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Gold/Mining/Energy : Silver prices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: m.philli who wrote (2434)	1/20/2000 1:59:00 PM
From: Gerald Walls	Respond to of 8010

If this is the case, why has no one (as yet,possibly licensing negotiations?)promoted these as reasons for buying "real silverware"? It's difficult to even find "real silverware" any more. It all started being silver plated back in the 70's and 80's.

To: m.philli who wrote (2434)	1/20/2000 10:44:00 PM
From: long-gone	Respond to of 8010

<<Anyone know about the bacteria effect of silverware? >> This will get you close: Medical and Dental Applications While silver's importance as a bactericide has been documented only since the late 1800s, its use in purification has been known throughout the ages. Early records indicate that the Phoenicians, for example, used silver vessels to keep water, wine and vinegar pure during their long voyages. In America, pioneers moving west put silver and copper coins in their water barrels to keep it clean. In fact, "born with a silver spoon in his mouth" is not a reference to wealth, but to health. In the early 18th century, babies who were fed with silver spoons were healthier than those fed with spoons made from other metals, and silver pacifiers found wide use in America because of their beneficial health effects. In dental applications such as silver amalgam tooth restorations, the National Institutes of Health Conference Statement (9/26/91) states that "The benefits of existing dental restorative procedues far outweigh the currently documented risks." Additionally, a U.S. Public Health report (1993) states that approximately half of the tooth restorations performed in 1990 used the silver-mercury amalgam, this would require well over 500,000 troy ounces of silver. With silver-tin tooth restorations, a new mercury-free tooth filling material has been developed by the National Institute for Standards and Technology, in Gaithersburg, MD. This material is silver-coated tin (both non-toxic to humans under normal use) whose surfaces are kept oxygen-free by a special liquid. When this liquid is squeezed out by the dentist, the silver-tin particles cold weld to form a metallurgical bond as strong as the old filling materials. The new alloy is now undergoing field tests. Finally, silver has a variety of uses in pharmaceuticals. In fact, silver sulfadiazine is the most powerful compound for burn treatment. It is used by every hospital in North America for burn victims to kill bacteria and allow the body to naturally restore the burn area. It is used world-wide. It is sold under the trade name of Silvadiene, by Marion Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals. In another application polyeurethane central venus catheters impregnated with silver sulfadiazine and chlorhexidine to eliminate catheter-related bacteriemia are supplied by Arrow International, Reading, PA. In a world concerned with the spreading of virus and disease, silver is increasingly being tapped for its bactericidal properties and used in treatments for conditions ranging from severe burns to Legionnaires Disease. For a more complete description of silver's use in health please review our backgrounder on Silver's Increasing Importance to Health. silverinstitute.org

To: m.philli who wrote (2434)	1/20/2000 10:47:00 PM
From: long-gone	Respond to of 8010

Silver's Increasing Importance to Health February 28, 1997 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a world concerned with the spreading of virus and disease, silver is increasingly being tapped for its bactericidal properties and used in treatments for conditions ranging from severe burns to Legionnaires Disease. While silver's importance as a bactericide has been documented only since the late 1800s, its use in purification has been known throughout the ages. Early records indicate that the Phoenicians, for example, used silver vessels to keep water, wine and vinegar pure during their long voyages. In America, pioneers moving west put silver and copper coins in their water barrels to keep it clean. In fact, "born with a silver spoon in his mouth" is not a reference to wealth, but to health. In the early 18th century, babies who were fed with silver spoons were healthier than those fed with spoons made from other metals, and silver pacifiers found wide use in America because of their beneficial health effects. Helping to Stop the Spread of Legionnaires Disease In response to major outbreaks of Legionnaire's Disease in the United Kingdom during the 1980s, the British government has undertaken studies on the use of silver in water purification. The disease is named after Legionella pneumophilia, an aquatic organism which is widespread in small quantities within natural water sources. The bacteria presents few problems in naturally-flowing water, but man-made environments such as cooling towers and hot and cold water services provide conditions for it to multiply and spread. Infection is caused by inhaling airborne droplets or particles containing viable legionella, small enough to travel deep into the lungs and be deposited in the alveoli. Recent research compared silver-copper ionization with the use of high temperatures to destroy bacteria. Contaminated cold water reinfected the hot water system even when temperatures in hot water heaters reached as high as 60 degrees Centigrade. But experiments showed that even at lower water temperatures, ionization of soft water with silver and copper ions was effective against the bacteria. "Ionization showed better results," said Nigel Pavey principal research engineer for BSRIA Water Services Technology Centre in Berkshire. And to make certain its benefits are widespread, "there should be more emphasis on copper-silver ionization in legislation," he said. Important in Burn Therapy Silver also has had a significant impact on the treatment of burns. Twenty years ago it was common for the wounds of severely burned patients to become infected, which delayed healing and sometimes led to death. Today silver sulfadiazine is used by hospitals worldwide to kill bacteria allowing the body time to restore the area naturally. Sulfadiazine is a known antibacterial agent. Combined with silver, studies show it is at least 50 times more active than other antibacterial agents. "Silvadene" now is the most widely used topical treatment for burn therapy. Other silver compounds also are being developed for use wherever silver sulfadiazine proves ineffective. Keeping Plastic Clean Widespread concerns that viruses can survive in body fluids deposited on plastic consumer products such as telephones prompted the Institute for Microbial Diseases in Osaka, Japan to develop a new silver complex that can be applied for lasting sanitary protection. The product is marketed under the name Amenitop, and has been shown to reduce the infectivity of certain viruses which have been linked to AIDS. The system consists of silica gel microspheres containing a silver thiosulfate complex. The silica gel coating allows a gradual release of the silver compound onto the surface, providing long-lasting bactericidal action. Promoting Skin Growth Silver also has been successfully used to grow new skin on accident victims, including the restoration of fingertips with the original fingerprint. Individuals whose wounds are so severe they lose tissue below the skin often never fully recover, left with only a thin layer of skin without the original nerve structure. This inferior skin layer results in abnormal sensations and intolerance to cold. Skin grafts cover the wounds, but do not restore the functions of the area. In a treatment developed by Mountain Medical Specialties of Lakemont, GA, a silver-coated fabric is used to cover the wound. A miniature battery is connected to the fabric to begin a flow of silver ions to encourage normal skin growth and eliminate bacteria which generally prevents complete regeneration of the skin and nerve function. This method has actually restored the natural skin patterns and sensations in the palms of hands. Purifying Water Silver-based water purification units for the home have been in use in Europe for more than 50 years. Today Brita Products Company markets a silver-impregnated activated carbon filter containing ionexchange resins. This filter meets the National Sanitation Foundation Standards covering bacteriostatic efficacy, the reduction of lead, copper and particulates and the reduction of taste and odor. It also has the approval of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a bactericidal unit. The Brita filter is used in a pitcher on the counter and no installation is required. It is now a standard in the water purification market, which exceeds $10 billion in sales in the United States alone . Eliminating Harmful Bacteria Tests by researchers at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences show that silver and copper ions added to oyster tanks destroy harmful bacteria in the water without affecting the oysters. Once oysters are harvested from the ocean, they are cleaned in "depuration" tanks which are prone to bacteria infiltration. Silver ions added to the water destroy bacteria and copper ions kill fungus, making an inexpensive and environmentally friendly combination for keeping oyster tanks clean. "Silver and copper ionization is the perfect solution," says Richard Ganim, president of Superior Aqua Enterprises in Sarasota, Florida. "The applications for ionization are almost endless," Ganim said. Currently ionization is used by chicken farmers to reduce bacteria and fungus without affecting the health of the chickens. "We think this system will also work for citrus growers" who routinely spray their trees with chemicals.(cont) (frames - uses) silverinstitute.org

To: m.philli who wrote (2434)	1/20/2000 10:54:00 PM
From: long-gone	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 8010

<<Anyone know about the bacteria effect of silverware? >> I'm told this silver effect on health also has some basis in the use of boiling the New Years meal of Hog Jowl & black eyed peas with a silver dime, so as to start off the new year in health. along the same lines: Silver Keeps Your Water Fresh June 7, 1999 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Washington D.C. ? Ever dive into the backyard pool on a hot summer day and find later that your eyes are burning, apparently from the very water intended to cool you down? The solution is not to avoid swimming, but to swim in pools treated with silver-based systems instead. Many pools, both public and private, are switching to silver-based filters to kill deadly bacteria, according to the Washington, D.C.- based Silver Institute. While silver has been used for centuries to purify water, modern ionization technology was developed by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) in the early days of the space program as a lightweight method of purifying recycled water on spacecraft. The technology works by producing positively charged ions that attack and destroy the negatively charged cells of organisms such as bacteria and algae. Also, silver does not break down when exposed to sunlight, does not stain clothes or the skin, and does not evaporate during periods of inactivity. Silver-ion sanitation systems have been used by tens of thousands of delighted swimming pool owners for over 50 years. Now, a silver-based swimming pool sanitation system using a higher oxidation state of silver has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. It likewise avoids the use of chlorine and other caustic chemicals. The new disinfectant, called Sildate and marketed by N. Jonas & Co., Bensalem, Pennsylvania, provides a bacterial activity reportedly more than 200 times greater than the silver-ion systems. In fact, in concentrations of only one part per million, Sildate will kill 100 percent of bacteria in 30 seconds. In addition to silver-based systems for swimming pools, hundreds of thousands of households worldwide use silver impregnated activated carbon filter systems to provide healthful drinking water from the tap or in water containers kept in refrigerators. Large-scale silver-based sanitation systems also provide bacteria-free drinking water to isolated communities, remote military bases and Red Cross units in distant locations. Many backpackers carry silver-based filters to make stream water safe for drinking and cooking. In the United States and Canada, more than 100 hospitals have installed silver-based systems to eradicate Legionnaire's disease, (cont) silverinstitute.org