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Patent Medicine Click on any of the above for a larger version Modern medicine is mostly a twentieth century thing, especially in rural areas. Before modern medicine, there was a great deal of anxiety about visiting a doctor. Bloodletting was still an active practice with some doctors, and many methods were crude and quite painful. It is not surprising then that many people in the nineteenth century turn to methods other then doctors to try and get well11,10. One of these methods, was to use a patent medicine. Called patent medicines, nostrums, or proprietary medicines, depending on whom you talk to, these concoctions were kind of a witch's brew of various liquids, herbs, and plants. But by turning to a patent medicine you were turning away from the dangers you knew (of the doctor), and going towards the dangers you did not know about. Some patent medicines were benign, and may have even alleviated the symptoms for which they claimed a cure. Other could very likely cause serious health problems. These patent medicines were likely to contain such things as lead, methanol - which could cause blindness and death, and laudanum, a mixture of opium, alcohol and flavoring5. Most medicines also contained high levels of alcohol, used as a 'preservative' for the ingredients in the bottle6. Some medicines had some much of this that they were used by people strictly for this property. Most of these dangerous chemical additives were stamped out by the pure food and drug act, passed by the USA on January 1, 190710. While some companies skirted the law for a while by changing their name or formula slightly, and continuing production. Others toed the line and went legitimate, eliminating dangerous products. Some didn't need to change in the least bit, and were all right from the beginning. Coca Cola is an example of a patent medicine that eventually became a popular soft drink. As the above bottle suggests, patent medicines could fine their way a long ways away from where they were made. Some were traded coast to coast while others were made for local consumption10. Many had fanciful names or bottle styles, perhaps increasing their popularity The above bottle is from JW Hunnewell & Co's Universal Cough remedy. While not as elaborate as some examples, the consumer might want to think just how universal this cough medicine really was.