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: Crampton's Home Tablets No. 2 are especially adapted for the relief of colic, pain, cramps, diarrhea, restlessness from teething and croupy coughs in infants and young children.Currently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Crampton's Home Tablets No. 2 are especially adapted for the relief of colic, pain, cramps, diarrhea, restlessness from teething and croupy coughs in infants and young children.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1900
maker
Home Tablet Company
ID Number
1979.0798.394
accession number
1979.0798
catalog number
1979.0798.394
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Crampton's Home Tablets No.12 contain the celebrated and widely used remedy for severe diarrhea, cramps, cholera morbus, colic, severe pains in the stomach and dysentery.Currently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Crampton's Home Tablets No.12 contain the celebrated and widely used remedy for severe diarrhea, cramps, cholera morbus, colic, severe pains in the stomach and dysentery.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1900
maker
Home Tablet Company
ID Number
1979.0798.391
accession number
1979.0798
catalog number
1979.0798.391
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Crampton's Home Tablets No.
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Crampton's Home Tablets No. 3 are a perfect remedy for all forms of diarrhea, including dysentery, summer complaint and cholera infantum, also a reliable remedy for vomitting in cases of bilious headache, etc.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1900
maker
Home Tablet Company
ID Number
1979.0798.374
catalog number
1979.0798.374
accession number
1979.0798
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Crampton's Home Tablet's No. 1 should be taken for constipation, sick headache, biliousness, torpid liver, jaundice, offensive breath, etc.Currently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Crampton's Home Tablet's No. 1 should be taken for constipation, sick headache, biliousness, torpid liver, jaundice, offensive breath, etc.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1900
maker
Home Tablet Company
ID Number
1979.0798.393
accession number
1979.0798
catalog number
1979.0798.393
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Crampton's Home Tablets No. 9 should always be taken during convalescence from any illness, or for loss of appetite, physical debility, lassitude and overwork.Currently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Crampton's Home Tablets No. 9 should always be taken during convalescence from any illness, or for loss of appetite, physical debility, lassitude and overwork.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1900
maker
Home Tablet Company
ID Number
1979.0798.392
nonaccession number
1979.6798
catalog number
1979.6798.392
1979.0798.392
accession number
1979.0798
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Crampton's Home Tablets No. 11 are a specific for influenza and cold in the head; the usual symptoms are running from the nostrils and sneezing, accompanied by slight fever.Currently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Crampton's Home Tablets No. 11 are a specific for influenza and cold in the head; the usual symptoms are running from the nostrils and sneezing, accompanied by slight fever.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1900
maker
Home Tablet Company
ID Number
1979.0798.376
accession number
1979.0798
catalog number
1979.0798.376

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