Guess who took the colloidal silver (CS)? Rosemary did. That's why she is slate-gray. The condition is called argyria. It is irreversible and cannot be covered by makeup.

Actually, Rosemary's doctor in New York prescribed CSP for her back in the fifties as a treatment for allergies. It was sold as a drug then. Today it is sold as a dietary supplement. You can find it in "health food" stores and on the Internet. You can even buy the equipment to make your own. It was snake oil when it was given to Rosemary. It is snake oil now.

The only thing Rosemary recommends CSP for is a gray skin dye. She knows that it is safe, effective, and permanent when used for that purpose. She also knows that being a gray person in a black and white world can have a serious negative impact on your social and economic life.

Promoters claim that CSP prevents and cures 650 diseases including Aids and cancer. They say that people with even a trace of silver in their bodies don't get sick!

Both Rosemary and the FDA have asked them for their proof. All they get are quotes from old quacks who manufactured the stuff at the turn of the century, misquotes from reputable authors and wonderful anecdotes. "I've taken it everyday for four years and feel great," the saleslady says.

The only problem Rosemary has with the anecdotes is that they are selectively chosen to sell CSP. The promoters refuse to include her negative anecdotes or those of all the other argyric people recorded in the medical literature. Rosemary had breast cancer at the age of 42. The silver in her body made her face so gray that the nurses in pre-op thought that she was in cardiac arrest! The promoters won't tell you this though.

The FDA has told the promoters that if they want to continue making medical claims for CSP they will have to first have it approved as a drug. Of course, that doesn't stop them from selling the stuff as a "dietary supplement." It just prevents them from legally writing their claims on the label or putting them in their ads.

And, oh yes, if you do decide to use CSP, have the product analysed by an independent lab. According to the dietary supplement industry itself, a lot of the stuff tested that is labelled colloidal silver really isn't. You see "dietary supplements," thanks to intense industry lobbying are unregulated by any government agency. So very often what is on the label isn't in the bottle. In fact, what is in the bottle may even be something more toxic than CSP. Buyer beware!

P.S. Rosemary will gladly provide you with documentation and references. Just ask!

Here's Rosemary's story in her words...