Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 April 1904 — Oldest Patent Medicine. [ARTICLE]

Oldest Patent Medicine.

In a strict sense the oldest patent medicine was one patented by Timothy Byfleld Oct 22, 1711 (No. 388), for “a new and most vseful chimicall preparacon and medicine, publickly known by the name of his ‘sal oleosum volatile,’ which by aboundant experience hath been found very helpful! and beneflciall as well for vses medlcinall as others and will very much tend to the public vse and benefit of all our subjects.” The ingredients of this medicine are not named. The next patent medicine is No. 390, April 3, 1712, granted to Richard Stoughton, for “a new and most vseful restorative cordial and medicine, known by the name of ‘Stoughton’s elixir magnum stomachicu,’ or ‘the great cordial elixir,’ otherwise called the stomatick tincture, or bitter drops.’ ” After a break of ten years a patent was granted to Robert Eaton on April 18, 1722, for a “new stlptick medicine.”