Patent medicine

Patent Medicine

Patent medicine, also known as nostrum (from the Latin nostrum remedium, or "our remedy"), is a commercial product advertised (usually heavily) as a purported over-the-counter medicine, without regard to its effectiveness.

History

Patent medicines were one of the first major product categories that the advertising industry promoted; patent medicine promoters pioneered many advertising and sales techniques that were later used in other industries.

Ingredients and Efficacy

Patent medicines often contained alcohol, opium, and morphine. While these active ingredients would have had some medicinal effects, they were also addictive. In some cases, the alcohol and opium content was very high, leading to widespread addiction, particularly in the case of so-called "soothing syrups" for babies.

Regulation

The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was the first of a series of significant consumer protection laws enacted by the Federal Government in the 20th century and led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration. Its main purpose was to ban foreign and interstate traffic in adulterated or mislabeled food and drug products, and it directed the U.S. Bureau of Chemistry to inspect products and refer offenders to prosecutors.

See Also

• Snake oil
• Quackery
• Food and Drug Administration
• Pure Food and Drug Act

References

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