A few thoughts on colloidal silver and other such remedies: The world is absolutely stuffed with anecdotal reports of this or that curing this or that ailment. These cover the range from relatively accepted "alternative" products like feverfew and ginger, to absolutely wacky things like drinking urine. Without some attempt at verification - eliminating placebo effect and the normal course of the disease - we gain very little by trading stories of "I've heard corn starch cures ulcers" and thelike, in this forum or any other. This idea that "natural" remedies are better than manufactured drugs is physiologically untenable. Your body does not know or care if the ascorbic acid you give it came from an orange or from a lab. The chemical is the same, the effect is the same, and the only thing that matters is cost and convenience. Bodies work by biochemical processes. If a plant-based remedy affects a symptom, it is because the plant contains some chemical substance that has an influence on the symptom. There is no magic involved! If the chemical can be identified and isolated, and proven to be safe and effective, the chemical can be synthesized or extracted. This is probably better than using the original plant source, as the concentration of the agent can be more predictably controlled. Any report of any intervention curing the flu or the like in one hour is highly suspect. Most vets and most physicians have received no training and have little understanding of complementary treatments. Most of the books, magazines and other sources available to the public are unreliable, filled with anecdotes and fanciful theories that make no scientific sense. If you are interested in looking beyond Western medicine, you are mostly on your own. Look at: Varro Tyler, The Honest Herbal Herbalgram (a peer-reviewed academic journal about plant-based remedies) The National Council Against Health Fraud Lastly, the term "alternative" is misleading. An alternative is something that is essentially equivalent, yet different. This is absolutely false for most things considered "alternative". In all medical interventions - Western, Eastern, Homeopathic, Herbal - the method is either proven effective, proven ineffective, or not sufficiently tested. There is no other option. Many things in the complementary realm have already been demonstrated useless when subjected to placebo-controlled clinical trials. Many remedies have little or no useful ingredients. Many reflect bonehead science. Some work well. Some have been proven useful, yet are largely ignored in Western medicine. However, ALL remedies have proven useful for two things: Curing loneliness and poverty among the practitioners! [Posted in FML issue 1527]