Hi-Yo Silver

Growing up watching The Lone Ranger gives me a sense of good fortune and a feeling of being lucky. I remember getting up on Saturday mornings and watching The Lone Ranger then saddling up my trusted pony to ride the fields of home in search of adversaries. The world needs a Lone Ranger and a return to his creed and values. Two parts of The Lone Ranger’s creed that continue to resonate with me are: “that God put the firewood there, but that every man must gather and light it himself,” and “that all things change but truth, and that truth alone lives on forever.”

A few weeks ago I received a request to share my thoughts on colloidal silver. I have to admit the first thing that came to mind was a doctor in my hometown—Dr. Albert Cullum. What came to mind about Dr. Cullum was his strong opinion against smoking and advocacy for vitamins and colloidal silver. Late in 2009 Dr. Cullum passed away at ninety—two taking with him knowledge and a story on colloidal silver I long to hear.

Silver holds a prominent place in American history; with applications from photography and jewelry, to medical and dental applications and advancements. Silver dressings were developed and used extensively during World Wars I and II. Silver sulfadiazine ointment is still the number one treatment for burns in the United States. Today several medical studies have concluded that silver-tipped catheters can reduce infections associated with long-term indwelling catheter use. Silver coated vascular catheters and heart valves are becoming commonplace because of reduced associated infections.

More importantly, are there benefits and risk of taking colloidal silver orally? There are always risks of taking any medication, supplement, or treatment; therefore, you should always consult your healthcare provider before taking / changing any medication or supplement as serious side effects and / or complications may exist. Silver accumulation in body tissue can be fatal. The accumulation of silver in the skin can cause a permanent bluish tint (Argyria).

There is promising research on the benefits of colloidal silver, from burns to wound infections by leading researchers from Brigham Young University, Kansas State University, and the University of Georgia to name a few. I recommend contacting the Preston Medical Library at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine Knoxville, Tennessee to help you in your personal research on any health related topic. Telephone 865.305.9527 E-mail: library@mc.utmck.edu / www.tennessee.edu/healthinfo.

I am impressed with the possibilities and evidence for homeopathic uses of colloidal silver. My friend Dr. Cullum’s fountain of youth might have been in the silver. There are claims the mighty silver can relieve everything including but not limited to—abdominal pain diarrhea, sunburns, tooth decay, insect bites, molds, and burns. So is colloidal silver the silver bullet for what ails us? Stay tuned—Hi-Yo Silver! Away!

Howard Baker, RN BSN

For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com