nostrums
Dubious patent medicines
Nostrums are dubious remedies or cure-alls, especially medicines of secret composition peddled with exaggerated claims.
The word often appears in criticism of quack treatments: snake oil and other nostrums.
More broadly, nostrum describes any questionable scheme presented as a solution: political nostrums that promise easy fixes to complex problems.
Fraudulent cure-all
- elixirMythical healing draught
- cure-allSupposed universal remedy
- patent medicineTrademarked unproven remedy
- tonicInvigorating medicinal drink
panacea · charlatan · huckster · miracle cure · quick fix · remedy · potion · salve
Homemade medical treatment
- herbalRelating to medicinal plants
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
- tinctureHerb steeped in alcohol
- poulticeMoist healing application
folk medicine · concoction · brew · roots · balm · infusion · curative · old wives tale
snake oil
Fraudulent cure-all
- elixirMythical healing draught
- cure-allSupposed universal remedy
- patent medicineTrademarked unproven remedy
tonic · panacea · charlatan · huckster · miracle cure · quick fix · remedy · potion · salve · liniment
home remedy
Homemade medical treatment
- herbalRelating to medicinal plants
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
- tinctureHerb steeped in alcohol
poultice · folk medicine · concoction · brew · roots · balm · infusion · curative · old wives tale · ancestral
policy
Adopted principle of action
- schemeCalculated strategy, often secretive
- solutionAnswer or liquid mixture
- platformRaised flat structure
proposal · ideology · rhetoric · populism · talking point · quick fix · campaign promise · reform · slogan · agenda
- apothecarypharmacy, apothecary, drugstore, dispensary, pharmacist
nostrumsevidence-based medicine
Clinical care guided by research
pharmaceuticals · therapeutic drugs · prescription medications · prescription medication · standard of care