Pain and Profits

the long version

Tells the story of how a common ailment (the headache) became the center of a multibillion dollar pharmaceutical industry in the United States. Despite the increasing authority of the medical profession in the twentieth century, treatment of this condition has remained largely in the hands of the public. Using the headache as a case study, and advertising as a significant source of information, the author traces the beginnings of the modern over-the-counter industry.