Rheumatism 3
Influenze 11
Interstitial Keratitis 13
Intestinal troubles 6
Lesion Healing 12
Leucorrhoea 6
Menier's Symptoms 6
Nasal Catarrh 5
Nasopharyngeal Catarrh (reduced) 8
Oedematous enlargement of turbinates without true hyperplasia 9
Offensive discharge of chronic suppuration in Otitis Media 10
Ophthalmology 12
Opthalmic practices 5
Para-Typhoid 3
Paramecium (Alternate names for Balantidium coli include Holophrya coli, Leukophrya coli, and Paramecium coli., Balantidiasis) 1
Perineal Eczema 12
Phlegmons 3
Phlyctenular Conjunctivitis 10
Pneumococci 2
Pruritis Ani 12
Puerperal Septicaemia 15
Purulent Opthalmia of infants 13
Pustular Eczema of scalp 10
Pyorrhoea Alveolaris (Riggs disease) 8
Quinsies 6
Rhinitis 9
Ringworm of the body 10
Scarlatina 3
Sepsis 16
Septic Tonsilitis 10
Septic Ulcers of the legs 10
Septicaemia 5, 8
Shingles 6
Soft Sores 10
Spring Catarrh 10
Sprue 6
Staphyloclysin (inhibits) 2
Staphylococcus Pyogenea 7
Staphylococcus Pyogens Albus 2
Staphylococcus Pyogens Aureus 2
Streptococci 7
Subdues inflammation 12
Suppurative Appendicitis (post-op) 10
Tinea Versicolor 10
Tonsilitis 6
Typhoid 3
Typhoid Bacillus 14
Ulcerative Urticaria 4
Urticaria suggestive of toxaemia 12
Valsava's inflammation 8
Vincent's Angina 10
Vorticella 1
Warts 12
Whooping Cough 8

More recent articles have described silver being used to treat the following:

Adenovirus 5, 23
Aspergillus Niger 18
Bacillius Typhosus 21
Bovine Rotavirus 23
Candida Albicans 18, 25
Candida Globata 25
Entamoeba Histolytica (cysts) 24
Escherichia Coli 17, 18, 21
Gardnerella Vaginalis 25
Legionella Pneumophila (Legionaire's Disease) 17
M. Furfur 25
Neisseria Gonorrhea 25
Poliovirus 1 (Sabin strain) 23
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa 17, 18
Salmonella 23
Salmonella Typhi 25
Spore-forming Bacteria 24
Staphylococcus Aureus 17, 25
Streptococcus Faecalis 17
Streptococcus Pyogenes 25
Vegetative B. Cereus cells 24

The following is a documented list of silver resistant bacteria:

Citrobacter Freundii 20
Enterobacter Cloacae 20
Enterobacteriaceae (some strains) 19
Escherichia Coli (only some strains) 19
Klebsiella Pneumnoniae 20
P. Stutzeri (only some strains) 19
Proteus Mirabilis 20
Vegetative B. Cereus Spores 24

Bibiography

1. Bechhold, H. (1919). Colloids in Biology and Medicine, translated by J. G. M. Bullow. D. Van Nostrand Company, New York, p. 367.
2. Ibid., p. 368.
3. Ibid., p. 376.
4. Searle, A. B. (1919). The Use of Colloids in Health and Disease. (Quoting from the British Medical Journal, May 12, 1917). E. P. Dutton and Company: New York, p. 82
5. Ibid., (Quoting from the British Medical Journal, Jan. 15, l(s)17), p. 83.
6. Ibid., (Quoting Sir James Cantlie in the British Medical Journal, Nov. 15, 1913), p. 83.
7. Ibid., (Quoting Henry Crookes), p. 70.
8. Ibid., (Quoting J. Mark Hovell in the British Medical Journal, Dec. 15, 1917), p. 86.
9. Ibid., (Quoting B. Seymour Jones), p. 86.
10.Ibid., (Quoting C.E. A. MacLeod in Lancet, Feb. 3, 1912), p. 83.
11. Ibid., (Quoting J. MacMunn in the British Medical Journal, 1917, I, 685), p. 86.
12. Ibid., (Quoting Sir Malcom Morris in the British Medical Journal, May, 1917), p. 85.
13. Ibid., (Quoting A. Legge Roe in the British Medical Journal, Jan. 16, 1915), p. 83.
14. Ibid., (Quoting W. J. Simpson in Lancet, Dec. 12, 1914), pp. 71-72.
15. Ibid., (Quoting T. H. Anderson Wells in Lancet, Feb. 16, 1918), p. 85.
16. (1931). Index-catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office United States Army. United States Government Pnnting Office, Washington, v. IX, p. 628.
17. Moyasar, T. Y.; Landeen, L. K.; Messina, M. C.; Kutz, S. M.; Schulze, R.; and Gerba, C. P. (1990). Disinfection of Bacteria in Water Systems by Using Electrolytically Generated Copper, Silver and Reduced Levels of Free Chlorine. Found in Canadian Journal of Microbiology. The National Research Council of Canada: Ottawa, Ont., Canada, pp. 109-116.
18. Simonetti, N.; Simonetti, G.; Bougnol, E; and Scalzo, M. ( 1992). Electrochemical Ag+ for Preservative Use. Article found in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, American Society for Microbiology, Washington, V. 58, 12, pp. 3834-3836.
19. Slawson, R. M.; Van Dyke, M. I.; Lee, H.; and Trevors, J. T. (1992). Germanium and Silver Resistance, Accumulation, and Toxicity in Microorganisms. Article found in Plasmid. Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, v. 27, 1, pp. 73-79.
20. Thurman, R. B. and Gerba, C. P. (1989). The Molecular Mechanisms of Copper and Silver Ion Disinfection of Bacteria and Viruses. A paper presented in the First International Conference on Gold and Silver in Medicine. The Silver Institute, Washington, v. 18, 4, p. 295. 21. Ibid., p. 299.
21. Ibid., p. 299.
22. Ibid., p. 300.
23. Ibid., p. 301.
24. Ibid., p. 302.
25. Letter from Larry C. Ford, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UCLA School of Medicine, Center for the Health Sciences, November 1, 1988.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Is There Really Such a Thing as a "Silver Deficiency" in Humans?

Feeling Sick? You Could Have a Silver Deficiency!

The FDA and other self-proclaimed experts claim there is no such thing as a “silver deficiency” in the human body, because, in their view, the human body has no specific use for silver.

However, many cutting edge researchers strongly disagree, noting that incidences of illness and disease among the general population have skyrocketed simultaneous to the steep decline in the silver content of foods such as fruits and vegetables.


Silver Content in Food Drops Precipitously

One of the earliest studies reporting specifically on silver content in foods was conducted in 1940, by researcher R.A. Kehoe of UCLA. This study reported that an average daily intake of fruit and vegetables would provide between 50-100 mcg of silver as trace elements.

By 1975 the amount of silver found in our diet just about dropped off the scale! In fact it was so low that it became necessary to use picograms (one trillionth of a gram) as the unit of measurement instead on micrograms (one millionth of a gram).

As shown in Snyder, W.S., “Report of the Task Group on Reference Man”, the average daily dietary intake (including fluids) of silver has been estimated to be a paltry 70 pg/day. This is indeed a startling drop in the silver content of our foods and water!

Silver, Iron and Oxygen

Silver and all other minerals play important roles in the human body, and if we do not get enough, there are consequences! For example, the mineral iron has the capacity to absorb oxygen and serves as an oxygen transport mechanism in the body. The oxygen rich iron combines with red blood cells to form hemoglobin within the cells. Together they supply the oxygen needs for our body.

Iron is also part of myoglobin, which is the mechanism by which muscle tissue stores oxygen for later use. Some people with iron deficiency (anemia) often feel cold and tired. They feel cold because iron plays a role in regulating the body’s temperature. Iron-deficient people tire easily because their bodies are starved for oxygen. Without enough iron, the body’s fuel cannot be properly synthesized.

Silver also has its role in the body and without enough, there are consequences as well! Indeed, at this time it would be important to note that silver, like iron also has the capacity to absorb and transport oxygen. This fact allows silver to aid and support several oxygen dependant functions in the body, which will be covered within this article.

Silver Deficiency = Impaired Immunity

Many researchers over the years have found indications that prove silver does indeed play an important role in our health and immunity, and deficiency in silver impairs our immune system.

Robert O. Becker, MD, orthopedic surgeon and medical researcher, noticed a correlation between low silver levels and illness. Dr. Becker found that people who had low levels of silver (determined through hair analysis) were sick more frequently and their illnesses lasted much longer than people who had higher levels of silver. He believed a silver deficiency was the reason for the improper functioning of the immune system.

In his best-selling book The Body Electric, and in his other writings, Dr. Becker reported that silver was doing something more than just killing disease-causing organisms. It was also stimulating immune response in humans. He concluded that silver deficiency leads to the improper functioning of the immune system.

He also noticed that silver was responsible for major growth stimulation of injured tissues as silver is a catalyst for the creation of healthy, new cells. Burn patients and even elderly patients achieved rapid healing of damaged tissue with the aid of electrically generated silver ions. In addition, he discovered that cancer cells could be changed back to normal cells when directly treated with electrically generated silver ions.

What’s more, Dr. Becker was not the only one to notice the relationship between silver levels and health. For example, cancer research scientist Dr. Gary Smith also reported a correlation between low silver levels, sickness and immune deficiency.

Silver and Cancer Cells


Dr. Smith found that people who have low silver levels tend to be frequently sick and to have innumerable colds, flus, fevers, and other illnesses. He states; “Success (in cancer treatment) depends on silver in the person’s body. When silver is present, the cancer cells dedifferentiate and the body is restored. When silver levels are non-existent, the cancer growth rate continues because the cells cannot dedifferentiate...I suspect a silver deficiency is possibly one of the reasons cancer exists and is increasing at such a rapid rate.”

Essentially what Dr Smith is saying is this: If there is enough silver in our system, cancer cells – which are mutated cells – will dedifferentiate back to a normal cell. He further suggests that lack of silver in our diets may be at least partially responsible for the increases in cancer we see today.

This is not an unreasonable hypothesis and would also explain the great results that other doctors who use silver to treat cancer have had. For example, Dr. Bjorn Nordstrom of the Karolinsky Institute in Sweden has been using silver in his cancer treatments for many years, and has had great success. He claims silver frequently brought rapid remission in patients who were previously given up on by other doctors.

The research of Drs. Becker, Smith, Nordstrom and others clearly indicate a direct relationship between silver levels in the body and illness. It also illuminates silver’s near miraculous ability to reverse cancer in certain cases, and accelerate the healing of injured tissue.

-- reprinted with permission from chapter 10 of the 547-page book, The Ultimate Colloidal Silver Manual, pages 90-91


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