/oss/taxonomy/term/3208/all en /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-history/no-silver-lining-colloidal-silver <p>As early as the ancient dynasties of Egypt, silver coins were placed in the drinking vessels of the nobility to protect them from harm.  Of course, this was not the result of any scientific investigation, the practice probably originated from some superstitious belief about the magical properties of precious metals.  Over the years it became apparent that the silver coins really did have an effect, they kept water from becoming slimy.  Storage of water in silver vessels was an obvious extension of this observation, affording the well-to-do some protection from water-borne diseases that were</p> Wed, 13 Oct 2021 16:35:44 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8896 at /oss /oss/article/health-you-asked/does-taking-colloidal-silver-have-health-benefits <p>It’s a wonder these days that anyone ever gets sick. If you look through magazines, watch infomercials on TV or cruise the Internet you can have your pick of cure-alls. A variety of dietary supplements, oxygenated waters or natural sea salt  preparations all claim to cure every ailment known to humankind. Colloidal silver is one of these supposed panaceas. The term colloidal just means that the particles of silver are so small that they do not settle out of the solution. According to the advertisements, these particles are microscopic in size but they are very large in terms of their healin</p> Fri, 11 Oct 2019 17:46:33 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7960 at /oss /oss/article/technology/silver-tarnish-and-tarnished-claims <p>Silver is more than just an object of beauty. It’s the stuff of memories. Prior to digital photography, all picture taking relied on compounds of silver. The reduction of silver ions to metallic silver by the action of light that is at the heart of the chemistry of photography. Silver is in fact so light sensitive that a crystal of silver chloride could detect the light of a candle on the moon!</p> Wed, 23 May 2018 15:37:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7101 at /oss