Famous uses of ilver

Greece

The “Father of Western Medicine”, Greek physician Hippocrates believed that silver had strong antibacterial properties. The ancient Phoenicians (maritime people who are believed to be part of an ancient civilisation composed of independent city-states along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea), used to drink out of silver vessels that held water, wine or vinegar, so that it would remain pure when they were on their voyages. This is believed to have been common among the ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians as well

Korea

Like the Greeks, Koreans believed that silver had antibacterial properties and that the metal would react with poison. It is believed that during the reign of Baekje (18 BCE to 660 CE), the royal family used pure silver chopsticks to test the food that was brought to them, to ensure that no poison was present. If the silver changed colour the moment a piece of food was picked up, it was a signal that the food had been tampered with. The practice of using metal chopsticks has continued in Korea, though not, of course, using silver. Rich families once used gold, silver or brass chopsticks to show off their wealth on special occasions, while modern Koreans settle for stainless steel