Blue Man: Misinformation About Colloidal Silver In Mainstream

The Blue Man: Silver Nitrate Myth

By now, many people have come across the story of the “Blue Man,” which has been widely circulated in print and electronic media. This story became a significant disinformation campaign, allegedly orchestrated by a public relations firm and funded by a pharmaceutical interest. The objective of this campaign was to deter the public from using colloidal silver products by instilling fear.

The strategy was to assert that the “Blue Man’s” condition resulted from his use of colloidal silver, suggesting that anyone who uses colloidal silver could suffer from the same discolouration, known as colloidal silver blue skin. The entire narrative, as presented, is claimed to be a misleading misrepresentation.

The story centres around Paul Karason, whose skin turned blue due to a condition called argyria. Contrary to media reports, Paul’s condition was not caused by using colloidal silver but rather by consuming a homemade silver compound, primarily an ionic silver solution. He created this solution under the impression that he was making colloidal silver.

A report prepared by Marshall Dudley, a respected researcher in the field of colloidal silver, argues that the colloidal silver blue skin phenomenon is not caused by commercial colloidal silver products.

What Happens When You Take Silver Compounds

Silver compounds, such as silver chloride, typically transform into silver chloride when they come into contact with stomach acids. Silver chloride is only sparingly soluble, dissolving at about 0.8 ppm. The dissolved silver chloride then enters the bloodstream, where it can interact with other chemicals and cause silver to plate out on any other silver particles present.

When silver compounds like silver chloride or, in the case of the “Blue Man,” silver nitrate, are initially consumed, no other silver particles are present. Thus, the silver chloride circulates in the blood until it reaches the skin, where exposure to light causes a photo-reduction to silver atoms.

This process is similar to the photographic process that occurs when taking a picture with a film camera. Once silver atoms form in the skin, the remaining silver chloride starts to reduce onto those particles, causing them to grow quickly and potentially become trapped in the skin.

Due to their minuscule size, these particles appear black or blue, giving the skin a bluish tint. This condition, known as argyria, can result from consuming silver compounds that lack a colloidal component. The effect can be significantly amplified when silver compounds are applied directly to the skin.

Not Colloidal Silver, Not Colloidal Silver Blue Skin

This distinction between colloidal silver and silver compounds is crucial, as exemplified by the case of Paul Karason, widely known as “The Blue Man.” Although the media frequently reported that he was using colloidal silver, this was not the case. Interviews with Karason revealed that he was not using colloidal silver but instead following a protocol that would likely lead to his skin condition. The bluish skin discolouration, or colloidal silver blue skin, is not a result of using colloidal silver products.

Colloidal Silver Products Report

Clearly, he did not consult this report, as doing so would have likely deterred him from the approach he took. Firstly, he added sea salt to his distilled water and did not use any current limit. As a result, he created silver chloride, a silver compound known to cause argyria, instead of colloidal silver.

His mixture contained no colloidal silver at all. Rather than being crystal clear, as properly made ionic silver should be, his solution had so much silver chloride that it resembled milk more than water. It is probable that his concoction contained 100 ppm of silver or more, while the typical concentration for standard colloidal silver is 10 ppm. He did not limit current or implement any of the necessary steps to produce a high-quality colloid.

It is crucial to understand that argyria typically occurs when high levels of silver salts are consumed. In addition to ingesting the silver compound, Paul Karason applied it directly to his skin, effectively turning his skin into a photographic plate. He also used tanning beds to “fix” the silver in his skin. Researchers like myself have been warning people about this potential issue for nearly a decade, long before such problems were reported. Colloidal silver does not cause the colloidal silver blue skin.

Evidently, he did not receive the warning! It is hard to imagine a more effective method for turning one’s skin blue. The approach he took is strikingly similar to an experimental method for producing tattoos by applying silver chloride to the skin and exposing it to light through a template, resulting in a blue tattoo. To see the possible outcome when the correct method for making colloidal silver is disregarded and silver compounds are used instead, one can look at a picture of Paul Karason.