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Silver in Medicine
Silver has been used in the
health field since, well, for as long as there has been
a health field. It was used in times of antiquity for
fighting germs and healing tissue, and those uses have
continued to this day. It has been undergoing a rapid
resurgence in use in recent times in the medical and
industrial fields.
Why Do we Use the Term 'Silver Bullet'?
The term "silver bullet" has been around for a long time
and has been much used in medicine but did not originate
in medicine. A silver bullet is commonly referred to as
a magical solution to any vexing problem.
Ancient Medicinal Uses of Silver
The properties of silver have been known for millennia.
In ancient civilizations, the wealthy would store their
water in silver vessels to keep bacteria from growing.
The ancient Greeks discovered the health benefits of
silver when they noted that in battle the upper class
that had silver canteens never got dysentery, but the
troops often did. In huge doses of non-ionic silver for
extended periods it may produce Argyria, a bluing of the
skin, which is harmless cosmetic problem. This is how
European aristocracy got their blue-blood titles - they
used silver goblets, plates, food storage containers and
ingested silver particles. However, it saved them from
most disastrous epidemics of the Middle Ages.
American Settlers Used Silver as Medicine
American settlers would put a silver dollar in milk
containers to delay its spoilage. In Australia it is
still common for settlers to suspend a piece of
silverware in their water tanks to retard spoilage. As
early as 1834, a German obstetrician named F. Crede,
administered 1% silver nitrate to the eyes of newborn
infants, almost eliminating the incidence of blindness
caused by disease in newborns. It was not until the late
1800's that Western scientists began to prove what had
been known in Eastern medicine for thousands of years...
that silver was a proven germfighter!
Use of Silver in Medicine has Evolved over Centuries
During the past 2000 years, many civilizations have
recognized the properties of silver in preventing
diseases. For instance, the Romans used silver nitrate
therapeutically, and the hermetic and alchemical
writings of Paracelsus speak of the virtues of silver as
a healing substance. At the turn of the century, Dr.
William Halstead, one of the founding fathers of modern
surgery, advocated the use of silver foil dressings for
wounds. These dressings were used extensively until just
after World War II, and were listed in the Physician’s
Desk Reference until 1955, when the use of antibiotics
became widespread.
The Research Continues..
However, in the field of human disease and,
specifically, the realm of internal or systemic use,
silver has remained essentially in the realm of
alternative medicine. n olden days, people used silver
to de-contaminate water because it kills germs. It's
widely accepted that silver is a good natural
antibiotic; it's even used in a lot of band-aids. The
metal silver has already been used to great success by
dental and medical professions in a wide range of
reconstructive implants.
The Healing Power of
Silver
Silver is said to be the mirror of the soul. Silver is
believed to benefit circulation, help lungs and throat,
and detoxify the blood, to aid in the treatment of
degenerative brain diseases, balancing of hormones and
chemicals and improvement of nerve impulse transmission.
They also use it for treating hepatitis and detoxifying
the body. New Age healers have taken silver's conductive
abilities and translated that into the belief that it
can conduct the body's energy. They believe it can
remove negative energy from the body and channel the
positive energy of other minerals into the patient. The
minerals they use with Silver include Turquoise, Agate,
Jet, Moonstone and Lodestone or cooler-colored gems.
Lodestone set in silver is said to aid in eyesight...
Read more...
Myths about Silver
Legends of Jewels, Quartz
Mythology, Myths about crystals and myths about jewelry;
Some of those ancient myths and legends have come down
intact through the centuries. Others have evolved and
mutated as result of the input of other cultures...
Read more...
Facts about Silver
Silver can be hammered into sheets so thin that it would
take 100,000 of them to stack an inch high. It can be
drawn into a wire finer than a human hair. It is this
ductility (or ability to be formed) that makes silver
the wonderful art form that it is...
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Origins of Silver
The area of Anatolia (modern Turkey) is considered the first major
source of mined silver, having provided the resource to craftsman
throughout Asia Minor. Silver from the Anatolian region largely served
as the source of silver for the Western cultures flourishing in the Near
East, Crete, and Greece. Silver craftsmanship was centered largely in
Asia Minor and Greek Islands...
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Back to 'All About
Silver' Summary
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5%
pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper.
Sterling silver is the standard for charming beautiful
white cool luster of silver and is the standard for high
quality silver jewelry. The beautiful white metal of
silver has had an illustrious history, at times being
more highly valued than gold. Long used as a medium of
exchange...
Read more...
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