In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Germany struggled with adulterated medicines and products that resisted clear legal classifi cation. Th is article examines the regulatory framework governing pharmaceutical trade, focusing on the blurred boundaries between medicines, cosmetics, and foodstuff s. As a case study, it considers Jehnol, a preparation marketed in 1908 as a toothache remedy, which exemplifi ed a ‘borderline product’ that challenged existing defi nitions. Th e analysis shows how such products complicated the application of law, and demonstrates that the historical problem of classifi cation and quality control of health-related goods remains relevant to contemporary debates.
Alexander Smakosz (Thu,) studied this question.