Patent medicines were primarily alcohol, narcotics, and fraud rather than medicine
Evidence
Accusing the entire industry of fraud, Adams opened his story this way: GULLIBLE America will spend this year some seventy-five millions of dollars in the purchase of patent medicines. In consideration of this sum it will swallow huge quantities of alcohol, an appalling amount of opiates and narcotics, a wide assortment of varied drugs ranging from powerful and dangerous heart depressants to insidious liver stimulants; and, far in excess of all other ingredients, undiluted fraud. For fraud, exploited by the skillfulness of advertising bunco men, is the basis of the trade. — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 112
Categorization
- XREF: The claim that advertising skill is what sells fraud previews the book’s core thesis about attention merchants—the historical origin point of the attention economy. — connects to: The patent medicine Liquozone was not merely useless but actively harmful — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 1177; Patent medicines relied on mysterious secret ingredients to feed consumer hope — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 97; Public disenchantment, not legislation, collapsed the patent medicine industry — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 117 (+5 more)
Broader Connections
- Excess fraud and profit made the patent medicine industry collapse under its own weight
#corroborates(0.85) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 118 - Patent medicine makers fabricated doctor endorsements for credibility
#exemplifies(0.85) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 114 - Public disenchantment, not legislation, collapsed the patent medicine industry
#qualifies(0.80) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 117 - Patent medicine fraud escaped prosecution because laws left buyers to assume the risk
#expands(0.80) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 109