Inorganic compound (AgNO 3 ), colourless, transparent crystals with a bitter, caustic, metallic taste.
The most important silver compound, it is used to prepare other silver salts, to silver mirrors, and as a reagent in analysis . It is very soluble in water; dilute solutions are effective against gonococcal bacteria and may be applied to newborns' eyes to prevent blindness from gonorrhea . Ingesting silver nitrate causes violent abdominal pain and gastroenteritis .