Clear Springs Press

         Here are some common terms used in discussing colloidal silver and silver products:

         Ag - The symbol for silver.

         Ag+ - The symbol for a silver ion.

         Agglomeration - Agglomeration is the process whereby smaller particles combine to form larger particles. Unstable silver colloids may undergo agglomeration that results in the precipitation of silver particles out of suspension.

         Argyria - A condition caused by ingesting too much silver, ingesting it too quickly, or ingesting more toxic forms of silver. This condition is characterized by silver deposition in the skin and other body tissues. The characteristic symptom is the skin turning blue or grey.

         Bacteriostatic - Capable of inhibiting the growth of a microorganism.

         Bactericidal - Capable of killing a microorganism.

         Colloid - A chemical mixture where one substance is dispersed evenly throughout another. The particles of the dispersed substance are only suspended in the mixture, unlike a solution, where they are completely dissolved within. This occurs because the particles in a colloid are small enough to be dispersed evenly and maintain a homogenous appearance, but large enough to scatter light and not dissolve.

         Colloidal Silver - By definition, colloidal silver is a suspension of silver particles in water. The term is frequently used, however, to describe a variety of medicinal or nutritional products, some of which may not be true colloids.

         Hemolysis - The destruction of red blood cells.

         In vitro - In a test tube or a petri dish, not a live body.

         In vivo - In a real life situation, in a live body.

         Ion - An ion is an atom which has lost or gained one or more electrons and is left with a positive or negative charge.

         Leukocyte - White blood cells.

         Luekocytosis - An elevation in leukocyte count.

         Leukopenia - A decrease in leukocyte count.

         MIC - Minimum inhibitory concentration. The lowest level at which the reproduction of a microorganism is stopped.

         PPM - Parts per million of a solution, suspension, or mixture. With colloidal silver, 1PPM is the equivalent of 1 milligram of silver in a liter of water.

         Osteomyelitis - Bone infection.

         Oligodynamic - Effective in small quantities.

         Sepsis - Infection in the blood stream.

         Solution - A homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In a solution, a solute is dissolved in a solvent. An example is silver nitrate dissolved in water.

         Suspension - A heterogeneous fluid containing solid particles that are sufficiently large for sedimentation, generally larger than one micron. Unlike colloids, suspensions will eventually settle.

         Tyndall Effect - The effect of light scattering by colloidal or suspended particles. A light beam passing through a colloidal suspension in a liquid casts a visible beam.

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