17 May 20
@deepthought saidI'm pretty sure that silver goblets were used by the Romans thanks to
Basically that reason is that bronze and iron corrode. Silver tarnishes in a way that's easy to clean. It's not to do with disease.
their anti-bacterial (and anti-viral?) properties. A while back I read something
about siver particles being tested as a drinking water treatment.
Alternative drinking vessels would have been wood, earthenware, horn or skin.
17 May 20
@deepthought saidAlthough they didn't know why I believe they were aware that silver
Which leads me on to the second problem. Medieval Kings were not going to have much concern about the antibacterial properties of silver prior to the germ theory of disease or discovery of microorganisms.
had some benefits - just from experience. In a similar way honey and a
wide range of anti-bacterial, anti-viral plants were used to treat wounds.
A lot of "old-wives tales" are based on fact.
- Joined
- 06 Nov 15
- Moves
- 41301
17 May 20
@wolfgang59 saidThe oligodynamic effects of heavy metals are well-known. They have been for quite some time.
Although they didn't know why I believe they were aware that silver
had some benefits - just from experience. In a similar way honey and a
wide range of anti-bacterial, anti-viral plants were used to treat wounds.
A lot of "old-wives tales" are based on fact.
Simply stated, the trick is in finding a cost-effective yet efficacious method of delivery.
17 May 20
@venda saidThey have quite a complex structure that can be destroyed.
I think we're missing the point here.
Viruses aren't alive.
They're just dead lumps of protien.
I suppose some things will protect a living cell from being infected though
17 May 20
@wolfgang59 saidThe miasma theory blocks that. Because they have a theory that disease is caused by bad air they don't examine, or even outright deny, the empirical evidence. The Romans used lead goblets because it made the wine taste better. Given they didn't work out that that led to lead poisoning it seems implausible to me that they'd worked out that silver had more benefits than just bling effect.
I'm pretty sure that silver goblets were used by the Romans thanks to
their anti-bacterial (and anti-viral?) properties. A while back I read something
about siver particles being tested as a drinking water treatment.
Alternative drinking vessels would have been wood, earthenware, horn or skin.
17 May 20
@wolfe63 saidBear in mind that there's a difference in treating a disease one already has and protecting against a disease one doesn't yet have. So I'm not denying that silver coins were placed on wounds to prevent sepsis - wolfgang's "they know it works, but they don't know why it works" argument works here. But they wouldn't use it to prevent disease that wasn't already present, because their theory of disease transmission is up the spout.
The oligodynamic effects of heavy metals are well-known. They have been for quite some time.
Simply stated, the trick is in finding a cost-effective yet efficacious method of delivery.
17 May 20
@venda saidThe silver can mess the virus up so it cannot replicate. Once that has happened, the virus is no threat.
I think we're missing the point here.
Viruses aren't alive.
They're just dead lumps of protien.
I suppose some things will protect a living cell from being infected though
I would imagine it could be messed up in such a way that it can't attach to cells as well.
17 May 20
1 edit
@Eladar
Why are you obsessing on silver when copper has been shown to be faster and even works if it gets its patina?
We should have all of our doorknobs and such made of copper or silver but you can guess which one is going to be cheaper.
17 May 20
@sonhouse saidWhy do you think I am obsessing?
@Eladar
Why are you obsessing on silver when copper has been shown to be faster and even works if it gets its patina?
We should have all of our doorknobs and such made of copper or silver but you can guess which one is going to be cheaper.
What is the title of the thread?
Why are you obsessing about a tangent topic?
17 May 20
I think it quite plausible that people in antiquity noticed that those who
drank from silver vessels fared better when there was a disease doing the
rounds. This is what a World Health Organisation (WHO) paper says;
Silver has been known to have antibacterial properties since Roman times.
https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/silver-02032018.pdf