Silver is a soft metal that is used medically in surgical instruments, dental prostheses, and alloys. According to FDA final rule, all over-the-counter drug products containing colloidal silver ingredients or silver salts for internal or external use are not generally recognized as safe and effective and are misbranded.

Silver iodide is an inorganic compound with the formula AgI. It is used as a photosensitive agent in photography, as a local antiseptic, as a chemical intermediate, and in cloud seeding for rain-making. The major hazards encountered in the use and handling of silver iodide stem from its toxicologic properties. Effects from exposure may include skin rashes, conjunctivitis, argyria (a permanent ashen-gray discoloration of skin, conjunctiva, and internal organs), headache, fever, hypersensitivity, laryngitis, and bronchitis.