Old English Patent Medicines in America

"Old English Patent Medicines in America" by George B. Griffenhagen is a mid-20th century historical account of how English patent medicines traveled to America and what effect they had in American medical practices and culture. The book focuses on well-known treatments such as Bateman's Pectoral Drops and Godfrey's Cordial, and discusses their exaggerated promises and how settlers used them to treat themselves. Early on, the book talks about the reasons these medicines became popular in both England and America. The authors explain the origins of important medicines in 18th-century England and the people who helped advertise them. The story shows that these ready-made treatments were appealing to colonists who didn’t have many resources to deal with health problems, suggesting the growth of the patent medicine market in America, also revealing how different companies competed with each other.