In the 19th century the causes of heart disease were poorly understood. Few effective treatments were available. Patent medicine purveyors preyed on people's helplessness to treat these illnesses. The heart medicines made wild claims that they could cure any heart problems.

DR AGNEW'S CURE FOR THE HEART

This medicine started to be produced in the late 1870s and was continued into the 20th century. Sometime around the Food & Drug Act of 1906 the name was changed from a "CURE" to a "REMEDY". The product did not seem to be sold much after that point.

1889 ad

1885 ad

Dr. AGNEW'S CURE FOR THE HEART

Dr. AGNEW'S REMEDY FOR THE HEART

Dr A E Flint's Heart Remedy J. J. Mack & Co. Prop's San Francisco

This medicine was distributed by the famous Western Patent Medicine company of J J Mack who made an INDIAN SARSAPARILLA.

1887 Ad

Dr Graves Heart Regulator Cures Heart Disease

1886 Ad

DR MILES HEART CURE

This was a very successful patent medicine at the end of the 19th century. The medicine started as Dr Miles New Heart Cure and later became DR MILES REMEDY FOR THE HEART around the time of the F&D Act.

Dr Franklin L. Miles (1845-1929) from Elkhart Indiana 

Company started by Miles in 1884 but he only ran it for a few years before selling out.  The Miles company produced many popular remedies including Dr Miles Nervine, Dr Miles Pills, and Dr Miles Alternative Compound.  The New Heart Cure came out in 1888 and contained the dangerous compound digitalis.
The Miles company later made famous medicines like Alka-Selzer.

1904 ad

DR KILMER'S OCEAN-WEED HEART REMEDY
Of course no discussion of patent medicine heart cures would be complete without the classic Dr Kilmer's Ocean Weed Heart Cure with its embossed heart.

THE H.K.B. SAFE CURE FOR THE HEART, KIDNEY, AND BLADDER

This is a rare obscure cure that targeted multiple major organs.

Probably the earliest Heart Medicine.
Dr S S Fitch in New York. Advertised in the late 1850s

1856 Ad