Where Did Patent Medicine Come From?

The first patent issued for a medicine was granted in 1796 to Samuel Lee, Jr. of Windham, Connecticut. His pills promised to cure all kinds of ailments.

The term "patent medicine" does not necessarily mean the potion is patented. The term appeared in England in the 1600s when medicine only had to be original but no proof of effectiveness or safety was required. Since to patent meant to disclose the contents, most kept their recipes secret, but continued to call them patent medicines.