History of Silver in Medicine and Food Preservation
Under the right conditions microbes can double in number every 20 minutes.	The therapeutic effectiveness of silver has long been acknowledged. The Romans used silver nitrate therapeutically; the alchemist Paracelsus spoke of the virtues of silver as a healing substance. It was in the 1800s that physicians discovered the antibacterial qualities of silver and applied them to their practice of medicine. They used silver nitrate successfully in the treatment of skin ulcers, compound fractures and for wounds.	Modern technology is creating a resurgence with a natural element from the past…SILVER
The Greeks and Romans stored water and other drinks in Silver vessels that were believed to keep the liquids fresh.	Dr William Halstead, one of the founding fathers of modern surgery, promoted silver foil dressings for wounds that were used extensively until 1955 when antibiotics became widespread. Silver coating in fibre is not a new idea but it has been dogged by two problems: the high cost and the staining that can arise from leaching of the silver. However, due to the extremely small particle size, both problems no longer apply to our products	During the plagues in Europe, wealthy families ate from Silver plates and used Silver utensils, in the hope that Silver might protect them from the disease that was claiming their neighbors' lives.
Pioneers travelling across the US placed Silver and copper coins in their wooden water casks and milk jugs to retard the growth of bacteria and algae.	With the discovery of antibiotics (sulfa drugs and then Penicillin) in the early to mid-1900's, interest in Silver as an anti-microbial medicine declined, since patents could not be taken out on Silver. Pharmaceutical companies could make more money from developing and patenting antibiotic drugs. But Silver is staging a modest comeback as a germ fighter and a nemesis of smelly feet.	Settlers in the Australian outback would place a Silver spoon or fork in their water tank in the belief that it would sanitize the water.
World War 1 troops used silver leaf on their wounds to combat infections.	In the half-century since Penicillin, we have seen the development of new strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and rising concerns about the overuse of antibiotic “wonder drugs”. Some groups advocate return to using Silver for disinfecting swimming pool water, for example, and for medical antibiotic purposes.	Silver eye drops were routinely placed in newborn babies’ eyes to prevent blindness when the mother had gonorrhea.
70% of burn centres in America use Silver Sulphadiazine as treatment against burns and bacteria.	From the late 1800's through the early 1900's, the medical industry made use of Silver germicidal properties. For half a century, Silver appeared in hundreds of medical products.	Silver sulphadiazine has also been reported to be successful in treating cholera, malaria, syphilis and the herpes virus (cold sores, shingles etc.)
Silver is even used by NASA and Russia, to purify water in both countries’ space shuttles.	Bacteria and viruses, interestingly, have not been shown to develop resistance to the antibiotic effects of Silver as they do antibiotics.	Silver salts were commonly used in nose drops and wound dressings.