# Blue Colloidal-Silver man **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592 "2007-12-29T14:48:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/1 "2007-12-29T14:48:47Z")
OK, I’ve run across this guy 3 times this week. Once here, once on the TV news and once in (I think) FARK. Now I’m curious and have a few questions: How much did he have to take to turn blue? If he stops taking it will the blue wear off (or is it permanent)? I vague remember that they used to use a silver solution for new-born’s eyes, is this the same stuff? Was it ever effective, or was this something that they did before they new better? ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/2 "2007-12-29T15:03:01Z")
It is not know how much siver it takes to turn one blue. One of the problems of using home made colloidal siver is you cannot know how much silver you are ingesting. It does not wear off. Silver is used in some medical setting but in very small amounts. > **[Argyria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyria)** > > Argyria or argyrosis is a condition caused by excessive exposure to chemical compounds of the element silver, or to silver dust. The most dramatic symptom of argyria is that the skin turns blue or blue-grey. It may take the form of generalized argyria or local argyria. Generalized argyria affects large areas over much of the visible surface of the body. Local argyria shows in limited regions of the body, such as patches of skin, parts of the mucous membrane or the conjunctiva. > The terms argyria ... ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/3 "2007-12-29T15:03:47Z")
The condition is called [argyria](http://www.fda.gov/cder/otcmonographs/Silver/silver_PR_19961015.pdf) (PDF), and it is permanent. > [@](#): > > Fung and Bowen reported that, after ingestion, up to 10 percent of silver salts may be absorbed. Silver is posited in many organs. The highest concentrations are found in the skin, liver, spleen, and adrenal glands, with lesser deposits in the muscle and brain. Argyria is the most commonly reported adverse event and results from accumulation of silver deposits in the skin below the epidermis. **Argyria is effectively irreversible**. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/4 "2007-12-29T15:11:26Z")
I’m wondering if we could accumulate a list of ‘blue’ people. Paul Karason Rosemary Jacobs (her website seems to be down) Stan Jones ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/5 "2007-12-29T15:39:08Z")
Silver Iodide was used in newborn babies’ eyes to prevent blindness from the mother’s sexually transmitted diseases. I forget which STD. The dose is tiny, and not enough to turn the child’s skin turn blue. Stan Jones took homemade colloidal silver by mouth during the Y2K scare. He thought there would be a shortage of antibiotics. Paul Karason applied it to his skin and also drank it, to treat severe dermatitis. The FDA does not reccomend such large doses. Jones and Karason may have done harm to other parts of their bodies. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/6 "2007-12-29T15:47:52Z")
I had no idea that there was more than one. Wow, interesting stuff. I did a quick Google and OMG there are thousands of sites selling it. Are we in for an epidemic of blue people? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/7 "2007-12-29T16:40:17Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Silver Iodide was used in newborn babies’ eyes to prevent blindness from the mother’s sexually transmitted diseases. I forget which STD. The dose is tiny, and not enough to turn the child’s skin turn blue. Stan Jones took homemade colloidal silver by mouth during the Y2K scare. He thought there would be a shortage of antibiotics. Paul Karason applied it to his skin and also drank it, to treat severe dermatitis. The FDA does not reccomend such large doses. Jones and Karason may have done harm to other parts of their bodies. [/QUOTE] I thought it was Silver Nitrate. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/8 "2007-12-29T17:28:31Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] I had no idea that there was more than one. Wow, interesting stuff. I did a quick Google and OMG there are thousands of sites selling it. Are we in for an epidemic of blue people? 🙂 [/QUOTE] If so, Blue Man Group will have no trouble casting new memebers. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/9 "2007-12-29T18:29:20Z")
Some of th early antibacterials were derived from textile dyes and permanently turned people colors. Prontosil, for example, turned some people a “lobsterlike” light red (Meyers, _Happy Accidents)._ ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/10 "2007-12-29T18:29:23Z")
I really enjoy it when the result of buying into quackery is so evident. I’ve never seen a blue person in real life, but many on the web when the blue-grey political candidate was in the news. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/11 "2007-12-29T18:35:30Z")
The incidence of developing substantial argyria and turning blue appears relatively low. From [Quackwatch](http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/PhonyAds/silverad.html): \*"FDA laboratory studies have found that the amount of silver in some product samples has varied from 15.2% to 124% of the amount listed on the product labels. The amount of silver required to produce argyria is unknown. However, the FDA has concluded that the risk of using silver products exceeds any unsubstantiated benefit [3]. So far, eleven cases of argyria related to silver products have been reported: A 56-year-old man who had sold and used colloidal silver for three years, developed blue/gray discoloration of his fingernails accompanied by a very high blood level of silver [4]. A married couple who had three years of daily consumption of a drink prepared by administering an electrolytic charge to a bowl of water that contained a silver bar [5]. Another couple had been taking a silver-containing “dietary supplement” prescribed by a naturopath [5]. A mentally ill man who had been drinking silver-containing herbal tea for about 10 months [5]. Stan Jones, Montana’s Libertarian Party candidate for the U.S. Senate, who reportedly started taking colloidal silver in 1999 for fear that Y2K disruptions might lead to a shortage of antibiotics. He made his own concoction by electrically two silver wires in a glass of water [6]. Two men, ages 63 and 76, developed argyria after a year of product use inspired by Internet claims [7]. A 16-year-old boy developed blue-gray pigmentation of his entire body after ingesting a silver-containing dietary supplement for a year. The product, packaged so that it was identical to bottled water. was touted as a preventive for everyday infections [8]. \* So if someone is selling “colloidal silver” and there’s much less of the active ingredient than claimed, your risk is lower. Of course, the number of cases (especially mild ones) is probably underreported, partly due to embarassment. More significantly, the stuff just isn’t a reputable cure or preventative for infectious diseases, nor for all the other conditions (including cancer and arthritis) for which it’s touted. Colloidal silver has a substantial following among credulous alt med advocates, but it’s a waste of money with potential for toxic effects. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/12 "2007-12-29T18:51:59Z")
[QUOTE=Ca3799] I’m wondering if we could accumulate a list of ‘blue’ people. Paul Karason Rosemary Jacobs (her website seems to be down) Stan Jones [/QUOTE] Papa Smurf 😃 ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/13 "2007-12-29T19:30:26Z")
It’s amusing that Paul Karason thinks he’ll find more “acceptance” in California than in Oregon. He could have just moved to Eugene instead. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/14 "2007-12-29T22:12:05Z")
[QUOTE=beowulff] I thought it was Silver Nitrate. [/QUOTE] Silver nitrate and silver iodide have both been used in babies eyes at birth. A 1% solution, at a dose of one drop per eye. The sources I looked up spoke of preventing blindness “from bacterial exposure,” not specifically STD bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/15 "2007-12-29T22:30:54Z")
I couldn’t let this thread go without a mention of [these people](http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyperry3/Blue_Fugates_Troublesome_Creek.html). Different cause for the blue pigmentation, but still blue people. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/16 "2007-12-29T22:34:16Z")
**Shoshana** , I must’ve just skipped over your post… Hilarious. Are you from here (Eug.)? ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/17 "2007-12-29T22:45:00Z")
Question: Could the idea that the Picts were blue have anything to do with this condition, and not just the dye they favored, and warpaint they wore? 😕 Maybe someone saw a Pict or more than one Pict with this condition, silversmiths or silver miners perhaps? Could this be part of the myth? ETA: And yes, I also thought of the Discworld Pictsies (sp?) when I saw the most recent fellow to make the news in his interview. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/18 "2007-12-29T23:12:42Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] Question: Could the idea that the Picts were blue have anything to do with this condition, and not just the dye they favored, and warpaint they wore? 😕 Maybe someone saw a Pict or more than one Pict with this condition, silversmiths or silver miners perhaps? Could this be part of the myth? ETA: And yes, I also thought of the Discworld Pictsies (sp?) when I saw the most recent fellow to make the news in his interview. 😃 [/QUOTE] Tin. The Picts were involved in mining Tin & Copper. Traders came to the British Isles for Tin, to alloy into Bronze. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/19 "2007-12-29T23:19:17Z")
[Sterling Silver](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_silver)? [Stirling Castle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_castle), that isn’t the origin of the silver? 😕😕😕 _reads_ ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592/20 "2007-12-29T23:27:39Z")
**Oregon sunshine,** terrific link. Thanks! I’m in the Willamette Valley. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-colloidal-silver-man/431592.md?page=2)