I hate to do this but I don't want people to read your comment and make that their understanding of history: The FDA did not exist until 1930. Even if you coun

I hate to do this but I don't want people to read your comment and make that their understanding of history: The FDA did not exist until 1930. Even if you count the predecessor agencies they did not 'approve' drugs. They were tasked with fraud prevention (selling things that weren't what they claimed to be) and safety in the sense that the product wasn't poison, but not with ensuring that the thing it claimed to be was actually safe. The legislation which gave the FDA authority to restrict drugs to prescription use and require safety and efficacy approval was the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act which was passed in 1938.