Hi Jeremy,
Your question is of great interest to me.  As a biochemist/medical
biologist who has helped to interpret patent medicine finds at
archaeological sites, I have been asking and trying to answer questions
like yours for quite a few years and have done a complete catalog and
inventory of an old drug store with over 5000 pharmaceutical artifacts
including patent medicines.  You have already received some good pointers. 
I can provide more information but it would help me to know what specific
patent medicines you are studying and the time frame for their manufacture.
There are a few caveats that you may want to consider.  Bear in mind that
the manufacturers of patent and proprietary medicines changed their
formulas periodically and especially in the early 20th century after the
Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.  The changes were also prompted by dramatic
advances in medical understanding of disease beginning with the latter part
of the 19th century.  For example, Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound was
modified in composition at least five times beginning in 1875.  The more
recent formulas bear little resemblance to the original composition.
Analyses given in books by medical scientists like Oleson, who were often
very good pharmacognosists, represent approximation or better, simulations,
of sometimes very complex botanical mixtures. Accurate quantitative
chemical analyses of complex 19th century medicines was not possible at the
time and still is limited.  I agree that we should try to identify the
ingredients of patent medicines and try to interpret their efficacy and
merit in relation to the medical knowledge of their time, and if I can help
you, let me know offline.  We do have accurate quantitative formulas for
dyssentary medicines and vermifuges as in the Hiss reference cited by
Meredith Linn, but almost all of the patent and proprietary medicine makers
were highly secretive in the 19th century.  Good luck.
Allen Vegotsky
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> [Original Message]
> From: Jeremy Pye <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 1/3/2008 8:57:36 AM
> Subject: 19th century patent medicines
>
> Greetings all,
>
> Sorry to interrupt the recent deluge of button emails,
> but I wanted to ask if anyone might know of references
> that discuss ingredients of 19th century patent
> medicines. Specifically, I am interested in
> ingredients that went in to worming medications, and
> those medicines which claimed to cure dysentery. 
>
> Thanks,
> Jeremy Pye
>
>
>      
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