what is the purpose of "console_silent" in printk.h?

[rpjday at crashcourse.ca]

   i note in include/linux/printk.h:

   static inline void console_silent(void)
   {
	console_loglevel = CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL_SILENT;
   }

except i see no reference to "console_silent" anywhere else in the
entire kernel code base. any idea what its purpose is?

rday