“What's new for blue skin?” asked an eighty-one-year-old man. He had had dark blue-black discoloration of his skin for the past forty-one years, and wondered if anything could be done. It all began after the injection of a sclerosant solution into his severe varicose veins. Examination revealed extensive bluish areas of the lower legs, with streaks following the pathway of veins. On the trunk, the skin was a slate gray color, whereas the sun-exposed areas were blue-black to black. His face was disfigured with the color being most prominent on the sun-favored areas of the cheeks, nose, and eyebrows. The depths of his wrinkles were less pigmented.

The darkening had come slowly. He knew the cause. It was the silver nitrate that had been injected into his leg veins over forty years ago, causing the well known argyria. Back then there was an ever expanding pool of these patients, most of whom had taken Argyrol®, one of the most popular remedies. This silver protein compound was taken by mouth for everything from stomach ulcers to arthritis. Only recently did we realize that Argyrol® cured peptic ulcers by killing the causative Helicobacter spirochetes in the stomach, similar to modern antibiotics. It was truly a “proto-antibiotic.” This was the same Argyrol® whose soaring sales brought monies for purchase of modern art treasures, now displayed in the Barnes Foundation Art Museum just outside Philadelphia.