[Secret remedies in France until abolition in 1926]

Secret remedies are preparations or medicines whose composition is not disclosed by the inventor in order to protect his invention or to deceive the public. Secret remedies have always existed. From time immemorial the communities of apothecaries in Paris or in the provinces were opposed to quack doctors or healers who sold inactive mixtures. The 1352 Royal Edict forbade preparations of secret remedies. However, in the 17th century secret remedies were authorized through commission letters or warrants. In the 18th century regulations were implemented to control secret trade. The famous 11 April 1803 Law called the Germinal Law banned the sale of secret remedies but its severity was softened through successive decrees based on divergent interpretations of the regulations. The final banning of secret remedies was pronounced by a decree on 13 July 1926.