>From: Ela <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Argyria >I understand what you are saying, Meghan ... but people (and ferrets) with >argyria turn bright blue/grey! It would be kind of hard to miss someone >with this condition Where would you expect to see these people? Everything I've read suggests that the numbers of people with this condition are dropping but that those who have it tend to become very reclusive. I've never personally see a victim of leprosy but that doesn't make it imaginary. Argyria isn't always a total discoloration to blue/grey. Do you examine the mucous membranes of everyone you've met? I don't. >I know that LOTS of the ferret shelters use colloidal silver on their >animals, and LOT of people use colloidal silver. But I know that LOTS of the ferret shelters do NOT use colloidal silver on their animals and MOST people do not use colloidal silver. I know far more shelters that do not use such quack medicine on their ferrets than do. We operate a shelter and have become among the most vocal opponents of using colloidal silver. I wish those that do use colloidal silver would actually read up on the substance and discover why they shouldn't use it. It would be far better for their ferrets to return to proper medical treatments and not rely on what amounts to faith healing without a proper religious backing. The silver proponents want it both ways. The modern colloidal silver is safe and better than the old stuff but it is the same as the old stuff so we can continue to promote it as something other than a poison in water. The positive articles on colloidal silver tend to be on sites with names like "wishgranted.com" or "mmagic.com". The very names of these sites should send up huge warning flags in your mind that it isn't scientific evidence but jargonistic doublespeak explaining the 'magic' of colloidal silver. Shelter operators, veterinarians and even doctors aren't always right. Some of these do indeed recommend colloidal silver but that doesn't make them right. There are some amazinly strange things promoted by some portion of the population. >Heck .. in the grocery store where I live, they sell two different >brands of colloidal silver. Sold as a dietary supplement as they legally can not sell it as a medicine. You can also buy rubbing alcohol at a grocery store, it would be a very bad idea to drink that although it is a useful medical tool applied topically. Argyria isn't always generalized. It can be localized sometimes to just finger and toe nails. Lets post some sites that people can read more about argyria and silver. If some are duplicated I'm sorry. Those who still think silver is safe and/or effective really should check out these various articles. This site lists pro and con articles. All the pro articles are about topical and not orally ingested silver. http://cassia.jerseycape.net/library.htm#silver The National Council for Reliable Health Information http://www.hcrc.org/faqs/c/colloid.html For fun, read about a colloidal silver manufacturer bashing others... http://www.advancedbio.com/faq.htm Heres a quack medicine hawker that ends up quoting entire FDA articles on why colloidal silver makers should lose the ability to hide behind a grandfather clause. http://www.svpvril.com/FDAag.html From a wholistic health page we find a condemnation of silver. <shrug> http://www.true-health.com/silver.htm -bill -- bill and diane killian zen and the art of ferrets http://www.zenferret.com/ mailto:[log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 2587]