Silver as a disinfectant.

Abstract

The antimicrobial effects of silver (Ag) have been recognized for thousands of years. In ancient times, it was used in water containers (Grier 1983) and to prevent putrefaction of liquids and foods. In ancient times in Mexico, water and milk were kept in silver containers (Davis and Etris 1997). Silver was also mentioned in the Roman pharmacopoeia of 69 b.c. (Davis and Etris 1997).