THE CLAIMS

For most of the era in which trade cards flourished there were no legal restrictions on the claims that advertisers could make for their products. Patent-medicine manufacturers did not have to provide any evidence that their medicines worked, prove that they were safe to use, or even reveal their contents.

Advertisers could make claims like the ones on this card without fear of being prosecuted for false advertising.

How does this language compare to that used on today's over-the-counter remedies? Can you think of any that claim to cure a disease?

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