Colloidal silver, a liquid suspension of the metal silver, is currently a hot topic in the world of medicine. While alternative medicine praises its use as an antibiotic, mainstream medicine considers it somewhat of a poison. But colloidal silver is neither a poison nor a panacea: It is a safe and proven topical antibiotic that may cautiously be used internally.

In the nineteenth century, colloidal silver -- also known as Argentum colloidale, Argentum crede and collargolum -- was a prominent treatment for everything from colds to skin infections. In the 1940s, the FDA began its decades-long oppression of medicinal silver under the guise that it was unsafe; however, in reality, the FDA banned silver because of the threat it poses to the antibiotics industry, rather than any threat it poses for your body. If you'd like to learn more about the FDA's campaign against silver, be sure to download the Health Ranger's Commentary on Curad bandages made with silver. In his commentary, he not only praises Curad's new bandages, but also details how astounding their FDA approval is, given the FDA's historical campaign against the medicinal use of silver.

As you can see from Curad's new bandages, colloidal silver is a safe and effective topical method to fight infections. As Phyllis A. Balch and Dr. James F. Balch write in Prescription for Nutritional Healing, colloidal silver can safely and inexpensively protect you from infection in a wide variety of ways: "Topically, it can be used to fight fungal infections of the skin or nails and to promote the healing of burns, wounds, cuts, rashes, and sunburn. It can be used on toothaches and mouth sores, as eye drops and as a gargle to fight tooth decay and bad breath. It can also be used as sterilizer and can even be sprayed on air-conditioning filters and air ducts and vents to prevent germs from growing." In addition to those found in air conditioning vents, germs make many other aspects of our environment both unhealthy and bad-smelling. Colloidal silver, as a powerful antibiotic and antifungal agent, can make your environment just as healthy as it can make your body.

According to Joseph B. Marion's Anti-Aging Manual, Pierce Instruments manufactures a nylon-Silver fabric called Silvelon. They use Silvelon to make everything from odor-proof socks and shoe liners to antiseptic kitchen sponges. Of course, you can also make your own odor-proof socks by soaking regular socks in colloidal silver solution, but the choice is yours.

According to many sources, it is not dangerous to use colloidal silver internally, as long as you take it in the recommended, reasonable dosages. This means using the colloidal silver product as directed and not taking it for more than two weeks at a time, according to Janet Zand in Smart Medicine for Healthier Living. Of course, you shouldn't use just any colloidal product out there, either. In his A-List of Top Products, the Health Ranger recommends Silver 100 as the top colloidal silver product. It's safe – very safe – at only 100 silver parts per million.

"Taken internally, colloidal silver can be used to fight infection. It has been shown to be effective against more that 650 disease-causing organisms, including Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria and the fungus Candida albicans," writes Dr. James F. and Phyllis A. Balch. As you may remember from the hamburger scares of the 1990s, E. coli infections can be deadly, especially among young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. In this sense, colloidal silver is a lifesaver: When all else fails, it can beat infections presumed unbeatable. It is under these extreme conditions that patients may justifiably consider using colloidal silver internally -- but only under the direction of a qualified health practitioner such as a naturopath.

AIDS-related pneumonia due to staphylococcal, pneumocystis, streptococcal, klebsiella and fungal infections may also warrant internal use of colloidal silver. These types of pneumonia are very difficult to fight with traditional antibiotic treatment; moreover, people with weakened immune systems, such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome, are especially prone to them. For a weak immune system, these types of pneumonia are sometimes unbeatable, making alternative measures a necessity. "Dr. Marchial-Vega had considerable clinical experience with a colloidal silver preparation that contains between 20 and 25 parts of silver per million parts of water. This preparation has proven effective in patients with HIV… In the hospital, the therapy is administered by a special nebulizer as well as orally," reports Dr. James Howenstine in A Physician's Guide to Natural Healing Products that Work.

You don't have to be afraid of genuine colloidal silver. There are a multitude of safe and effective colloidal silver products on the market, so be sure to research what you use before you use it and, by all means, use it as recommended on the label. As a side note, some colloidal silver companies claim that colloidal silver is an anti-cancer agent. According to Dan Labriola's Complementary Cancer Therapies, "There is no reliable human evidence that this (colloidal silver) is an effective cancer treatment." But as a broad-spectrum antibiotic, colloidal silver is well proven.

A study of zebrafish -- conducted by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Children's Discovery Institute -- suggests that while copper deficiencies are rare in humans, the condition may contribute to birth defects.

The researchers hope that the findings in zebrafish could contribute to treatments for children with Menkes disease, a rare genetic disorder that inhibits the absorption of copper before birth. Menkes affects approximately one in 300,000 people and is usually fatal within the first 10 years of life.

In the zebrafish -- chosen because their embryos develop rapidly and subsequently display the effects of deficiencies from the moment of fertilization -- copper was found to contribute to the formation of the notochord, which helps develop the spinal chord and other tissues in higher vertebrates such as humans.

"Our observations that copper is essential for notochord structure raise the intriguing possibility that suboptimal copper availability, due either to dietary factors or genetic variation during the period of notochord formation or subsequent bone formation, may contribute to structural birth defects such as congenital scoliosis," said pediatrician Jonathan Gitlin, referring to the condition marked by curvature of the spine.

"Copper deficiency is more common than many doctors and consumers realize," explained Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and author of The Seven Laws of Nutrition. "With our crop soils depleted of minerals like copper, it is more important than ever to educate expectant mothers about the importance of nutritional supplementation to replenish copper and other essential nutrients," Adams said.

The study, published in the August issue of Cell Press' journal Cell Metabolism, inhibited the metabolism of copper in the zebrafish through the use of drugs and found that the fish lost pigment and showed altered notochord development. Abnormal cartilage, vascular and neurological development were also observed, the researchers reported.

The length of time the zebrafish were exposed to the drug was also determined to be important, as those that underwent a 10 minute treatment lost pigment but developed their notochord normally, a 20 minute treatment caused both a loss of pigment and a visibly abnormal notochord, and a 60 minute treatment resulted in additional defects alongside both of the previously observed conditions.

One zebrafish was not given the drug, but was found to have mutated copper transport genes -- known as ATP7A -- which is a known cause of Menkes disease. When the scientists inserted a normal human copy of ATP7A into the zebrafish, its developmental defects reversed. According to the researchers, this means pharmaceuticals that restore ATP7A deficiencies and restore copper enzyme function should be tested, as they could be important to treating Menkes disease.

The study authors added that more zebrafish studies could reveal new information about the role of gene-nutrient interactions in human development, and could help improve natal care and reduce birth defect risk.

"While it will require an enormous amount of science, this is the first time it is even within our grasp to know how an individual woman's genes might affect her nutritional requirements and the risk that her children might develop a congenital disorder," Gitlin said. "Ultimately, that information could allow us to provide for every woman a recipe for what is right for her pregnancy."

Copper is an important mineral and has a multitude of uses. Copper is the world's third most used metal. Iron is the number one used metal and aluminum comes in at number two. Copper is used as an artistic medium as well as being used in the manufacturing of industrial machinery.

Copper is also used in the building of computers. Most Americans do not know that the Statue of Liberty is made of copper. The statue of Liberty was given as a gift from France in honor of the 100 year celebration of the United States‘ Declaration of Independence. The choice for choosing copper for the construction of the statue was suggested by a French architect. The greenish color of the statue is due to the oxidation of the copper.

When IBM decided to utilize copper rather than aluminum in its chips, the price of copper skyrocketed. Copper is an important component in the building of computer chips, circuits. mother boards and various other computer components. Using copper for specialized component reduces the price of the computer and increases computer speed.

Copper is used in commercial and residential construction. Most electrical devices use copper wiring because of its excellent conductivity properties. Copper is used in the Plumbing industry.

Copper was used to make money. The copper penny is a thing of the past Pure copper pennies were only minted from 1793 to 1823. According to the Nuismatic Society, Around 1857, the penny was 95% copper and five percent tin and zinc. When copper increased in value in the early 1980’s the United States switched the core of the penny to zinc and just coated the outer layer with copper.

Copper has so many varied uses in different industries that the price of copper is continuously going up. The price of copper has nearly doubled in the past year to $3.47 per pound.

“This year, copper is like gold, the one-inch copper [pipes] are selling for like $7 a foot, and [plastic] is a dollar,” said Bill George, who's been a plumber in Freeport for 45 years

Because of the increased cost of copper, USA today reported that “thieves are stealing copper pipes from construction sites in New Orleans and across the country. New Orleans police arrested three men and accused them of trying to steal copper pipes and wiring from Park view Elementary School in Gentilly.

An additional news story reported that “Thieves recently stole copper railing from St. Patrick’s Church in the Warehouse District of downtown New Orleans. Authorities in Alabama, New Jersey and Minnesota also report a spike in copper thefts.”

There is such a high demand for copper because the overseas economies are growing. China, India and other Asian countries create more of a demand for raw materials than can be mined. Copper is the material of choice in so many products for the home that the increased demand creates an increase price for the mineral. At the present price of copper how long will it take for someone to try to steal the Statue of Liberty.

Public relations for copper mines in the United States of America is extremely important. Too many copper mines have been closed in the United States and currently the price of copper is astronomical and that adds costs to almost all the electrical components that people buy. Since copper conducts electricity and is the preferred metal we need more of the. In the United States we have plenty of copper mines but they have all closed nearly all of them due to complaints from environmentalists.

Perhaps if they had better public relations programs this might not have happened. There are a few copper mines operating in the United States and they need to work hard and keep communication lines open with all the mass media so that they can educate the consumer, citizen and even the environmentalists as to the reason that copper mines are so vitally important to the flows of our civilization.

We have an abundance of natural resources in the United States of America and copper is one of them. We have enough copper in our country for all of our manufacturing needs and enough to export to solve all the copper market's problems. But if these copper mines cannot operate due to environmentalists claiming that copper dust flies around and gets all over everything turning it red, then you can see the issues.

Corporations that build products, which require copper will then have to import the material at a very high price plus shipping costs and that puts our manufacturing facilities and industries at a severe disadvantage to the rest of the world. That hurts American jobs and it is a bad policy. This is why public relations and copper mining is so important.

Whether it’s the sudden appearance of quality copper weathervanes or even a recent resurgence in classic automobiles, there seems to be two conflicting trends in this high-tech world of ours: Either people completely endorse all things technological and turn their homes into living computers—or, they tend to cling harder than ever to the traditions of the past.

The weather vane has been part of human culture dating all the way back to the time of the Romans. The sudden reemergence of the weathervane in popular culture and appearance on the rooftops of homes in recent years means that it seems to be making a comeback. This newfound popularity is occurring despite the fact that we can learn more about the weather from a 30-second newsbyte than we could from staring at a wind vane all day! So what explains this newfound love affair with quality copper weathervanes and other finials?

The true collectible copper weathervanes were typically made in between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of WWII. Although not exactly hand-crafted like the ones prior to the Civil War, this period of weathervane construction saw the widespread use of molds create the various shapes typical to the craft, including: Horses, Roosters, Fish, Deer, and especially Horses. The halves of the molds were often joined with solder or some form of welding and this technique proved very effective because many of the antique copper weathervanes available today are still in good shape and actually work.

Of course, one concern with anything made out of copper, including weathervanes, is the process which creates patina. It generally takes about 5 years for copper weathervanes to develop that green patina they are so famous for. However, many manufactures of contemporary weather vanes made from copper have developed a process that creates the patina through a chemical reaction so that the buyer can have what appears to be a classic vane sitting atop their rooftop—but without the big expense that comes from buying an authentic copper weathervane from generations past.

Truthfully, none of us truly need any kind of weather vane or finial perched atop our homes these days. Even people who make their living in agriculture and who thus depend upon the weather can easily log on to a website or flip on the television to find out the latest satellite images of what is happening in their area. No, there is something else driving the recent rise in popularity of premium contemporary weathervanes and it is a basic yearning for simpler times. While it may not eliminate any of the modern pressures, driving home to a place with a quality copper weathervane perched atop the roof can alleviate the stresses for just a minute and remind us of what truly matters when we step through that front door.

The first evidence to show copper as an essential element for the formation of hemoglobin was studied by E.B. Hart in 1928.

Dietary Sources: Copper is found in fresh and dried fruit, green and leafy vegetables. It is available in liver, kidney, shellfish, and dried legumes. Milk is poor in copper. Copper is widely distributed in nature. Soft water has more copper than the reservoir water. Even poor diets provide enough for human needs.

Functions in the Body: It is required for absorption of iron. It is good for the bones, and regulates sugar. Tiny amounts of copper are necessary for the formation of hemoglobin. In normal serum, a copper-containing globulin ceruloplasmin, is found to occur. It catalyses the oxidation of the ferrous ion to ferric ion, and thereby enables iron to be trapped by transferring, the protein carrying iron in the body. It is then transported to tissues for the synthesis of iron-containing compounds, mainly hemoglobin.

It also forms and integral part of certain enzymes likes tyrosinase, uricase, oxidase, cytochrome etc. In copper deficiency the marrow of red bones markedly decreased in cytochrome oxidase. It makes an amino acid-tyrosine, useable, which works for pigmentation in hair and skin. It is also essential for utilization of vitamin C.

Copper is mostly absorbed at the level of the duodenum in the intestine. Approximately 32% of copper in the diet is absorbed and excess gets excreted in the bile. The amount of copper in are adult body is estimated to be between 100-150 mg. Liver is the main store. Minute amount (0.1-0.5 mg) is present in blood. The average serum copper levels are higher in adult females than in males. It further increases significantly in women during pregnancy and when on oral pills. Copper content of the brain and liver of foetus and infant is such greater than that of an adult to prevent deficiency in the sucking period.

In human red blood corpuscles, a copper-containing protein erythrocuprein is present, but its function is not clearly known.

Copper strengthens the muscular system and is thus believed help in treating arthritis. People drink water kept in copper vessels and also wear copper ring or bracelet to get relief from this disease.

Deficiency Indicators: Either the deficiency or excess of Copper is rare. Hypocupremia occurs in patients with nephrosis, Wilson’s disease, and protein energy malnutrition and in infants fed for long periods exclusively on cow’s milk. Wilson’s disease is due to poor copper metabolism resulting in fall in plasma ceruloplasmin and increase in copper content of brain and liver leading to neurological disturbances and hepatic damage. The abnormality caused by copper deficiency is Neutropenia.

Hypercupremia reflecting excessive intake may result from eating food prepared in copper utensils, or due to acute and chronic infections like leukemia, severe anaemia, myocardial infarction and hyperthyroidism.