The "many articles" some claim to have been written extolling the benefits
of Colloidal Silver seem to boil down to only two -- at least, it seems that
all the claims deriving from printed articles that have surfaced here so far
can be found in those two.  They both appeared in the same magazine,
"NaturalPet: Alternative Lifestyles for Companion Animals," a magazine where
Colloidal Silver is also commercially advertised.
 
The magazine, published by National Animal Health Alliance, Inc.  and Pet
Publications Inc., both of Florida, has an advisory board consisting of a
Doctor of Naturopathy (ND), a "Reiki" master from New South Wales, and two
DVMs.  However, on the masthead is a disclaimer stating that "all articles
and opinions are those of the author and not necessarily the opinion of Pet
Publications nor NAHA.  Veterinary care should be considered before
initiating any advice pertaining to pet care."
 
The Sept/Oct issue features a cover photo & other photos from Jeanne
Carley's "Ferret Calendar 1995," and a nifty illustrated article by
Deborah Jeans on "The ABCs of Teaching Ferrets."
 
The CS article in the Sept/Oct issue, appearing under the "Feline" heading,
is titled "Colloidal Silver for Healing," and is an excerpt from a "popular
new book, 'Cat Care, Naturally,'" which is written by frequent NaturalPet
contributor & self-described "feline nutritionist" Celeste Yarnall and
published and advertised by NAHA.  Elsewhere in the magazine Yarnall has an
ad promoting various products which she sells including a feline dietary
supplement, CS, Pycnogenol, and Blue Green Algae from Upper Klamath Lake.
Yarmall apparently does not have a Ph.D or veterinary degree, since she does
not append them to her by-line or identify herself with them in her ad.
 
With no back-up documentation or quotations from any studies, the article
makes sweeping assertions, such as "Research has shown that traces of silver
in the body act almost like a second immune system, and that silver is often
not present in people with diseased systems."  "When using colloidal silver
prophylactically, people have reported getting fewer colds and flu."  And,
most incredibly -- "It has been tested successfully against more than 650
diseases and disorders."
 
The other article, in the Nov/Dec issue of the same magazine, is in the
"Animal Care Outlook" section and is titled "An Effective Natural
Antibiotic."  It is written by a Dr. Garry Smith, ND, about whom no other
information was given.  Smith makes even more extreme claims for CS, citing
as his authority something called "UCLA Medical Laboratories." Smith does
not state whether "UCLA Medical Laboratories" has any affiliation with UCLA,
nor does he give a citation for the "report" he attributes to them.
 
"They" found that CS "tests were effective against "Streptococcus pyogenes,
Straphylococcus [sic] aureus, Neisseria gonorrhea, Gardnerella Vaginalis,
Salmonella Typhi, and other enteric pathogens, and fungicidal for Candida
albicans, Candida globata, and M. furfur."  It is not made clear whether
these were tests inside any animal's body or just in a test tube.  Again
according to "UCLA Medical Laboratories," silver -- though Smith does not
state whether colloidal or otherwise -- "has also been antibiotic for
microorganisms causing acne, allergies, arthritic appendicitis, bladder
inflammations, blood parasites and poisoning, boils, cancer, candida,
cerebro-spinal meningitis, cholera, chronic fatigue, and colitis, to name
just a few."
 
The origin of the claim that under laboratory conditions silver will kill
any known microbe within 6 minutes is apparently a "Dr.  Henry Crooks," what
kind of "Dr" I have no idea.  Smith says Crooks made the claim based on
bacteriological experiments that he conducted.
 
Did I hear someone say "panacea"?  Snake oil, perhaps?
[Posted in FML issue 1376]