• Surgical infections · Jun 2009

    Review Historical Article

    History of the medical use of silver.

    • J Wesley Alexander.
    • Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0558, USA. jwesley.alexander@uc.edu
    • Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2009 Jun 1; 10 (3): 289-92.

    BackgroundSilver has been used extensively throughout recorded history for a variety of medical purposes.MethodsA review of the literature in English was undertaken, primarily using PUBMED, to identify the medical uses of silver before the clinical introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s.ResultsSilver has been used for at least six millennia to prevent microbial infections. It has been effective against almost all organisms tested and has been used to treat numerous infections and noninfectious conditions, sometimes with striking success. Silver also has played an important role in the development of radiology and in improving wound healing.ConclusionSilver was the most important antimicrobial agent available before the introduction of antibiotics.

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