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Simple English definitions for legal terms
patent medicine
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A quick definition of patent medicine:
Patent medicine refers to a type of medicine that is sold in a package and does not require a prescription from a doctor. These medicines are protected by a trademark, which means that only the company that makes them can sell them. They are often advertised as being able to cure a variety of illnesses, but their effectiveness is not always proven.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: A patent medicine is a packaged drug that is protected by trademark and is available without a prescription.
Examples:
- Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound
- Dr. Miles' Nervine
- Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment
These examples illustrate the definition of patent medicine because they are all packaged drugs that were sold without a prescription and were protected by trademark. Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound was marketed as a cure for women's health issues, Dr. Miles' Nervine was marketed as a cure for nervous disorders, and Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment was marketed as a cure for various ailments. However, many of these patent medicines were later found to be ineffective or even harmful.