Balm of America: Patent Medicine Collection

About the Collection
The Smithsonian Institution began to collect objects related to health and medicine in 1881. It first obtained examples of patent medicines in 1930, acquiring packages of Haarlem Oil (or Dutch Drops), Dr. John Hooper’s Female Pills, and Roche’s Herbal Embrocation. Since then the Smithsonian’s collection of patent medicines has expanded to over 4,000 products, dating from the 19th century to the present day.

About this Object Group
This group of objects features examples from this collection, found in the Division of Medicine and Science at the National Museum of American History. Each entry includes a photo of the object, the product’s name, maker’s name, place of manufacture, and a date range. Ingredients and therapeutic claims are included when indicated on the product packaging.

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Browse the collection by therapeutic category. You can also use the keyword search (at right) which searches all fields of information.

More Information
Learn more about patent medicine history and how this history is revealed in examples from our collection. Questions or comments? Contact us.

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For the blood, stomach, liver, and bowel troublesCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For the blood, stomach, liver, and bowel troubles
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1908-1918
Maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
1984.0782.031
accession number
1984.0782
catalog number
1984.0782.031
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For the blood, the stomach, the liver and the bowelsCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For the blood, the stomach, the liver and the bowels
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1883
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
1984.0782.030
accession number
1984.0782
catalog number
1984.0782.030
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:Coughs, colds, hoarseness, bronchitis, grippe cough, croup, whooping cough and measles cough; also to relieve cough of asthmatic and consumptive patients in incipient or advanced stages of their diseaseC
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
Coughs, colds, hoarseness, bronchitis, grippe cough, croup, whooping cough and measles cough; also to relieve cough of asthmatic and consumptive patients in incipient or advanced stages of their disease
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
after 1906
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
MG.293320.1189
catalog number
293320.1189
accession number
293320
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:A laxative, purgative, tonic, alterative; stimulates liver and bowel functions; tones up the stomach, enriches the blood.
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:
A laxative, purgative, tonic, alterative; stimulates liver and bowel functions; tones up the stomach, enriches the blood. For constipation, biliousness, sick headache, disordered sour stomach, torpid liver, loss of appetite, coated tongue, bad breath, dizziness, sallow skin, impure blood, poor blood, periodical complaints of females, and other functional stomach, liver, bowel disorders.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
after 1906
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
MG.M-10413.21
catalog number
M-10413.02
accession number
246707
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:For rheumatism, neuralgia, gout, sciatica, backache, quinsy, sore throat, stiffness of the neck and joints, sprains, cuts and wounds, lumbago, scalds and burns, headache, toothache, earache, bruises, eruptions,
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:
For rheumatism, neuralgia, gout, sciatica, backache, quinsy, sore throat, stiffness of the neck and joints, sprains, cuts and wounds, lumbago, scalds and burns, headache, toothache, earache, bruises, eruptions, sores and swellings, inflammations, chilblains, frostbites, frosted feet, chapped hands and face, bites and stings of poisonous insects, weak ankles and joints, sore feet, pain in the back and limbs, ulcerated sores, inflammation of the breast, dislocations, or other bodily pains and aches. As a horse and cattle lotion it has no rival.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1906-1908
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
MG.M-10409.10
catalog number
M-10409
accession number
246707
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: All bodily painsCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: All bodily pains
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1880
after 1882
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
1984.0782.175
accession number
1984.0782
catalog number
1984.0782.175
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For coughs due to common colds in adults and children. A stimulent expectorant and gentle emetic.Currently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For coughs due to common colds in adults and children. A stimulent expectorant and gentle emetic.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1906
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
2008.0062.20
accession number
2008.0062
catalog number
2008.0062.20
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Cure coughCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Cure cough
Location
Currently not on view
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
2008.3006.145
nonaccession number
2008.3006
catalog number
2008.3006.145
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
1978.0883.055.F
accession number
1978.0883
catalog number
1978.0883.055.F
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For constipation, bilious and liver trouble, sick headache, indigestion, dyspepsia, blood poverty, severe coldsCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For constipation, bilious and liver trouble, sick headache, indigestion, dyspepsia, blood poverty, severe colds
Location
Currently not on view
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
1978.0883.055.A
accession number
1978.0883
catalog number
1978.0883.055.A
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
1978.0883.055.D
accession number
1978.0883
catalog number
1978.0883.055.D
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
1978.0883.055.C
accession number
1978.0883
catalog number
1978.0883.055.C
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
1978.0883.055.E
accession number
1978.0883
catalog number
1978.0883.055.E
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
1978.0883.055.B
accession number
1978.0883
catalog number
1978.0883.055.B
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Comforts the Baby, regulates the Bowels, relieves Griping and Wind Colic, and is a safe Remedy for Diarrhoea, Dysentery and Summer Complaint.Currently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Comforts the Baby, regulates the Bowels, relieves Griping and Wind Colic, and is a safe Remedy for Diarrhoea, Dysentery and Summer Complaint.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1908-1918
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
1980.0678.32
accession number
1980.0678
catalog number
1980.0678.32
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:For constipation, biliousness, sick stomach, indigestion, dyspepsia, loss of appetite, liver trouble, bilious headache, impure blood, blood poverty, skin eruptions, sick headache, nausea, coated tongue, dizzine
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:
For constipation, biliousness, sick stomach, indigestion, dyspepsia, loss of appetite, liver trouble, bilious headache, impure blood, blood poverty, skin eruptions, sick headache, nausea, coated tongue, dizziness, debility and pains in the back and loins
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
after 1906
maker
A. C. Meyer and Company
ID Number
1989.0711.26
accession number
1989.0711
catalog number
1989.0711.26

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