There is important
information toward the end of this article. It turns out that silver
induces a dedifferentiation of cancer cells and other fibroblasts to
produce embryonic cells able to assist the healing process. This
could be both safe and hugely important. It is only a matter of time
before these research threads are picked up and fully developed.
The other argument
pursued here is that more needs to be done in terms of silver based
antimicrobial activity. Our present protocols have turned out to be
fleeting and this is were silver holds an edge.
It is clear that serious
work is needed to clean up the empirical data base and to establish
useful guidelines we can use and trust.
The Many Medical Uses of Silver Throughout History
Dr. Tom O’Brien,
Guest Writer
2 apr 13
Medicinal use of
silver predates recorded history, and can only be guessed. It is
fairly certain, however, that the use
of silver vessels
for storing and carrying water made use of one of its important
properties… which was that of destroying the water-borne bacteria
and pathogens, thus allowing the water to remain purer for extended
periods of time. This principal was rediscovered by Krause in
1928, when he utilized silver coatings in water
filtration systems to
sterilize water for domestic purposes, and for swimming pools. He
claimed the method was unaffected by small concentrations of salt,
the presence of organic matter, or temperature variations.
MODERN USES OF SILVER:
In addition to water
purification, Krause also produced a colloidal powder that was used
clinically for wound dressing, as a spray for tonsillitis, and as a
wet pack in treating burns and abrasions. Other products of the time
were Uglow Black Silver Sand, Fissan-Silver Powder (Silver mixed with
milk albumin and a colloid), Movidyn and O-Silver. All of these
products, plus many other forms, had basically the same purpose,
namely, to limit or eliminate
pathogenic bacteria from
wounds, inflamed mucous membranes, drinking water, etc.
The modern use of
silver… almost exclusively as an antiseptic… dates from 1897 when
Crede’s Ointment (Colloidal
Silver is
an ointment base), was both used in the treatment of wounds and skin
diseases. Crede is said to have gotten the idea for these compounds
from the use of silver foil as an anti-infective wound dressing at
Johns Hopkins University.
A few years later, A.C. Barnes developed a
form of mild silver protein which he called “Argyrol” and was an
effective local anti-infective.
As presently used in medicine, silver
compounds may be divided roughly into two general classes, namely,
the soluble silver salts such as the nitrates and citrates,
and the relatively insoluble compounds such as the oxides, halogen
salts (chlorides and iodides), and the proteinates which do not
dissolve but which are presented as colloidal suspensions. Of the
soluble silver salts the most common is the nitrate, which acts as an
astringent, irritant, or caustic, depending on the strength of the
solutions used and the duration of their application.
SILVER NITRATE:
Silver nitrate is commonly used either in
solid sticks or pencils, or in solutions of varying concentrations.
These are used for the removal of warts and the stimulation
of ulcers and granulations. One percent solution of silver
nitrate is instilled into the conjunctival sac of newborn children
for the prevention of “ophthalmia neonatorum” (a junctivitis
occurring in infants born to mothers affected with gonorrhea,
frequently leading to blindness). Said treatment is not without its
dangers, as cauterization of the cornea and subsequent blindness may
occur.
Silver nitrate and
silver oxide were used in the form of pills containing Kaolin and
Petrolatum for the treatment
of gastric ulcers and
hyperacidity. This fell out
of favor because of limited
effectiveness and the risk of
Argyria or Argyrosis, (a discoloration of the skin, internal organs,
mucous membranes, etc).
COLLOIDAL SILVER:
Colloid
silver solutions
are combinations of insoluble forms of silver, such as the iodides,
chlorides, oxides, etc., with, usually, organic, protective colloids.
The insoluble forms are precipitated in the presence of the
protective colloids (such as gelatins) in such a way that the
particle size is very small and the particles do not settle out but
remain in suspension. These suspensions have many of the attributes
of true solutions.
These small particles of silver compounds
act as reservoirs releasing silver ions (the active portion of
the compounds) in a controlled manner and in minute amounts. The
protective colloid in addition to preventing agglomeration and/or
coagulation of the silver compound, also has a soothing action. The
colloidal silver preparations may be divided into three classes: the
silver halides, the strong silver proteins, and the mild silver
proteins. The greatest advantage of the halides over the proteinates
is the fact that they are light in color and do not stain linens as
the proteinates do.
STRONG SILVER PROTEINS:
Although the strong silver proteins contain
only small amounts of silver, this amount is largely ionized, which
makes it more antiseptic than the mild silver proteins. However,
because of the increased ionization, the strong silver proteins are
more irritant. The strong silver proteins tend to alter on storage in
that they become more strongly bound to the protein, thus yielding a
less concentrated silver ion solution, thus decreasing the antiseptic
values accordingly.
Mild silver protein solutions react in just
the opposite way, with the silver ion concentration increasing with
age, and the solutions becoming more irritant. This problem was
solved in 1957 when a method was found to stabilize mild silver
protein solutions indefinitely.
MILD SILVER PROTEINS:
Typical of the mild silver proteins is
“argyrol”. The mild silver proteins contain between 19 and 23% of
silver, which probably exists as silver oxide particles protected by
a suitable protein colloid such as gelatin. Only a small fraction of
the silver in mild silver protein solutions is ionized. Despite this
fact, the amount of silver that is ionized is surprisingly
constant. Dilutions as weak as 0.01% of a typical 20% solution, still
have an ion concentration very nearly that of the more concentrated
solution. The importance of this is apparent considering that the
solution is greatly diluted by body fluids but can still remain
effective.
Although the strong
silver proteins are more effective on mucous membranes for germicidal
and antisepticeffect,
they are more irritant and stimulant. The mild silver protein group
acts also as a mucilaginous demulcent and protective, and as a
detergent for dislodging pus.
ELECTROLYTIC COLLOIDAL SILVER:
It has long been known that colloidal silver
can be produced by arcing an electric current across two silver
electrodes submerged in distilled water, or mild electrolyte.
However, the process is of little value because of the extremely
small amounts of silver that can be kept suspended in solution. That
as it may be, there is a benefit derived of considerable importance.
The electric arc (used in such a manner) creates a nitrogen-free
ozone that (as a dissolved gas) is a benefactor in helping to harm,
anaerobic bacteria. In spite of the ozone benefit, the silver benefit
is reduced to near zero.
MIRACLE DRUGS A MIXED BLESSING:
With the advent of
so-called
“miracle drugs”,
the silver compounds fell out of favor. However, the miracle drugs
have been found to be a mixed blessing. In spite of the initial
benefits… they can produce patient sensitization and may become
ineffective with prolonged use.
On the other hand, sensitization with silver
compounds is very low,… if indeed it occurs at all. Another
disadvantage of the sulfonamides and antibiotics is their relatively
short spectrum of activity. The silver preparations, on the other
hand, have broad consistent anti-microbial action against many common
pathogens, and they have appreciable activity against mycotic and
viral infections.
A third fault to be found with the new drugs
is the development of resistant strains of organisms against which
the antibiotic has little or no effect. The action of the silver ion,
however, remains constant and the development of strains of organisms
resistant to its action is relatively unknown.
A MODERN CRISIS:
In 1993, doctors wrote
an estimated 220 million prescriptions for oral
antibiotics.
The consequence of the casual use of drugs that were powerful enough
to virtually wipe out some of the world’s scourges… is a rising
bacterial resistance to antibiotics and a resurgence of bacterial
diseases that were all but conquered decades ago. In the past 50
years, bacteria have developed more than 100 resistant factors to
antibiotics.
Diseases like tuberculosis are making a
dramatic come back in new drug-resistant strains. Malaria and cholera
are sweeping through some countries. Gonorrhea, salmonella and
pneumonia are all appearing in new forms that are resistant to many
antibiotics. Common infections like staph and strep are sometimes
turning into deadly illnesses.
SUPER BUGS ARE WINNING:
Bacteria, by their
very nature, try to thwart the agents that destroy them. Whatever the
prevailing cause,resistant
bugs are
moving faster than researchers are creating new antibiotics.
Doctors are seeing an increase in resistance
to strep pneumonia, the most common kind of bacterial pneumonia.
Staph infections are now resistant to penicillin, and some of the
common hospital infections now respond only to the most potent
antibiotics.
When faced with a drug
that can kill them or inhibit their growth, bacteria can develop a
method of growth that is not disrupted by the effects of an
antibiotic… or the bacteria can begin to produce an enzyme that
breaks down or inactivates the drug. Researchers have long known that
bacteria can thwart antibiotics by swapping bits of DNA
gene material,
but they have underestimated how much trading goes on, even between
different species. These resistant strains have been appearing more
rapidly than anyone ever imagined.
The CDC reports that tuberculosis strains
resistant to the two most effective drugs increased six-fold between
1986 and 1991, and resistant bugs now make up more than 20% of
bacteria that causes pneumonia, meningitis, and other infectious
diseases.
Staphylococcus and enterococcus are wreaking
havoc in eastern hospitals. Staphylococcus is a potent bacterium that
tends to breed in hospitals and infect surgical wounds, heart valves
and blood. Enterococcus also tends to go after heart valves. The
greatest fear of some medical researchers is that these two bacteria
will meet up, and with a gene bestowal, create a killer infection
that is resistant to every known antibiotic.
A BLEAK PROGNOSIS:
There is strong
evidence that the AIDS virus may be just such a “killer”.
Identification of the AIDS virus resulted in intense R&D programs
launched by major
pharmaceutical companies…
each hoping to benefit from the monetary gains that would follow
proprietary discovery of an AIDS cure. One such company, after 10
years of intensive research and over “one hundred million” in
research expenditures, was confident their investment had paid off.
The drug, which had shown such promise in
the lab, was cleared for testing in the real world. Within ten weeks
of its introduction and clinical use, the super-bugs had responded to
the challenge. The drug was pronounced useless, and a frustrated
spokesman of the company stated, “It may be decades before we find
an answer to the AIDS problem, “if we ever do’”.
It seems strange that, in view of silver’s
effective use in the past against bacterial and virus infection, that
it has been completely ignored in seeking a cure for this dread
disease. The wonderment is further heightened when we consider that
pathogens are powerless to mutate and build effective defenses
against its lethal action.
CANCER AND THE SILVER CONNECTION:
Experimental work by
Robert O. Becker, M.D., indicates strong need for research with
silver compounds and cancer. In his impressive book Cross
Currents, he outlined work
that had been done in earlier experiments, to find out if possible,
how the salamander was able to
grow new body parts. They concluded: The answer involved primitive
cells and electrical potential.
Because of the human body’s inability to
produce primitive cells (except in bone marrow), they concluded that
regeneration in human tissues was impossible. However, in his field
of orthopedic surgery, Dr. Becker encountered problems of a radical
nature in patients with infected fractures and open wounds, which
would not respond to conventional drug therapy. According to Becker,
his patients were those:
“Who not only had
large open wounds with exposed, infected bone, but also had unhealed
fractures of the same bone in the infected site.”
Previous research had documented that
positive metal ions of silver, when pushed into the tissues by
electrolysis, can chemically react with membranes of living tissues
without being harmful to human cells. The the use of silver
electrodes, they were not only able to rid the infected areas of
pathogens, but discovered and added bonus as well. Dr. Becker states:
“What we had
actually done was rediscover the fact that silver killed bacteria,
which had been known for centuries.” “The
electrically generated silver ion was doing something more than
killing bacteria… it was also causing major growth stimulation of
tissues in the wound.”… “When
we finally tracked down exactly what was happening, we found that as
human fibroblast cells (which are common throughout the body) were
exposed to the electrically generated silver ions, the
dedifferentiated. They were
then able to multiply at a great rate, producing
large numbers of primitive, embryonic cells in the wound even in
patients over 50 years of age. These
“uncommitted” cells were then able to differentiate into whatever
cell types were needed to heal the wound. So what we were in fact
doing was turning on regeneration in human tissues, which I had
thought we would never be able to do.”
ELECTROCHEMICAL THERAPY AND CANCER:
(Becker in Cross
Currents)
“If the
electrically generated silver ion dedifferentiated normal human
fibroblast cells, would it also dedifferentiate human cancer cells?
If so we would have a way to duplicate in human beings. Dr. S. Meryl
Rose’s experiments with salamander cancers, in which
dedifferentiated cancer cells are differentiated as normal cells.”
Unfortunately, a lack
of funds aborted further experiments to clarify the issue Indications
that such electrochemical
treatment
might prove successful is
related in an experience by Dr. Becker in treating a patient with
bone infection:
“I also had a
patient with severe, chronic bone infection who had an associated
cancer in the wound. He refused amputation, which would have been the
treatment of choice, and insisted
that I treat his infection with the silver technique. After three
months, the infection was under control and the cancer cells in the
wound appeared to have changed back to normal.”
About the Author
Dr. Tom O’Brien is the Founder and
President of the Center for Natural Wealth in Yonkers, New York. He
can be reached at 914-237-0805.
This article is
offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it
anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain
intact.
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