Patent Medicines

This episode is about patent medicines and the heyday of these non-prescription drug sales in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Topics discussed include: correlation between sickness and spirituality; how Americans ruined snake oil; the unbelievable addictive ingredients contained within; nostrum sellers; the awkward yet effective ways of advertising; how women, the lack of trust in doctors and urban living contributed to increasing popularity of these drugs; and the evolution of drug laws.

Christi and Brian also talk about their favorite examples of patent medicines.