Palatable Poisons: The Dark History of Patent Medicine

Death's Laboratory

This exhibit explores the history of patent medicine and how its dark history forged a path for the creation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Patent medicines—also known as proprietary medicines, nostrums, cure-alls, or snake oils—were popular medications that took advantage of the lack of federal regulations in the 1800s and early 1900s. The name, originating from the “Royal Letters Patent” in England, is a misnomer in modern American language, as no patent was given to these medicines. Instead, they were proprietary, meaning their ingredients were kept secret. The creators of these medicines were not doctors or pharmacists, but businessmen often with no medical training. Due to the excessive cost to see physicians, many Americans turned to these “cure-alls” which claimed to heal catarrh (mucus), ague (malaria), consumption (tuberculosis), cough, headache, cancer, “female complaints,” and more. It is unknown how many died due to the contents of patent medicines, which often included alcohol, arsenic, opium, mercury, cocaine, cannabis, and chloroform.

 To reduce harm, the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act required addictive or dangerous ingredients be disclosed on the label (but not in advertising) and prohibited false or misleading claims. Although this act created the FDA, it did not give this regulating body any enforcement powers, and numerous loopholes existed to be exploited. After another thirty years, the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was passed. This act gave the FDA the power to enforce rules, regulate medications, and require safety testing prior to marketing. These regulations, which exist because of the dangers of the patent medicine industry, led the way for the safe over-the-counter and prescription medications we have today.

Exhibit curated by Jennifer Dai, Josiah Charles Trent History of Medicine Intern 2025-2026.

Special thanks to Meg Brown, Yoon Kim, Angela Nettles, and Rachel Ingold for all their help in making this exhibit a reality.