The Blue Cure

"The Blue Cure – The medical fad that turned people permanently blue" investigates the condition known as Argyria. Before antibiotics, silver was a legitimate medicine used to fight infection. But in the modern era, it became a star of the alternative health movement as "colloidal silver," marketed as a cure-all for everything from AIDS to cancer. Science journalist Paul Ryan interviews the famous "Blue Men" of recent history, such as Paul Karason and Stan Jones (a Montana politician). These men consumed so much homemade silver water that the metal accumulated in their skin, reacting with sunlight like a photograph, turning them a permanent, deep blue-grey color. "The Blue Cure" explores the psychology of self-medication and conspiracy theories (many users believe the FDA hides the truth about silver). It is a compassionate but firm look at how the desire for a miracle cure can have visible, irreversible consequences.