Balm of America: Patent Medicine Collection

Balm of America Banner image, a collection of medicine

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.

Place: Chicago

Kodol Tablets for the Stomach

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1930
maker
E. C. DeWitt and Company
ID Number
MG.M-09907.02
catalog number
M-09907
accession number
238503

Gets-It

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:For corns and callusesCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
For corns and calluses
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
after 1928
maker
Gets-It Incorporated
ID Number
MG.293320.1299
catalog number
293320.1299
accession number
293320

Dr. King's New Discovery for Consumption

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:For consumption, coughs, colds and all diseases of the throat, chest and lungsCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
For consumption, coughs, colds and all diseases of the throat, chest and lungs
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MG.293320.1238
accession number
293320
catalog number
293320.1238

Foley's Honey and Tar Compound

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Demulcent for coughs, colds, hoarseness, and children's coughsCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: Demulcent for coughs, colds, hoarseness, and children's coughs
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
after 1906
maker
Foley and Company
ID Number
MG.M-09908
catalog number
M-09908
accession number
238503

Kennedy's Laxative Cough Syrup

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For coughs, colds, croups, la grippe, whooping cough, and bronchitisCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For coughs, colds, croups, la grippe, whooping cough, and bronchitis
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
c. 1908
c. 1906 -1908
maker
E. C. DeWitt and Company
ID Number
MG.M-10766 [dup32]
catalog number
M-10766
accession number
256193

Kennedy's Laxative Cough Syrup

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For coughs, colds, croups, la grippe, whooping cough, and bronchitisCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For coughs, colds, croups, la grippe, whooping cough, and bronchitis
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
c. 1908
c. 1906 -1908
maker
E. C. DeWitt and Company
ID Number
MG.M-10766 [dup26]
catalog number
M-10766
accession number
256193

King's Discovery

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For consumption, coughs, colds and all diseases of the throat, chest and lungs.Currently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For consumption, coughs, colds and all diseases of the throat, chest and lungs.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
H.E. Bucklen and Company
ID Number
MG.293320.1234
catalog number
293320.1234
accession number
293320

Kodol Tablets for the Stomach

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: should be dissolved in the mouth or chewed very slowlyCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: should be dissolved in the mouth or chewed very slowly
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1930
maker
E. C. DeWitt and Company
ID Number
MG.M-09907.01
catalog number
M-09907
accession number
238503

DeWitt's Vaporizing Balm

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:To sooth nasal passagesCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
To sooth nasal passages
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1950
maker
E. C. DeWitt and Company
ID Number
MG.293320.1318
catalog number
293320.1318
accession number
293320

Kodol Nerve Tonic

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:For languid, listless, lifeless feeling. As a general constitutional remedy, and as a blood purifying tonic.
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
For languid, listless, lifeless feeling. As a general constitutional remedy, and as a blood purifying tonic. For inflammation of the mucous membranes of the throat, lungs or bronchial tubes, and for coughs and colds. For neuralgia or acute pains.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1900
maker
E. C. DeWitt and Company
ID Number
MG.M-10426.68
catalog number
M-10426
accession number
246707

King's Discovery

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For consumption, coughs, colds and all diseases of the throat, chest and lungs.Currently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For consumption, coughs, colds and all diseases of the throat, chest and lungs.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
H.E. Bucklen and Company
ID Number
MG.293320.1239
accession number
293320
catalog number
293320.1239

Dr. King's New Discovery for Consumption

The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:By taking the contents of this small bottle, you will readily perceive the remarkable curative qualities of this great New Discovery for Consumption, Coughs, Colds, and all Diseases of the Throat, Chest and Lun
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:
By taking the contents of this small bottle, you will readily perceive the remarkable curative qualities of this great New Discovery for Consumption, Coughs, Colds, and all Diseases of the Throat, Chest and Lungs, which will convince you of its wonderful merits, and show you what can be done by a regular one dollar size bottle. Give it a trial. Dose for adults one teaspoonful every three hours.
Proprietary (patent) medicine makers employed a wide array of advertising and marketing techniques to sell their products. The free sample, or trial size, was one of these. Dr. King's New Discovery, developed by Dr. Z. L. King of Elkhart, Indianna, was purchased by Herbert E. Bucklen around 1878. Bucklen spent lavishly on advertising which brought national recognition to his New Discovery and other medicines.
date made
ca 1905
maker
H.E. Bucklen and Company
ID Number
MG.293320.1237
accession number
293320
catalog number
293320.1237

Dr. King's New Discovery for Consumption

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:For consumption, coughs, colds and all diseases of the throat, chest and lungsCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
For consumption, coughs, colds and all diseases of the throat, chest and lungs
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1900
ID Number
MG.293320.1240
accession number
293320
catalog number
293320.1240

Hamlin's Blood & Liver Pills

[No indications or uses for this product are provided on its packaging.]Currently not on view
Description
[No indications or uses for this product are provided on its packaging.]
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
after 1880
maker
Hamlin's Wizard Oil Company
ID Number
MG.M-10413.14
catalog number
M-10413.14
accession number
246707

Dr. Fuller's Electro Spiral Magnetic Vegetable Vapor Cure

The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:For headache; neuralgia; catarrh; hoarseness; asthma; hay fever; colds in the head; pleurisy and sciatica; nervous headache; dizziness; clouded memory; loss of nerve power, and all diseases of the mucous membra
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:
For headache; neuralgia; catarrh; hoarseness; asthma; hay fever; colds in the head; pleurisy and sciatica; nervous headache; dizziness; clouded memory; loss of nerve power, and all diseases of the mucous membrane
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1888-1906
maker
Fuller and Fuller
ID Number
MG.M-12151.07
catalog number
M-12151.07
accession number
271464

Petrolagar

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:For the promotion of proper fecal consistency and the restoration of normal bowel habit timeCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
For the promotion of proper fecal consistency and the restoration of normal bowel habit time
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
after 1934
maker
Petrolager Laboratories
ID Number
MG.293320.1332
catalog number
293320.1332
accession number
293320

Foley's Family Pills

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:For constipation, biliousness and headacheCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
For constipation, biliousness and headache
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1910
maker
Foley and Company
ID Number
MG.293320.1310
catalog number
293320.1310
accession number
293320

Cascasweet

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: A corrective for regulating the stomach and bowels of infants and children.
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: A corrective for regulating the stomach and bowels of infants and children. For Diarrhoea, Dysentery, Summer Complaints, Constipation, Worms, Sonvulsions, Teething, Wind Colic, Vomiting of Sour Curd, Mad-Assimilation of Food , Sour Stomach Feverishness and Want to Sleep.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1908
maker
E. C. DeWitt and Company
ID Number
MG.M-10766 [dup43]
catalog number
M-10766
accession number
256193

Cascasweet

The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:For your baby for diarrhea, dysentery, summer complaints, constipation, worms, convulsions, teething, wind colic, vomiting of sour curd, mal-assimilation of food, sour stomach, feverishness and want of sleepCur
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:
For your baby for diarrhea, dysentery, summer complaints, constipation, worms, convulsions, teething, wind colic, vomiting of sour curd, mal-assimilation of food, sour stomach, feverishness and want of sleep
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1908-1918
associated date
1906
maker
E. C. DeWitt and Company
ID Number
MG.M-10766 [dup9]
catalog number
M-10766
accession number
256193

Crane's Laxative Mint Chewing Gum

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:Relieves constipation, biliousness, sour stomach, bad breathCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
Relieves constipation, biliousness, sour stomach, bad breath
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1925
maker
Crane Medicine Co.
ID Number
MG.293320.1391
catalog number
293320.1391
accession number
293320

Kennedy's Laxative Cough Syrup

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For coughs, colds, croups, la grippe, whooping cough, and bronchitisCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For coughs, colds, croups, la grippe, whooping cough, and bronchitis
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
c. 1908
c. 1906 -1908
maker
E. C. DeWitt and Company
ID Number
MG.M-10766 [dup31]
catalog number
M-10766
accession number
256193

Crane's Quinine and Tar Compound

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer, or as found in contemporary medical literature, are:An Expectorant for Coughs, Colds, Hoarseness, Tickling in throat, Bronchial Coughs, and Coughs resulting from La Grippe.Currently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer, or as found in contemporary medical literature, are:
An Expectorant for Coughs, Colds, Hoarseness, Tickling in throat, Bronchial Coughs, and Coughs resulting from La Grippe.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
before 1975
before 1975
before 1975
before 1975
1908-1918
maker
Crane Medicine Co.
ID Number
MG.314016.068
catalog number
314016.68
accession number
314016

Kennedy's Laxative Cough Syrup

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For coughs, colds, croups, la grippe, whooping cough, and bronchitisCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For coughs, colds, croups, la grippe, whooping cough, and bronchitis
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
c. 1908
c. 1906 -1908
maker
E. C. DeWitt and Company
ID Number
MG.M-10766 [dup22]
catalog number
M-10766
accession number
256193

Reid's Cough and Kidney Remedy

The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For croup, colds, bronchitis, hoarseness, whooping cough, asthma, and kidney disease.
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are: For croup, colds, bronchitis, hoarseness, whooping cough, asthma, and kidney disease. This remedy is guaranteed to relieve the worst cases of kidney complaint, that arise from a cold.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1908-1918
maker
Reid
Sylvan Remedy Company
ID Number
MG.293320.1602.2
accession number
293320
293320
catalog number
293320.1602.2

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