List of patent medicines

[10] Advertisements emphasized exotic or scientific-sounding ingredients, featured endorsements from purported experts or celebrities, and often claimed that products were universal remedies or panaceas.

[11] Beginning in the early 20th century, the passage of consumer protection laws in countries like the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada began to regulate deceptive advertising and put limits on what ingredients could be used in medicines, putting an end to the dominance of patent medicines.

[14][15][16][17] Various types of pre-scientific medical preparations, some based on folk or traditional remedies, were sold as patent medicines.

[18] Because patent medicines were unscientific and unregulated, the brand names of many products were not necessarily an accurate reflection of their ingredients or preparation methods.

Some brands from the patent medicine era have survived into the present day, typically with significantly revised formulas and toned-down advertising.