Silver: Historical and Current Antimicrobial Uses
Silver is known as one of the oldest antimicrobial agents. Silver ions are thought to inhibit bacterial enzymes and bind to DNA. Silver has been used effectively against different bacteria, fungi and viruses. Humans have known about silver and its natural antimicrobial properties for thousands of years. The ancient Phoenicians, who flourished around 1200BC, stored their water in silver bottles to prevent spoiling. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, noted in the 4th century BC that silver had beneficial healing and anti-disease properties. The use of silver for medicinal purposes is documented from 750 AD, although it was not until around 1881 that the first scientific papers were published describing the medicinal uses of silver. Before the rise of antibiotics, during the first World War, silver compounds were used to prevent infection. Today, silver is widely used in water filters and in water tanks. In health care it is used in wound dressings and catheters. Take a look at some of the common antimicrobial uses of silver today: - Curad Silver Bandages - Antimicrobial Washing Machines, Refrigerators, Air Conditioning Filters - X-Static - The Silver Fiber - Sherwin-Williams Antimicrobial Flooring Systems Other Antimicrobial Uses of Silver: Water Purification Anti-Microbial Cloths Sinus Infection |