According to
Dr. Ron Leavitt of BYU University, as reported by Deseret
News, Tuesday, May 16, 2000, a quality colloidal silver may serve as a
suitable antibiotic alternative.
Lois Collins of
Deseret News quotes Dr. Leavitt as writing "The data suggests that with the
low toxicity associated with colloidal silver, in general, and the broad
spectrum of antimicrobial activity of this colloidal silver preparation, this
preparation may be effectively used as an alternative to antibiotics."
The original study
tested ASAP colloidal silver against tetracyclines, fluorinated quinolones (Ofloxacin),
the penicillins, the cephalosporins (Cefaperazone) and the macrolides
(Erythromycin). Among the microbes tested were streptococcuses, pneumonia, E.
coli, salmonella, and shigella.
To view the
actual study data, please click
here.
Lois Collins also
quoted Ron Leavitt as stating, "When one of my research assistants suggested
that we check this out, I was real skeptical of something that sounded a lot
like snake oil. I said we'd do it if they would pay for the supplies. But
whatever the data is, it is. We agreed there would be no restriction on
publication of the data."
Although Dr.
Leavitt stated that there would be no restriction on the publication of data,
apparently Brigham Young University disagrees. In a letter dated July 23,
2002, the assistant to general counsel for BYU, stated:
"Any studies that
occured at BYU were not intended for dissemenation to the general public."
In what can almost
be construed as a blanket attack against first ammendment rights, BYU has been
sending intimidating cease and desist orders out to individuals and
organizations referencing the study. These letters not only pursue the
reasonable demand that copyrights be respected, but further demand that BYU
not be mentioned in conjunction with the study at all, despite the fact this
information now exists in the public domain.
Further,
attached to these letters is an official BYU position statement, where the
antimicrobial effects of colloidal silver are compared to bleach. While it is
clear ( in fact, self evident ) that studies done in-vitro cannot be applied
to a clinical situation, comparing colloidal silver to bleach can only be
regarded as a very distasteful disinformation tactic. While the sarcasm of the
comment is not lost in the statement, the undiluted truth is. As the quote by
Dr. Ron Leavitt above indicates, colloidal silver has a low level of toxicity
( see our pages on
silver toxicity for
details ).
The Colloidal
Silver Database Website's position is that we are not in violation of
copyright laws in this matter. Furthermore, we believe that the general public
has a right to know the facts associated with the controversy, insofar as
doing so does not infringe upon the rights of the parties in question, as a
part of our journalistic expression.
