Patent Medicine Ads

Patent medicine ad for Vin Mariani, 1900 (Brooklyn Citizen, via Newspapers.com™)

This page contains a collection of newspaper advertisements for various patent medicines from history. Patent medicines were commercially-sold “remedies” often formulated with little consideration for effectiveness or potential side effects. Some contained alcohol, opiates, or other addictive substances.

Learn more about Patent Medicine Ads through historical newspapers from our archives. Explore newspaper articles, headlines, images, and other primary sources below.

Articles and Clippings about Patent Medicine Ads

Daffy's Elixir ad (1743) 02 Apr 1743, Tue The Newcastle Weekly Courant (Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England) Newspapers.comDr. Bateman's Pectoral Drops ad (1779) 19 Nov 1779, Fri The Derby Mercury (Derby, Derbyshire, England) Newspapers.comTurlington's Balsam ad (1782) 23 Mar 1782, Sat Jackson's Oxford Journal (Oxford, Oxfordshire, England) Newspapers.comGodbold's Vegetable Balsam ad (1789) 13 Aug 1789, Thu The Derby Mercury (Derby, Derbyshire, England) Newspapers.comKeyser's Pills ad (1803) 18 Mar 1803, Fri Cork Mercantile Chronicle (Cork, Cork, Ireland) Newspapers.comSwaim's Panacea ad (1827) 28 Apr 1827, Sat The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.comDalby's Carminative ad (1835) 22 Jan 1835, Thu The Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland) Newspapers.comDr. Solomon's Cordial Balm of Gilead ad (1838) 11 May 1838, Fri The Newcastle Weekly Courant (Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England) Newspapers.comWarburg's Tincture ad (1852) 25 Oct 1852, Mon Daily News (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.comOxygenized Air ad (1868) 07 May 1868, Thu Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.comMrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup ad (1869) 30 Nov 1869, Tue Sheffield and Rotherham Independent (Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England) Newspapers.comJamaica Ginger ad (1874) 04 Apr 1874, Sat New England Farmer (Boston, Massachusetts) Newspapers.comDr. Thomas' Eclectric Oil ad (1883) 22 Sep 1883, Sat Buffalo Evening News (Buffalo, New York) Newspapers.comPemberton's French Wine Coca ad (1885) 20 Aug 1885, Thu Brewton Banner (Brewton, Alabama) Newspapers.comChlorodyne ad (1897) 08 Jan 1897, Fri The Devon and Exeter Gazette (Exeter, Devon, England) Newspapers.comBuffalo Lithia Water ad (1897) 13 Dec 1897, Mon The Times-Democrat (New Orleans, Louisiana) Newspapers.comSedna ad (1899) 05 Apr 1899, Wed Belfast News-Letter (Belfast, Antrim, Northern Ireland) Newspapers.comBeecham's Pills ad (1899) 25 Aug 1899, Fri The Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.comVin Mariani ad (1900) 16 Dec 1900, Sun The Brooklyn Citizen (Brooklyn, New York) Newspapers.comDr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People ad (1903) 18 Feb 1903, Wed Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Newspapers.comA.B.C. Liniment ad (1903) 02 May 1903, Sat The Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) Newspapers.comPeruna ad (1903) 23 May 1903, Sat The Winnipeg Tribune (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) Newspapers.comHamlins Wizard Oil ad (1904) 01 Apr 1904, Fri Snyder County Tribune (Middleburg, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.comLondonderry Lithia ad (1906) 12 Apr 1906, Thu Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) Newspapers.comSeven Sutherland Sisters' Hair Grower ad (1908) 16 Aug 1908, Sun Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) Newspapers.comBile Beans ad (1908) 09 Sep 1908, Wed The Age (Melbourne, Victoria, Victoria, Australia) Newspapers.comDr. Morse's Indian Root Pills ad (1909) 14 Dec 1909, Tue The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia) Newspapers.comAntikamnia Tablets ad (1914) 03 Apr 1914, Fri Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York) Newspapers.comLane's Emulsion ad (1915) 06 Jul 1915, Tue The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia) Newspapers.comGreen's August Flower ad (1917) 08 Mar 1917, Thu The Ledger (Potwin, Kansas) Newspapers.comRadithor ad (1928) 22 Nov 1928, Thu The Idaho Statesman (Boise, Idaho) Newspapers.com