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.

Browse
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.

date made
1969-1982
maker
Morton - Norwich Products
ID Number
1986.0198.081
accession number
1986.0198
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1982.0492.02
accession number
1982.0492
catalog number
1982.0492.02
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Warner's Safe Remedies Company
ID Number
1978.0883.062
accession number
1978.0883
catalog number
1978.0883.062
ID Number
1993.0384.033
catalog number
1993.0384.033
accession number
1993.0384
maker
Plough, Inc.
ID Number
1985.0475.109
accession number
1985.0475
Date made
1925
maker
Norwich Pharmacal Company
ID Number
1986.0198.060
accession number
1986.0198
Useful in the treatment of cuts, bruises, fever, sores, burns, scalds and minor irritations of the skin and scalp.Currently not on view
Description
Useful in the treatment of cuts, bruises, fever, sores, burns, scalds and minor irritations of the skin and scalp.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1930
maker
Pfeiffer Chemical Company
ID Number
1981.0219.064
accession number
1981.0219
catalog number
1981.0219.064
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: useful in ringworm, itch, chronic scaly eczemaCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: useful in ringworm, itch, chronic scaly eczema
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1917
maker
Kickapoo Indian Medicine Company
ID Number
MG.293320.3193
accession number
293320
catalog number
293320.3193
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Squibb Laboratories
ID Number
1985.0475.112
accession number
1985.0475
catalog number
1985.0475.112
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
L. W. Warner & Co., Inc.
ID Number
MG.293320.3192
accession number
293320
catalog number
293320.3192
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1993.0384.020
catalog number
1993.0384.020
accession number
1993.0384
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Warner's Safe Remedies Company
ID Number
1978.0883.068C
accession number
1978.0883
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Warner's Safe Remedies Company
ID Number
1978.0883.068A
accession number
1978.0883
catalog number
1978.0883.068A
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1978.0883.079A
catalog number
1978.0883.079A
accession number
1978.0883
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Dr M. Spiegel
ID Number
1978.0883.077.A
catalog number
1978.0883.077.A
accession number
1978.0883
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Warner's Safe Remedies Company
ID Number
1978.0883.068D
accession number
1978.0883
1978.0883.068D
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Dr M. Spiegel
ID Number
1978.0883.077.B
accession number
1978.0883
catalog number
1978.0883.077.B
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1978.0883.079B
catalog number
1978.0883.079B
accession number
1978.0883
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Warner's Safe Remedies Company
ID Number
1978.0883.068B
accession number
1978.0883
catalog number
1978.0883.068B
Brown and gold-colored tin with hinged lid and decorative motif on sides and borders. Tin is empty. Original contents: one grain capsules of Glycogen. Probably imported from France by E.
Description
Brown and gold-colored tin with hinged lid and decorative motif on sides and borders. Tin is empty. Original contents: one grain capsules of Glycogen. Probably imported from France by E. Fougera and Company of New York.
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: In tuberculosis, typhoid fever, scarlatina, furunculosis [infection of the hair follicle], diphtheria, influenza, in neurasthenic conditions, weak heart, migraine, morphinism, tobaccoism, etc.
Antitoxic and distinctly bactericidal, stimulating the natural resistance of the organism to pathogenic invasions.
In the early 1900s, French doctor, Jacques de Nittis, introduced the therapeutic use of glycogen, a naturally occuring substance which stores carbohydrates in the body. The substance was thought to help increase the production of white blood cells and thus help the body fight off infection. It was also employed in wasting conditions such as those brought on by cancer, tuberculosis, and diabetes, to help rebuild strenghth and weight.
SEE: de Nittis, Jacques, "Glycogen, A Therapeutic Aid (Translated from the Tribune Medicale, April 2, 1904.)" in Southern Medicine, Volume 11, No. 3, September, 1904, pp 11-12.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1905
maker
E. Fougera and Company
ID Number
2019.0068.01
catalog number
2019.0068.01
accession number
2019.0068
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Norwich Pharmacal Company
ID Number
1986.0198.079
accession number
1986.0198
catalog number
1986.0198.079
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Vick Chemical Company, Division of Richardson Merrell
ID Number
1998.0267.41
catalog number
1998.0267.41
accession number
1998.0267
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1881
maker
W. H. Comstock Company
ID Number
2009.0097.10
accession number
2009.0097
catalog number
2009.0097.10
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2002.0138.033
accession number
2002.0138
catalog number
2002.0138.033

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