Addictive Patent Medicines Prior to passage of the1906 Pure Food and Drugs Act, many of the “patent medicines” on the market were dangerously addictive, containing, among other ingredients, alcohol and opiates. Many were marketed to women specifically, to treat issues associated with menstruation, menopause and “nervous exhaustion.” The passage of the 1906 law did not put an end to these gendered marketing practices, but it did require labeling to identify the presence and quantity of 11 dangerous ingredients.

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