The Power Of Silver

According to fictional stories you can use silver bullets to kill vampires. This idea may have developed because silver has been used since ancient times to prevent and treat a variety of infections. Before antibiotics it was often the only thing available that acted as a germicide. With the invention of penicillin and other antibiotics, the medicinal properties of silver have been overlooked.


As ingesting pure silver can be very toxic, it is necessary to find a way to utilize the silver in a more accessible way. One of the main ways is to suspend silver in tiny particles in a solution, this is called colloidal silver. Another way of using silver as an antibacterial agent is to apply a few volts of electricity to the silver. This electrolytically dissolved silver is very effective in disinfecting and purifying water supplies. Historically water was often kept in either silver vessels to keep it pure or silver coins were put in regular water containers for the same reason which also apparently worked. In fact, both the International Space Station and the World Health Organization use silver to help purify water supplies.

Silver Compounds

Silver can also be used in a variety of compounds. One such compound is silver nitrate which is used in eye drops to prevent infections like conjunctivitis in new born babies. It is also used for a several skin conditions like corns and warts. Another common compound is silver sulfadiazine which is usually used as a cream for burns.

Against MRSA's

Some research shows that nanocrystalline silver dressings may help to prevent MRSA's, otherwise called superbugs, infecting patients with open wounds. This is because the silver in the dressings acts as an antimicrobial agent which inhibits the MRSA bugs and stops them spreading. Despite a variety of silver based dressings on the market there needs to be some standardization of silver concentration in the dressings if this method of preventing MRSA's is going to be more widely accepted.

Silver Socks

Many manufacturers now produced anti-odor and antibacterial socks containing silver compounds. Wearing these types of socks is supposed to prevent foot odor and bacterial infections as well as funguses like athletes foot. However, not all the socks are equal. Some of the socks leach the silver out when washed, which not only means that any benefits of the silver in the material is no longer present after a few washes, it is also puts toxic silver particles into the environment. Other silver socks apparently have almost no loss of silver. In fact some people never wash their silver socks and say that the socks still remain odor free!


As silver has proven antibacterial and antimicrobial properties which can prevent the spread of MRSA's you may want to try a topical application of a medicinal silver compound on that hard to cure toe nail fungus. Of course you could always try to shoot that vampire toe nail fungus with a silver bullet but getting a pair of silver socks is probably easier and safer! Even if they don't cure your toe nail fungus the silver socks will help keep your feet cozy, warm and odor free.