“Female Regulating” “Relief at Last” “For All Female Complaints” “The Only Reliable Female Pill” “Female Renovating Pills” These cryptic phrases adorn small booklets, packages, and advertisements in an archival folder labeled “Female Remedies—Miscellaneous” in the New-York Historical Society’s library. They are part of a larger collection of material surrounding patent medicines: unregulated liquids, powders, oils,…

Do you feel fatigued or suffer from poor nerves? Guaranteed relief from feminine afflictions! Is your baby fretful? Well, look no further! During the 19th century, these sorts of appeals were the bait to catch consumers suffering from anything from headaches to hot flashes to unwanted pregnancy. The unregulated “patent medicine” industry was big business….