The Strangest Patented Medicines in History

Patent medicines were first produced in the late seventeenth century. Medicine manufacturers received a monopoly on their specific formulas thanks to the patent. These medicines were sold over the counter and purchased by persons who wanted a cure. However, many of the medicines contained harmful ingredients and did not provide the instant fix that they promised. The contents were often kept a secret and at the time, there were no regulations regarding ingredients. Here are some patented medicines once used which today are considered weird.\r \r 1. Dr. Shoop Green Salve\r \r Dr. Clarendon Shoop of Racine, Wisconsin had a medicine company. Green Salva was one of the medicines produced by this company. It was an ointment used on the lips and skin to treat cuts, burns, bruises, eczema and other skin diseases which guaranteed users to leave their skin feeling like velvet. Shoop relied heavily on advertising to promote this product. His product was trusted by customers because Shoop was an actual doctor and he was known to be against the use of dangerous and addictive ingredients.\r \r 2. Moses Dame’s Wine of the Woods\r \r This medicine was produced in the 1870s by the Moses Dame Company in Danbury, Connecticut and was sold at a cost of one dollar. It was a remedy for several ailments including but not limited to headache, worms, jaundice, loss of energy, dyspepsia, and debility. This product claimed to be made solely from vegetables although the label gave no indication of the ingredients used.\r \r 3. Clark Stanley’s Snake Oil Liniment\r \r Snake oil salesmen had a reputation of being shady profiteers attempting to take advantage of the gullible populace by peddling false treatments. This medicine was produced by Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment Company in Providence, Rhode Island. To be used only externally, it was expected to be effective in providing immediate relief from rheumatism, sprains, swellings, sciatica, frost bites, bites from insects and reptiles. Genuine snake oil medicine was from the Chinese and was used to treat inflammation. It was harvested from the Chinese water snake which was not found in America. Clark Stanley, made everyone believe that he used rattlesnakes instead. The truth is that most of Stanley’s batches had absolutely no snake oil in the bottle. He was fined for falsely representing his product.\r \r 4. Marshmallow Health Pearls\r \r In the late nineteenth century, James May of Naugatuck, Connecticut founded the Diamond Laboratory Company and was known for producing Marshmallow Health Pearls. These small sweet balls were used to treat constipation, all liver, stomach and bowel problems, biliousness and headache. This tasty patented medicine was produced for over twenty years which makes one believe that it was effective and persons who used it got much relief.\r \r 5. Fettle\r \r Fettle was a medicine made by the Fettle Chemical Company. This liquid in a bottle was sold and used to counteract stomach disorders and treat indigestion. One teaspoon in a tablespoon of water before meals and every two hours thereafter until well was taken to relieve discomfort from overeating and promote healthy appetite and gastric secretion. It prevented nausea and seasickness and was also taken as a tonic after the flu and grippe. It was important to read the label and note that Fettle had a high alcohol content. If users didn’t read it, they would eventually get to know it.\r \r