Topics in Chronicling America - Patent Medicines

Jump to: Sample Articles

Important Dates:

• 1905-1906: The Collier magazine ran a series of influential articles by Samuel Hopkins Adams entitled, "The Great American Fraud," which exposed many of the deceitful and unsafe methods practiced by patent medicine manufacturers.
• June 30, 1906: The first federal Food and Drug Act, signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt .
• 1912: The Act was amended.

Suggested Search Terms:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.] Patent Medicines, Drugs, Cures, Medicines, Tintures, Concoctions and Patent Medicines, Bitters, Elixirs, Tonics, Extracts, Remedies, Pain Killers, Family Medicines, Salves and Patent Medicines, Balsams, Liniments, The Great American Fraud, Samuel Hopkins Adams and Patent Medicines

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• "Slave To Morphine From Doctors Orders", The Clay City Times (Clay City, KY), 18 December 1902, page 3, image 3, col. 3.
• "Alcohol In Medicine", The Gainesville Star (Gainesville, FL), 23 June 1903, image 5, col. 2.
• "Some Secrets Of Patent Medicines", Hopkinsville Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, KY), 23 February 1905, page 3, image 3, col. 3.
• ["Collier's Weekly"], Palestine Daily Herald (Palestine, TX), 7 October 1905, image 4, col.1.
• "Begins War On Patent Medicines", Los Angeles Herald (Los Angeles, CA), 22 October 1905, page 3, image 3, col. 3.
• "Propose Tax On Medicines", Amador Ledger (Jackson, Amador County, CA), 27 October 1905, page 1, image 5, col. 1.
• "A Patent Medicine Talk", The Evening World (New York, NY), 10 November 1905, Evening Edition, page 15, image 15, cols. 5-6.
• "Actuated By Selfishness. Attacks Upon Patented Medicines Made By Men Of Mercenary Mind", The Weekly True Democrat (Tallahassee, FL), 1 December 1905, image 7, cols. 1-3.
• "Statistics. What They Show Concerning Poising in This Country", Hopkinsville Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, KY), 28 December 1905, page 3, image 3, col. 3.
• "Dealers Given To April 1st", The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT), 3 January 1906, Last Edition, page 3, image 3, col.1.
• "The Death Rate and "Patent" Medicine", Los Angeles Herald (Los Angeles, CA), 27 May 1906, image 48, cols. 1-3.
• "Pure Food In Sight", The Washington Times (Washington, DC), 25 June 1906, Last Edition, page 6, image 6, col.1.
• "Pure Food Bill Drastic Enough", The Salt Lake Herald (Salt Lake City, UT), 28 June 1906, page 1, image 1, col.3.
• "Pure Food Law Fight", New-York Tribune (New York, NY), 5 September 1906, page 3, image 3, col.3.
• "Hearings By the Pure Food Board", Palestine Daily Herald (Palestine, TX), 17 September 1906, image 3, col. 6.
• "Peruna Editorial No, 4.", Los Angeles Herald (Los Angeles, CA), 7 April 1907, page 4, image 4, cols. 6-7.
• "To-day we want to talk to you about Catarrh cures", The Hartford Herald (Hartford, KY), 2 October 1907, image 8, col. 5.
• "No Change Necessary In Rexall Remedies", Palestine Daily Herald (Palestine, TX), 11 March 1908, image 5, cols. 3-4.
• "Facts For Sick Women, [Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound]", The Breckenridge News (Cloverport, KY), 20 October 1909, page 6, image 8, col. 5.