A patent medicine, also known as a proprietary medicine or a nostrum (from the Latin nostrum remedium, or "our remedy") is a commercial product advertised to consumers as an over-the-counter medicine, generally for a variety of ailments, without regard to its actual effectiveness or the potential for harmful side effects. The earliest patent medicines were created in the 17th century. They were most popular from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, before the advent of consumer protection laws and evidence-based medicine. Despite the name, patent medicines were usually trademarked but not actually patented, in order to keep their formulas secret. Patent medicines often included alcohol and drugs such as opium as active ingredients. Addiction and overdose were common as a result. Some formulations included toxic ingredients such as arsenic, lead, and mercury. Other ingredients like sarsaparilla and wintergreen may have been medically inert and largely harmless, but lacked significant medical benefits. It was rare for any patent medication to be pharmacologically effective, and none lived up to the miraculous promises made by their advertising. Patent medicine advertising was typically outlandish, eye-catching, and had little basis in reality. Advertisements emphasized exotic or scientific-sounding ingredients, featured endorsements from purported experts or celebrities, and often claimed that products were universal remedies or panaceas. Beginning in the early 20th century, the passage of consumer protection laws in countries like the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada began to regulate deceptive advertising and put limits on what ingredients could be used in medicines, putting an end to the dominance of patent medicines. Although some modern alternative medicines bear similarities to patent medicines, the term most typically refers to remedies created before modern regulations, and the scope of this list reflects that.
Types of patent medicine
Various types of pre-scientific medical preparations, some based on folk or traditional remedies, were sold as patent medicines. Because patent medicines were unscientific and unregulated, the brand names of many products were not necessarily an accurate reflection of their ingredients or preparation methods.
Aphrodisiac: patent medicine advertisements often claimed aphrodisiac effects, the language of which ranged from euphemistic hints at "re-animation" and "potency" to extremely blatant promises of "sexual rejuvenescence." Balsam: a solution of plant-specific resins in plant-specific solvents (essential oils); balsams have been used in medicine since prehistory. Coca wine: an infusion of coca leaves in red wine invented by chemist Angelo Mariani in the 1860s, which later spawned numerous imitators. Cordial: a sweetened alcohol-based concoction intended to be stimulating to the heart, often containing numerous herbs; some cordials are now sold non-medically as liqueurs. Elixir: similar to a cordial, an elixir was historically defined as a sweet liquid containing one or more active ingredients, taken as a medical remedy. Fruit salt: an effervescent compound made up of organic acids, salts, added flavoring, and sugar. Herbal tonic: a loosely defined category of traditional herbal medicines with various ingredients and intended purposes. Liniment: a topical medication, sometimes called a balm or heat rub, intended for application to the skin for the relief of pain and stiffness. Lithia water: mineral water characterized by the trace presence of lithium salts; popular in the United States between the 1880s and World War I. Panacea: patent medicines were often sold as panaceas, or universal cures. Snake oil: the archetypal quack remedy, cure-all medicines purportedly made of snake oil were so popular in the 19th century that the phrase is now used as a generic term for hoaxes of all kinds. Tincture: an extract of organic material dissolved in alcohol, tinctures are still used in modern herbal medicine. Vermifuge: before modern sanitation practices, intestinal parasite infections were common; a variety of worm lozenges, powders, and syrups, commonly including santonin, were sold as treatment.
Notable brand names
Surviving brands and products
Some brands from the patent medicine era have survived into the present day, typically with significantly revised formulas and toned-down advertising. Some are still sold as medicines, with more realistic claims and less harmful ingredients. Many others, particularly liquid preparations, have been revised into non-medical food or drink products such as soft drinks.
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