Patent Medicine In Enosburg Falls

The production of pre-packed pharmaceutical products, known as patent or proprietary medicines, flourished in the late 19th century. Dr. Burney James Kendall (1845-1922) opened a drug store in 1870 and soon sold his own remedies. Here in 1880, the Dr. B.J. Kendall Co. began manufacturing Spavin Cure for horse and human use. Other patent medicine companies existed locally including the Dr. G.S. Greene Co., Kimball Brothers Co. and Dr. F.S. Hutchinson & Co. The industry aggressively marketed cure-alls, but their secret formulas often contained dangerous amounts of alcohol and narcotics. Many were ineffective, harmful, or addictive. Although self-medication continued, the Pure Food and Drug Act introduced regulation in 1906.